The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) is home to ReefWorks, Australia’s Tropical Marine Technology Test Range. ReefWorks is an initiative supported by the Queensland Government specialising in facilitating tropical test and evaluation activities of advanced technologies such as uncrewed systems. As a test range, ReefWorks implements live instrumentation to support range users in conducting their activities. AIMS is also an uncrewed systems developer and therefore understands that conducting in-field test and evaluation is expensive and consequently much testing is conducted in a virtual environment.

To accelerate the technology development lifecycle, AIMS intends to establish a Marine Synthetic Environment / Digital Twin (MSE/DT) of the ReefWorks test range. The intent of this RFT is to create a proof-of-concept marine synthetic environment / digital twin of the ReefWorks test range that can evolve to become a full-scale digital twin supporting range users. The MSE/DT is designed to simulate the test range environment and physical environmental effects that would influence the performance of surface and subsurface uncrewed systems technologies (in the first instance).

By linking a digital marine synthetic environment to the ReefWorks test range, establishing a digital twin capability, developers will be able to accelerate test and evaluation activities through mission planning, rapid trials playback and mission analysis.

It is expected that the model fidelity will be sufficient to inform developers on environmental factors impacting ReefWorks missions in order to assist trial analysis, and also to assist in mission planning. Furthermore, an MSE/DT opens opportunities for industry from understanding regulatory impacts, training and mission planning. The digital twin will bring our ReefWorks ranges to life in the digital world.