YVR Airport Operational Twin

Project Overview

Vancouver International Airport (YVR), in collaboration with Unity, developed a real-time 3D digital twin to transform how the airport monitors and manages operations. Initially designed as a 2D system focused on terminal activities, the application evolved into a 3D experience that supports a broader scope—including airfield operations.

External References

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YVR Digital Twin – Official Project Page

Overview of the initiative from Vancouver International Airport.

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Unity Case Study – Vancouver Airport Authority

A deep dive into how Unity enabled a scalable, real-time digital twin for YVR.

Key Contributions

In this project, I contributed to UX and UI design during the production phase, focusing on the following key areas:

Initiated the transition from 2D to 3D
Proposed and prototyped the early vision for shifting the interface from a traditional 2D layout to an interactive 3D experience, setting the foundation for improved operational visibility and spatial interaction.
Designed a scalable product foundation
Collaborated with other designers to establish a scalable and flexible framework—enabling key features like multi-panel layouts, multi-window workflows, and an improved POI system. This foundation supported future expansion across airfield and operational tools.
Built features for airfield operations
Contributed to the design of tools for taxiway management and real-time tracking of aircraft and ground vehicles, enhancing situational awareness through live operational data.

Outcomes

The transition from 2D to 3D interfaces, along with the scalable interaction patterns established during the production phase, enabled YVR’s operational twin to expand beyond terminal monitoring into full airside support.

The flexible UX framework laid the foundation for key features such as multi-panel workflows, POI tracking, and mobile-friendly layouts—making the system adaptable to various operational roles and contexts.

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Due to NDA restrictions, detailed design process and visuals are password-protected.

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