Colorado-based Maxar Technologies has introduced a geotypical 3D representation of the entire planet for gaming, simulation, entertainment, virtual reality (VR), smart cities and metaverse applications.

The Synth 3D digital twin was developed through a partnership between Maxar and Blackshark.ai. It lets developers and creators simulate and visualise 3D environments representative of real-world locations where aesthetics and performance are key to commercial applications.

This digital twin is available in a visually pleasing and compatible format that is representative of the geographic and building features for a given area.

“Synth 3D, created from Maxar’s Vivid basemap and Blackshark.ai’s patented technology, will revolutionise how various industries build and interact with VR environments,” said Dan Nord, Maxar senior vice president. “This digital twin will be useful in scenarios such as developers creating the next-generation video games, producers working on upcoming films, and businesses assembling simulation environments; the opportunities are limited only by the imagination.”

Blackshark.ai created Synth 3D by applying its patented generative artificial intelligence (AI) to Maxar’s Vivid imagery basemap, a global, cloud-free, virtually seamless view of Earth, with rich natural colour and visual clarity. The AI extracts more than 1.4bn buildings and procedurally generates them as 3D buildings.

The buildings then have geotypical textures applied, meaning specific buildings may look different in the real world, but the overall appearance of the building height and façade reflect regional archetypes, creating a lifelike model.

Delivered as a static export or rendered on the fly through numerous plug-ins and software development kits, Synth 3D combines global scalability, crisp aesthetics and high-performance rendering.

“Maxar’s Vivid imagery basemap supercharged our development of Synth 3D by providing a global 2D view that we could transform into a beautiful 3D digital twin,” said Michael Putz, Blackshark.ai CEO. “I’m looking forward to seeing customers and developers unleash the power of Synth 3D across innovative use cases.”

Synth 3D complements Precision3D in Maxar’s broader product portfolio, which provides a 3D digital twin for use cases in various sectors. Precision3D offers accurate visualisation with precise details and geospecific building heights and façades.

Maxar Technologies provides space technology and secure, precise, geospatial intelligence. It helps governments and commerce monitor, understand and navigate the changing planet, deliver global broadband communications, and explore and advance the use of space. The approach combines deep mission understanding and a commercial and defence foundation to deploy and deliver insights with speed, scale and cost effectiveness.

Maxar’s 4400 employees are in more than 20 global locations.