Chongqing- A Chongqing enterprise located in the Western (Chongqing) Science City has recently developed a three-dimensional space-time digital twin pollution traceability system for atmospheric state control sites. It will accurately locate air pollution and discover pollution behavior in real-time through its intelligent system.

A digital twin is a virtual counterpart of a given system. In an operational setting, a digital twin would use near real-time data to provide a snapshot of how the system responds to multiple stressors.

Air pollution affects people's health and is closely linked to their lives, making them more liable to become ill and even life-threatening in serious cases. It can also affect the photosynthesis of plants, which in turn affects the balance of the entire ecosystem.

There are various sources of air pollution in China, so it is urgent to make comprehensive planning, prevention, and control of air pollution.

Detect acts of air pollution

"The three-dimensional space-time digital twin pollution traceability system for atmospheric state control sites developed by our company is currently in the installation stage and will be put into use in the core area of the Western (Chongqing) Science City in the first half of the year," said Tian Lingling, a representative from Chongqing Zhixing Shulian Technology Co., Ltd.

Based on the Internet of things (IoT), cloud computing, big data, Artificial intelligence (AI) intelligence, and Augmented Reality (AR) cloud view technology, the company integrated various data in meteorology, atmospheric environment monitoring, pollution source, online monitoring, road traffic, and video monitoring, 3D tilt photography, etc.

The system provides a bird's-eye view of the three-dimensional panoramic situation around the atmospheric state control sites and realizes a three-dimensional spatial and temporal correlation analysis between air quality and pollution dispersion conditions at the sites.

Furthermore, the system can also realize a real-time correlation analysis between air quality and pollution sources, including real-time traffic and road conditions, key industrial sources and catering enterprises in the vicinity, etc.

"Previously, the presence of air pollution often required a manual determination," said Tian. "Now, this technology has been upgraded to pinpoint and detect air pollution, including biomass burning, dust from construction sites, bare ground, etc., and manage them in a closed-loop tracking process."

She continued, "for example, if we monitor that there is air pollution in a certain area, the application system can accurately trace the source of pollution, which could be a factory, a construction site, or another source of pollution."

Further benefits to governance 

Then, what benefits will such a system bring to the Western (Chongqing) Science City?

At present, the AI+AR digital twin pollution traceability of atmospheric state control sites has been incorporated into the smart environmental protection platform of the Western (Chongqing) Science City.

This is to enhance atmospheric environment perception, grasp the real-time atmospheric environment situation and carry out accurate air environment traceability in the battle against air pollution.

In the long run, by tracing the source of pollution, it is possible to thoroughly find out the illegal discharge behaviors, improve the systematic, scientific, refined, and informalized level of the governance in the Western (Chongqing) Science City, and provide a decision-making basis for the spatial planning and construction of the Western (Chongqing) Science City.

(Shi Jiaqi, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)