Creating a 360° Digital Twin for a Historical Record, Public Outreach Tool, or Virtual Site Visit
Courtney Gallagher
EarthViews
Wimberley, TX
The use of 360-degree virtual tours, akin to platforms like Google Street View, offers transformative potential for stream restoration projects. By creating an immersive and interactive Digital Twin of the restoration site, stakeholders can remotely explore and assess areas of interest with unprecedented convenience. This technology provides a cloud-based detailed, visual representation of riverine environments, allowing for better-informed decisions without the logistical challenges of repeated field visits.
One of the primary benefits of these virtual tours is their ability to reduce or eliminate the need for additional trips to the site. Restoration projects often involve multidisciplinary teams, including ecologists, hydrologists, engineers, and community stakeholders, whose availability and travel budgets can be limiting. A 360-degree virtual tour brings the project site to their desktops, facilitating remote collaboration and engagement. Stakeholders can revisit the site virtually as often as needed, both reducing carbon emissions associated with travel and lowering project costs.
These virtual tours also enhance planning, monitoring, and public engagement. They allow for thorough pre-restoration site analysis, help track project progress over time, and serve as a compelling tool for community education and outreach.
This presentation will explore real-world examples of how 360-degree virtual tours have been utilized in restoration and protection projects, highlighting their value in project planning, cost-efficiency, and public participation. By leveraging this innovative technology, restoration professionals can optimize outcomes while reducing environmental impacts and logistical constraints. This approach represents a significant advancement in how we conceptualize, plan, and communicate restoration projects, ultimately contributing to more sustainable and effective stream restoration efforts.
About Courtney Gallagher
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