Introducing the 2023 Digital Twin Award Winners

We asked the winners what their inspirations were, their challenges and the innovative approaches they used to create their award winning digital twins. Here’s what they had to say.

Best Digital Twin for Historical Preservation
Official Winner: Limina Studios, AlUla: Wonder of Arabia, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Being nominated for the Digital Twin Awards was an honour in itself, and being announced as a winner was thrilling. When we were commissioned by the Royal Commission of AlUla, we would not have imagined receiving the recognition that comes with the award for the ‘Best Digital Twin for Historical Preservation’. Winning this award is recognition of our approach, process, and product, and reflects Limina Studios’ dedication to using cutting-edge technology. We’re proud to be pioneers in this area, and grateful to be able to preserve the wonder of historical sites like AlUla, and we look forward to bringing other historic and tourist destinations to life. We are excited to continue to push the boundaries and test the limits of what is truly possible with Digital Twin technology to create virtual experiences.

What inspired you to create your digital twin?
The Royal Commission for AlUla commissioned Limina Studios to create a virtual tour of their historical sites. We were immediately intrigued by the city’s unique heritage and determined to showcase it in an immersive, interactive way using the latest technology. Limina Studios is continuing this notable collaboration with the Royal Commission for AlUla, with plans to expand underway.

What were the main challenges you faced during the development of your digital twin?
The key challenges in creating this Digital Twin were working against a deadline to present at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, whilst addressing the photographic challenges posed by the intensity of the Saudi Arabian sunlight. In addition, site access required significant logistical arrangements, including numerous permissions. 

AlUla Old town has the most unique character, specifically on one side of the town, which is nicely lit. With Limina Studios’ photography background, the importance of lighting is a key consideration, so we choose to capture our scans at twilight – the most magical time to shoot – which gave the best balance of light from the sky and artificial lighting. Due to the limited window of time to capture at twilight, we made numerous visits to the exact same location to capture the scans required.

What innovative approaches or technologies did you use in your digital twin?
We combined Matterport Pro 3 cameras and Matterport technology with Treedis technologies to create AlUla’s Digital twin.

Best Digital Twin for Historical Preservation
People’s Choice: ELY BASS SRL, Baia Turcească Iași

It gives us great pleasure to win this award, given the fierce competition this year. First of all, we would like to thank everyone who was with us, who supported us in this competition and voted for us, thus we managed to reach where we are now. This win is very important for us, it helps us to value our services, it is practically proof of the quality of our projects; we worked hard to get here, so this award practically rewards our hard work. At the same time, this award contributes to improving the image of the company and helps us to increase the trust of our clients in our services.

What inspired you to create your digital twin?
Every two years, since 1994, is organised The National Biennial of Architecture – Romania (BNA), which is the most important professional event of the architects’ guild, organised by the Union of Romanian Architects (UAR). The Biennial has a different concept for each edition, which is proposed by the Board of the Union of Romanian Architects. The concept is structured as a cultural agenda, with complex and interesting content both for the architects’ guild and the wide audience, to whom the production of architecture is addressed. I heard about the BNA 2023 event a few months before from an architect, our collaborator, who suggested that we also participate at the event as a sponsor. Thus, we made several 3D virtual tours for several exhibitions, including this one from Baia Turcească Iași. Here, the exhibition of the architectural works was held in three sections: 8. “Public and Community Space”, 13. “Diplomas – Architects on the Rise” and 14. “Visionary Architecture”, at the end the best works were awarded. During the event, the project of the Iași City Hall for the rehabilitation, consolidation and refunctionalization of the former Baia Turcească building was also awarded, taking the prize of the “Restoration” Section of the BNA 2023. Considering the scale of the event and the location, the historic building with a unique architecture, recently renovated, representing a symbol of the city of Iași, we considered it necessary to scan the entire building, not just the exhibition area. As sponsors, through this virtual tour, we were also able to present at the event our digital twin and 3D scanning services and their potential not only in marketing, to promote a business, but also in the construction industry, in the case of construction works rehabilitation, consolidation of existing buildings and not only.

What were the main challenges you faced during the development of your digital twin?
Considering that we have been doing digital twins since the end of 2020, we have accumulated a lot of experience and over time we have encountered many challenges in the 3D scanning process, but we have found the right solutions to solve every error and impediment. Thus, making the scan from Baia Turcească Iași was easy, from the technical point of view we did not face any challenges, but time was our biggest enemy. We could say that the 3D scanning of the building was done against the clock, because after the event we only had one day to scan the entire building surface of approximately 2,000 square metres, the next day the exhibited works were dismantled to prepare the rooms for the next event.

What innovative approaches or technologies did you use in your digital twin?
The scanning for this digital twin was done with Matterport PRO 3. Inside, each level was scanned with a tripod positioned at a height of approximately 1.65 m, the scan points were organised and thought out before the actual scanning, to get a logical tour, easily accessible for any visitor. In the areas where the architectural works were exhibited, several points were made to be able to capture all the necessary details. Regarding the exterior, in order to make a complete 3D model of the facade and highlight the unique architectural elements of the building, I used the tripod positioned at a height of about 2.3 m for the street side, and for the other side, where the facade is higher, I used the tripod at about 3 m height. Later, to promote the event and make the digital twin as interactive as possible, I customised it through the CAPTUR3D platform, where I put a logo, labels with information about the event and a menu with links to the BNA 2023 page, plus other virtual tours made at other exhibitions organised by BNA in Iași.

Best Digital Twin for Arts & Culture
Official Winner: Panoroom GmbH, Opera Graz

We were very excited and felt honoured when we first read about our win. This award feels great and gives us even more motivation to thrive and always give our very best when developing exceptional VR-experiences for our clients.

What inspired you to create your digital twin?
We wanted to create an immersive experience for future visitors of this historical opera which is also an important landmark in our headquarters town. Every visitor should get a true feeling and insight of the seating view they are about to purchase with a ticket in order to make a more qualified decision.

What were the main challenges you faced during the development of your digital twin?
One of the biggest challenges were the big and open spaces inside this historical building which challenged us to assure that everything and every staff who were in the shot appeared the way we wanted it. We also get to collect some extra miles when capturing the huge auditorium because we had to run around the camera or even leave the whole space to make sure we did not appear in those shots 😊

What innovative approaches or technologies did you use in your digital twin?
We had to use two very different camera systems with the Matterport Pro 2 and the Leica BLK 360 gen 1 when shooting outdoors. We had to shoot very early on a Sunday morning to be able to do the captures outside because of the central location of the building with all the traffic and passersby around.  Inside we took multiple pictures from the same location with closed and open doors to assure that the visitors could get the feeling of both scenarios when visiting the individual boxes.

Best Digital Twin for Arts & Culture
People’s Choice: Agency, UPLANDS – Art, Culture, Country

We are very excited to receive this award as it not only provides our project with international recognition, but will hopefully also help to build audience interactions with the resource, which features over 20 regional and remote First Nations Art Centres from across Australia.

What inspired you to create your digital twin?
The inception for this project occurred in 2021 when most of Australia was just coming out of intense periods of Lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. We had spent the past year communicating with our Art Centre colleagues via Zoom and talking not only about the impact of people not being able to visit them physically during this time, but also how many Australians will never visit an Indigenous Art Centre. We saw an opportunity to partner with a cross-section of Art Centres to create a resource that allowed audiences from across the globe to explore these unique places of art, culture and community, and artists to share their work, stories and lived experiences. We were successful in receiving Federal Government funding through the COVID-relief “RISE” granting program to make the project happen and the project took just over 24 months to complete.

What were the main challenges you faced during the development of your digital twin?
Logistics were the main challenge! Over 95% of our project partners are situated in very remote Aboriginal communities that require permits to enter, and in some cases, can take days to get to. Also, when we commenced the project in 2022, there were still some biosecurity measures in place that we had to wait to be lifted before we could visit.

What innovative approaches or technologies did you use in your digital twin?
We filmed and embedded interviews with over 150 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists so that people can “meet” artists as they explore the digital twin. This is one of the largest and most comprehensive resources of filmed interviews documenting contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artist and arts worker practices. Through the use of the CAPTUR3D platform we were able to integrate all of this amazing content into a simple to use experience.

Best Digital Twin for Education
Official Winner: Skanowanie XYZ, Fort III Pomiechowek

We feel extremely honoured and proud of the recognition of our work. We are happy that the educational project we worked on with the team was noticed and selected. This is an extremely valuable award for us.

What inspired you to create your digital twin?
The educational aspect is highly important in our project. In addition to presenting the historical and military features of the Fort, it was important to commemorate this place. It is a place steeped in history and marked by the suffering of thousands of people. During World War II, this place housed a displacement camp for the Jewish population and a Gestapo prison.

Fort III Pomiechowek is open to the public only a few times a year. Thanks to the creation of a digital twin, the story of this place can be spread to a wider audience not only in Poland.

What were the main challenges you faced during the development of your digital twin?
This was one of our first productions with the PRO3 camera. So far we had been using a PRO2 and a Leica BLK360. The new equipment significantly sped up the work time, and allowed us to scan more than 30,000 m2 (330,000 sq ft) in 3 days. The biggest challenge during the realisation was the lighting of the underground corridor and tunnel system. It proved extremely useful to use the MPSkin platform, which allowed for greater personalisation of the virtual tour.

Best Digital Twin for Education, People’s Choice and Digital Twin Pioneer Award
SCANBOX.RO, The Underground Wonders of Ponor Cave, Romania

The Digital Twins Awards have been an inspiration and an opportunity to discover other talented Matterport providers from across the world.  As such, being among those nominated this year was an achievement in itself and we felt proud of being one of the impressive projects in such an important field – Education.

We see winning this award as a culmination of our work, our 6 years’ experience of using Matterport and a testament to the strong community that encouraged and supported us along the way.

We’ve always been passionate about the versatility and wide applicability of the Matterport technology and are happy this award proves that we were right – There are no limits to one’s imagination and creativity and we can use technology to appeal to the child-like innate curiosity in each of us! 

From a business perspective, we do hope that more people are going to think of us, Scanbox.ro as a trusted Matterport provider and reach out to us when they need dedicated, passionate people to find the best solution to meet their business’ creative needs in Romania … or around the world 😉

What inspired you to create your digital twin?
Throughout the years, we have been looking for like-minded individuals and businesses, people who are open to new ways of presenting and digitising their projects and each time we find such people, we discover new ways to showcase the Matterport technology and push the limits of how they can be applied.

For this current project, the members of The Explorers Speleological Association were the ones who found us! A dedicated team with 65-years’ experience in exploring and researching cave & karstic environments in Romania, The Explorers are driven by both curiosity and necessity to adapt and were looking for virtual tour providers to assist them in a large-scale educational project.

Scanbox.ro accepted the challenge! Thus, we were inspired by their passion and dedication and together we found a common goal – make the underground world accessible to people who would otherwise not have the opportunity to reach these fascinating environments. The vast majority of the population has never set foot in a cave so this virtual tour can be their only contact and can even pique their curiosity and encourage them to delve deeper (no pun intended) in exploring and even protecting these wonders of our world!

The 3D scanning of Ponor Cave is part of the Rural Karst educational project, aimed at offering high quality and accessible STEM lessons for school-aged students nation-wide and can be replicated worldwide.

What were the main challenges you faced during the development of your digital twin?
The main challenges were the ones relating to the actual space we were trying to capture: the cave can be an unwelcoming environment, characterised by darkness, high humidity and extremes: either too narrow passageways or very high ceilings, reflective surfaces on the ground and high details that the camera cannot reach, rugged terrain both horizontally and vertically, uneven surface areas, unmovable obstacles and entire parts accessible only through avens or led by professional climbers and the list goes on.

Other challenges were in working with the sensitive equipment and securing the camera, trying to make sure the lights – LED panels, ambient light – were used to set the right mood and reveal each natural detail, without overwhelming the space or making it seem too artificial and being careful to protect the delicate cave formations from our presence and to not disturb the “locals”, the bats that make this space their home.

Another more personal challenge was in changing our own perspective or prejudice on caves: from places of unknown dangers lurking in the dark to what they truly are – ecosystems of vast beauty that have represented shelter and community for the human species for thousands of years.

What innovative approaches or technologies did you use in your digital twin?
Innovative approaches were essential in overcoming the challenges we encountered in Ponor cave: from choosing the right lighting, tripods (the tallest was 5m fully extended) and climbing gear to learning about the ecological complexities of the cave systems and adapting our scanning technique to respect this fragile ecosystem. The wide range of Matterport features and add-ons were essential in customising the tour and inserting the information about each part of the cave in order for the tour to reach its full educational potential.

We are grateful that the experts from the Explorers Speleological Association chose us because they felt that our experience, attention to detail and excitement for this project meant we were eager to adapt and learn. Our team’s passion for hiking also proved helpful in tackling the more physically demanding aspect of the scan – scanning while both operator and camera were dangling from a rope mid vertical climb is, of course, a highlight of the experience. Thus, the members of Scanbox.ro are now honorary speleologists and proud members of the Explorers family!

Best Digital Twin for Real Estate
Official Winner: 3D360.LV Virtual tours, Celebration Palace, Latvia

Most Unique Use of Matterport
People’s Choice: 3D360.LV Virtual tours, Dr. Clown children hospital work showcase

We are happy to celebrate winning in 2 categories in Digital Twin Awards, for the second year in a row! This great news came to us, when we are celebrating our 3rd year in the virtual tour business! This means a lot for our business, since last year we always treat winning in DTA as a huge badge of honour and we proudly are showing it off, especially being from a small country called Latvia.  Also looking at other nominees, we knew that competition will be fierce, and having to be selected as the best in category by industry pros is a double win in our books.

What inspired you to create your digital twin?
We took inspiration from hard working professionals in the children’s hospital who are cheering up and making ill children laugh. In those dark days of children’s lives- they are that bright light! We did this tour for free and with a smile on our faces, this is our third charity project.

What were the main challenges you faced during the development of your digital twin?
The challenging part of the children’s hospital was, well… the children. As some of you might know- making children stand still for the duration of scans is really challenging. 🙂

What innovative approaches or technologies did you use in your digital twin?
The most innovative technology at the time was the Matterport Pro3 camera. We have been using BLK to capture outside as soon Pro3 was launched we re-scanned that property and the result was 10 times better and it only took us half of the day, instead 2 full days with Leica.

Best Digital Twin for Real Estate
People’s Choice: VirtualTours360Sardegna, Maiori Villasimius 

I would like to first of all thank CAPTUR3D and Matterport for promoting this interesting initiative, and all those who chose my work, and finally all the participants in the contest, I saw some beautiful works in the competition and I had the opportunity to make new friends with many of you.

With regard to innovative technologies, we inserted images with virtual staging that act as advertising and created a nice landing page with the virtual tour complete with legend, floor plans, and all the various functions supported in this case by the layout thanks to the Treedis group. Thanks from VirtualTours360Sardegna.

Most Unique Use of Matterport
Official Winner: Virtique Srl, Explore Forte dei Marmi: An Iconic Italian beach town on the Tuscan Coast

Upon hearing the news of bagging the “Most Unique Use of Matterport 2023” award, our unstoppable CEO & Founder, the mastermind behind our digital twin “Explore Forte dei Marmi,” couldn’t help but shed tears of joy before toasting with a glass (or two) of Prosecco! At Virtique, our mission is to make exploring new and thrilling destinations, especially in Italy, a reality for everyone, regardless of any obstacles like disabilities, health challenges, or financial limitations. Winning the prestigious “Most Unique Use” title is a sweet victory that highlights Virtique’s dedication to inclusivity and accessibility. We take pride in our innovative spirit and top-notch scanning skills, showcasing the exceptional value we deliver to our clients and users through Virtual Experiences. Cheers to breaking boundaries and creating unforgettable adventures for all!

What inspired you to create your digital twin?
15 years back, after zipping around tech hubs like New York, Moscow, London, and Switzerland, our fearless leader, CEO & Founder Melissa Anne Deep, decided to swap her tech cape for a gondola and call Italy her new home sweet home. The spark for her passion for digital twins? Well, when life threw her a curveball in 2020—picture a fractured tibial plate, pandemic woes, and a dash of wanderlust—Melissa dove into the world of remote living, blending her tech wizardry with a pinch of magic called Matterport and discovering mixed reality.

Our adventure, “Explore Forte dei Marmi” is a love letter to the breathtaking beauty of Tuscany, from the sun-kissed beaches to the majestic marble mountains, while also giving a nod to the local mom-and-pop shops that add charm to this seaside haven. Forte dei Marmi and its surroundings are a harmonious blend of old-world charm and modern luxuries, attracting legends like Michelangelo, President John F. Kennedy, and the musical maestro Andrea Bocelli, who opened his Forte dei Marmi home for a duet with Ed Sheeran. Each year, the town draws international icons like Leonardo DiCaprio and Melissa’s all-time favourite, Matthew McConaughey. Alright, alright, alright! In this fantastical journey, we stir up a tech-savvy cocktail of accessibility, culture, history, business, travel, and a bit of charity, all in one mesmerising virtual escapade.

What were the main challenges you faced during the development of your digital twin?
In the wild world of creating our digital twin, we stumbled upon challenges galore! Armed with scans of over 100 local businesses, beach clubs, and historic spots, we faced our greatest quest: merging them into one epic outdoor tour using just our trusty Pro2 gear. But alas, as luck would have it, the Pro3 made its grand entrance, and we found ourselves in a pickle. We didn’t have one! Trading the use of five tours to another Matterport startup in Milan, for few days with their Pro3, Mathias Rossi, our business manager in Milan, and Melissa geared up to conquer Forte dei Marmi on a sunny June day in 2023. The stage was set, the weather forecast was perfect, but fate had other plans in store for us. Just when we thought success was within reach, a twist of fate threw us a curveball. A mishap, a dash to the hospital, and Melissa emerged with a wrist full of alternative hardware – a metal plate and screws, ready to tackle the scan mission under the Tuscan sun just two days post-surgery.

What innovative approaches or technologies did you use in your digital twin?
To create our unique digital twin, we enhanced the Matterport experience with various Virtique products and technologies to craft an unparalleled virtual journey. Here’s how we made it stand out:

• Featured more than 100 virtual tours in one experience, either embedded within the tour or linked for easy access.

• Integrated augmented reality webAR from Virtique’s self-service platform for virtual experiences like trying on glasses, or visualising locally sourced marble in your living space.

• Added 3D elements just for fun, such as a dancing Monopoly man from our charity sponsorship in a local Monopoly game, and a flying bird visible in any environment via a mobile device.

• Incorporated geolocated maps showcasing local real estate, with digital replicas of luxurious villas, and offering the opportunity to navigate Milan’s 3D property landscape with just a click aboard the REMAX hot air balloon.

• Linked buy-now e-commerce in several shops, giving any user the instant gratification of purchasing products immediately.

And of course, as the designated MPEmbed partner in Italy, we leveraged their power to elevate the experience with a captivating introductory video, the sound of waves crashing in the background, and harmonised it all with a dropdown menu categorised for seamless navigation. A successful blend of virtual reality visualisation, augmented reality product trials, the convenience of e-commerce, and an exciting mapping adventure come together to create the “see,” “try,” “buy,” and “find” experience provided by our digital platform, Virtique. Available and accessible to everyone, everywhere.

Best Digital Twin of 2023 (Official Winner & People’s Choice)
Mesh Images Berlin, Digital Site Inspection | ICM – International Congress Center München

I’m truly honoured to win the Digital Twin Award 2023, thanks to votes from both the jury and the public. It’s amazing to be recognized among such talented competitors. The creativity and quality of all the models were incredible. A huge thank you goes to my family for their support, and to the team at Messe München, notably Christian Mueller and Katharina Kleber, for their collaboration. This award motivates us to keep innovating with Matterport’s technology.

What inspired you to create your digital twin?
We were particularly excited about the Matterport Pro3’s ability to handle large indoor and outdoor spaces and high ceilings up to 18 metres, which was crucial for accurately representing the buildings of Messe München and the transitions between them. The Matterport Pro3 camera allowed us to capture the vast ICM – International Congress Center Munich with more than 20.000 m² into one unified Digital Twin model. This not only provides quick orientation with the interactive 3D dollhouse view but also makes navigation through the building much faster with the menu features of the MPSkin SDK overlay. Our goal was to improve the understanding of the space and its surroundings for everyone involved, from event organisers to visitors, making events more accessible and efficient – and additionally, we are seeing a huge opportunity here to make a positive environmental and social impact through reduced travel needs during the event planning processes.

What were the main challenges you faced during the development of your digital twin?
Creating the digital twin for the ICM – International Congress Center München came with its set of challenges. First off, facing the massive buildings with just my lightweight Matterport Pro3 equipment made me wonder if capturing such large spaces was even possible. Additionally the constant hustle of the venue, always transitioning from one event to the next, meant dealing with people, equipment and vehicles moving through my scans. Then, there were the tricky black reflective surfaces in the halls. Thankfully, Matterport’s excellent support team stepped in, using special rendering to make sure these areas could be processed and now being navigated smoothly in the 3D virtual tour.

What innovative approaches or technologies did you use in your digital twin?
For our digital twin project, we leveraged a mix of innovative tools to enhance the experience. We utilised Matterport’s new storytelling capabilities for immersive flythroughs, complemented by Kuula for slideshows and 3DVista for an interactive location map. MPSkin’s features played an important role, particularly its menu and virtual staging capabilities, which are even accessible and usable in VR! But the real game-changer for our use case is the Matterport Cloud Hosting, which lets us easily update the tour with new stuff, keeping it fresh and interesting. Moreover, we’re excited about the ongoing enhancements, such as Matterport’s new AI features from the winter release and MPSkin’s new Augmented Reality updates for inhouse wayfinding and gamification. These advancements solidify our belief that Matterport is the leading spatial media platform and ecosystem for the event industry.

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