Visual Plan announces the completion of Phase I of a significant reality capture and digital twins integration project for the recently-opened Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) serving the Mexico City metropolitan area.
Visual Plan has completed Phase I of its proposed comprehensive digital integration and reality capture strategy to create an operational 3D visualization of the new airport, including dynamic connections between spatial locations and critical asset information. The approved long-term digital twins strategy developed by Visual Plan includes rapid reality capture via 360-degree photogrammetry, terrestrial LiDAR scanning of critical assets and infrastructure, asset survey, and digital twins integration into the airport’s computerized asset management, maintenance, and inspection software.
The majority of the 3D visualization capture process was conducted during commissioning efforts in commercial areas before the airport began servicing passenger traffic. The final stages of capture continue for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, baggage, conveyances, security systems, airside assets, and other critical maintenance and infrastructure areas. By connecting the spatial location of these critical assets into the secure 3D visualization, AIFA will significantly improve its operational efficiency across all areas: landside, terminal, and airside.
“Our team has completed Phase I of the project: developing the integrated digital twins implementation strategy and directing the initial airport-wide reality capture via 360-degree photogrammetry to provide a digital snapshot and virtual walkthrough of the 10 million-plus square-foot facility. We’re now preparing for Phase II—expanded 360 photogrammetry and terrestrial LIDAR scanning—with our local partner 3D ARCH, which we expect to have completed by the end of October,” explained Paul Moubarak, VP of Operations for Visual Plan in Mexico.
Phase III of the contract will include a complete asset survey of commercial areas and security assets utilizing Visual Plan’s new in-field asset survey application to geo-locate asset tagging information and seamlessly integrate the data into both the new 3D virtual walkthrough and AIFA’s facilities management processes. With Visual Plan’s strategy to build 3D visualization into an advanced integrity management and inspection program, AIFA became the first airport in Latin America to utilize a complete digital twins solution.
“We’re excited to be leading the digital transformation and technological advancement through visualization into the operational processes of the Felipe Ángeles International Airport—and to help them lead the Latin America commercial aviation market in implementing digital twins solutions. The expectation is that our planning, design, architecture, and integration of the digital transformation effort will save the airport millions of dollars over the term of our agreement, streamlining ongoing operations and maintenance initiatives to improve the passenger experience,” said Visual Plan founder and CEO Kelly Watt.
Felipe Ángeles International Airport marks the third major international airport in 2022 that has trusted Visual Plan’s approach, capabilities, and expertise to inform and direct its digital transformations through the building and integration of 3D digital twins.
About Visual Plan
Visual Plan is a leading 3D services company providing comprehensive Digital Twin consulting, 360/3D data capture and processing services, and deliverables for major international airports, oil and gas, utilities, municipalities, manufacturing, and campus environments across the US, Canada, and Mexico. With an expert network of direct and partner 3D capture technicians in 75 major global cities, Visual Plan can deliver 1000+ projects a month with a local footprint. Since 2018, Visual Plan has delivered comprehensive digital twins consulting and 3D visualization services quickly, with high quality, and on budget, while guiding clients to the most effective software platforms and data capture technologies to meet project, site, facility, and asset visualization requirements.
About Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA)
Felipe Ángeles International Airport opened on March 21, 2022, and is the second airport to serve the Mexico City metropolitan area. The newly opened airport is the third largest in the country (behind Mexico City International Airport and Cancun International Airport) and is expected to have the capacity to handle almost 120,000 operations and transport around 19 million people per year.
3D ARCH
3D ARCH is a leading company in the application of virtual reality technology in diagnosis, design, and project management. Their experience, application methodologies, and technologies ensure high-quality deliverables for their customers.