Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

A digital twin is a virtual representation of an object or system designed to accurately reflect the physical object. In the interior design field, this physical object can be a room of a building, or the entire building itself. Creating a digital twin for interior design involves capturing a virtual representation of a physical space, then manipulating it according to criteria, allowing for visual exploration and experimenting with colors, textures, styles, and environmental characteristics that impact those who reside inside. The digital twin can be used to analyze various materials and finishes, to determine the optimal combination of components and their interaction with each other in support of efficiencies in energy, cost of maintenance, and long-term use. These recommendations can then be adopted and constructed into the final product. The Digital Integration Centre of Excellence Technology Access Centre (DICE-TAC) at Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Sask Polytech) and Metric Design Inc. (Metric) will collaborate on the research and development of a prototype digital twin for interior design. This prototype system will define the parameters best suited for a digital twin for interior design by identifying the data that can then be used to help manipulate and experiment with the digital twin in the interior design platform. Metric offers Residential & Commercial Interior Design and Renovations services. The purpose of this project is to develop a prototype digital twin system to explore the process of utilizing various design tools, such as generative AI in interior design. Additionally, the twin will provide a platform for experimenting with various components and provide predictive results to be expected from the actual artifact, should those components be adopted. The digital twin approach to interior design will speed up design efforts, more easily communicate themes and concepts to the client, and reduce or eliminate possible errors in the final product, before any real development of the product is undertaken. This approach will provide Metric Design a competitive advantage in the design industry while providing high quality services at lower cost, to their clients.