Self-expanding City-Level Digital Twin Using Blockchain and IPFS

A city-level digital twin is a critical technology that enables the construction of a smart city that helps improve citizens’ living conditions and quality of life. Currently, research and development regarding the digital replica city are pursued worldwide. However, many research projects only focus on creating the 3D city model. A mechanism to involve key players, such as data providers, service providers, and application developers, is essential for constructing the digital replica city and producing various city applications. Based on this motivation, this paper introduces the concept of a Decentralized Digital Twin EcoSystem (D2EcoSys) and its critical enabling technology: zero-touch D2EcoSys network and service management. This mechanism offers zero-touch blockchain and peer-to-peer-based storage networking to self-expand the ecosystem’s service area and promotes Web3-based autonomous and sustainable data distribution/trading with an incentive mechanism.