Harrow takes low-cost approach to digital twin deployment

The London Borough of Harrow is combining drone technology with its existing digital infrastructure to deliver a more practical, low-cost approach to digital twin development.

Rather than replacing its current system, the council is using high-resolution drone imagery to add detail to its existing low-resolution digital twin where it is needed most. The approach is being applied to key sites including leisure centres, parks, arts venues and other council buildings.

This model is already delivering cost savings. A recent roof survey at Headstone Manor & Museum, a Grade I listed building dating back to 1310, used drone imagery instead of traditional scaffolding and manual inspections, reducing costs by £12,000 on a single project.

“The new drone approach is already saving time and money and fits our mission to work smarter and more efficiently,” said Ben Jones, Head of Digital at the council. “With minimal investment, the 3D data has the potential to deliver significant financial benefits over the next few years.”

The digital twin is also being used to support other council programmes. As part of the Healthier Harrow initiative, interactive 360-degree imagery of parks, including Canons Park, is being used to encourage greater use of green space. The council said 3D maps are more engaging than 2D visuals when promoting facilities such as parks, leisure centres and libraries.

Harrow is also piloting the use of drone data to tackle fly-tipping. High-resolution 3D imagery of potential dumping sites is enabling the council’s environmental team to plan preventative measures, including the placement of signage, fencing and CCTV.

The system is built using GIS technology from Esri UK, which integrates aerial and street-level imagery with drone data to create 2D and 3D outputs.

Sam Tizzard, Head of GIS and Data Manager, said: “The hybrid approach using high and low resolution data keeps development costs down but delivers detail where it matters most. It’s a low cost, low risk strategy for creating a digital twin to drive significant time and cost savings.”