Logo courtesy of Niantic Spatial

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - Rancho Cordova is being recreated digitally as part of a new project intended to help city planners test traffic patterns and other real-world scenarios before making changes on the ground.

The city of Rancho Cordova and the Human Machine Collaboration Institute (HMCI) announced a partnership with Niantic Spatial to develop a digital twin of a portion of the city as part of the AiR Rancho Cordova AI and robotics ecosystem.

Niantic Spatial has completed the initial phase of the project, using drones to capture and reconstruct roughly four square kilometers of Rancho Cordova into a detailed 3D model. According to the organizations, the model can be used to measure street dimensions and read building and street signage.

HMCI will use that model to develop simulations for city planning, beginning with traffic.

A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical location built using measurements of the actual environment. In Rancho Cordova’s case, the technology could allow planners to simulate how traffic would move through an intersection or evaluate other proposed changes without first altering the physical location.

City Manager Micah Runner said the project has both municipal and economic development applications.

“The same technology will also help the city better understand our built environment, model different scenarios and make more informed, data-driven decisions that benefit our community,” Runner said.

The project is also part of Rancho Cordova’s broader effort to establish the city as a location where artificial intelligence and robotics companies can develop and test technology.

“Our partnership with Niantic Spatial helps strengthen the foundation of our AI and robotics ecosystem, giving companies a place to develop and test new technologies in real-world environments,” Runner said.

Niantic Spatial President and Chief Operating Officer Thomas Gewecke said creating an accurate representation of the physical environment is necessary for technologies designed to operate in real-world settings.

“In a few days, our teams captured and reconstructed roughly four square kilometers of the city by drone, precisely enough to measure real distances and read street signage,” Gewecke said. “That’s the foundation HMCI now builds on, and it’s exactly the kind of real-world proving ground physical AI needs to earn trust at scale.”

With the initial reconstruction completed, HMCI will take over the next phase of the project and begin developing practical simulations from the data.

HMCI founder and Chief Executive Officer Sadie St. Lawrence said the digital twin will also support the organization’s broader work involving artificial intelligence and machines operating in physical environments.

“At HMCI, we have always believed that the path to AGI will require more than building a better digital brain. We must also build machines that can act, create an accurate understanding of the physical world, and connect all three. This digital twin is an important step toward that larger vision,” St. Lawrence said. “Niantic Spatial is making Rancho Cordova machine-readable, while Rancho Cordova is giving us something equally rare: a city willing to become a real-world laboratory where researchers, companies, and the community can safely build, test, and shape the future of physical AI together.”

The project falls under AiR Rancho Cordova, an AI and robotics initiative operated by HMCI with the city. The program brings together companies, researchers, educational institutions and civic partners to develop, test and deploy AI and robotics technology.

Organizers said the digital twin will serve as a foundation for future planning and research projects within the initiative and could expand as additional partners and projects are added.

A preview of the technology is available at https://youtu.be/TbPaQw-xLVc. More information about AiR Rancho Cordova is available at https://cityofranchocordova.ai/.

About HMCI

The Human Machine Collaboration Institute (HMCI) is an AI research and consulting organization built on three pillars: Discover, which drives research and product development; Transform, which delivers consulting and advisory services; and Amplify, which leads education and public influence. HMCI is the orchestrator of AiR Rancho Cordova, the nation's first city-driven AI and robotics ecosystem. Learn more at www.hmci.ai.

About Niantic Spatial

Niantic Spatial builds foundation models for physical AI, giving robots, AI agents, and people an accurate, shared understanding of physical spaces. Its reconstruction technology captures environments with geometric accuracy and fine detail from standard cameras, and its Visual Positioning System delivers precise positioning almost anywhere in the world. Learn more at www.nianticspatial.com.

About the City of Rancho Cordova

Incorporated in 2003 as California's 478th city, Rancho Cordova is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state, home to more than 85,000 residents and 3,500 businesses that employ over 65,000 people. The city’s AI & Robotics ecosystem is the nation's first city-driven AI and robotics ecosystem. Learn more at www.cityofranchocordova.org.