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14 December 2023
The Digital Twin Victoria (DTV) Ararat Digital Twin Spotlight Project marked a significant milestone with the inauguration of the Fab Lab at the Ararat Jobs and Technology Precinct. This unique new space showcases a range of cutting-edge technologies that industry, researchers, students and members of the public can experiment with.
Visitors can see sensors track water levels in a simulated Alexandra Lake, test examples of how rubbish sensors work, and even use a 3D printer to print customised sensor covers.
A collaboration between Ararat Rural City Council (ARCC), DTV and Federation University, the visionary Fab Lab propels digital twin and smart city technologies in the heart of regional Victoria by fostering innovation, collaboration and knowledge sharing.
The next major milestone for the project is the delivery of a real-time weather monitoring network for Ararat in early 2024. This initiative will empower local stakeholders by creating a robust local weather network that will support smart farming practices and the timely detection of emergency events across the region.
The network will include 25 weather monitoring units placed across the municipality to pilot on-farm use cases of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, that will seamlessly connect datasets back to the DTV Platform. This cutting-edge technology will optimise resource usage and reduce the ecological footprint of farming operations, for example:
- Real-time weather monitoring enabling precise resource management, that allows for targeted irrigation, fertilisation and pesticide use based on data from soil and crop sensors.
- Remote monitoring and automation, facilitated by drones and IoT devices, that can provide real-time insights into crop conditions and automate labour-intensive tasks.
The Ararat Digital Twin Spotlight Project is showing how state and local government can work together to build on a smart city and smart farming vision using the Digital Twin Victoria platform. The launch of the Fab Lab represents a pivotal moment in our journey towards a digitally empowered and resilient regional Victoria.
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Page last updated: 15/12/23