Zurich-based startup Nomoko started out as a developer of high-resolution digital cameras for the construction of 3D images. In parallel to their cameras, which take gigapixel photos, the three founders have been working on 3D software that produces realistic models from the photos taken.

Nomoko has now completed the third prototype of its camera and changed its business model: Instead of selling hardware and software, the company now wants to offer customers digital twins, of cities, for example. With the help of drones and its camera, the company wants to take high-resolution photos of the infrastructure, process the photos using its own software, and make them into 3D models. Data from external sources can then also be integrated in these models. The simulations will then be displayed on a platform, also developed by Nomoko, and maybe even over a cloud service.

The high level of accuracy of the models – each city comprises around 1 petabyte of data – opens up a wealth of new application possibilities. Since the cities are simulated virtually to the millimeter, city planners, for example, can look for suitable roofs for the installation of solar panels, while car manufacturers could use the models to train the AI for autonomous vehicles. The 3D models can also be used to simulate different weather conditions, for example.