On March 11, 2011, Futaba was fully evacuated after the devastating Great East Japan Earthquake and the associated meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Over the next decade, infrastructure was gradually restored and some residents could return, although reconstruction continues. To speed the process, Japanese universities wanted to apply “Society 5.0” principles, which work to improve the local economy and solve societal issues through advanced technology.

The universities, along with Kokusai Kogyo, used various unmanned vehicles and robots to capture 3D image data for 1 kilometer of road, as well as nearby buildings and underground facilities. With MicroStation, they could overlap point groups and judge features from various angles, making 3D plotting less difficult. MicroStation lowered costs by 75% per plotting instrument, improved accuracy, and reduced the amount of work time. The resulting 3D model can form the basis of a digital twin for managing construction and infrastructure, optimizing autonomous vehicle navigation, and visualizing significant city changes.