Digital Twins and Augmented Reality for Humanitarian Logistics in Urban Disasters: Framework Development

Sepehr Abrishami () and Reshma Jayaram
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Sepehr Abrishami: Faculty of Technology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2UP, UK
Reshma Jayaram: Faculty of Technology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2UP, UK

Logistics, 2025, vol. 9, issue 4, 1-19

Abstract: Background : Urban disasters expose persistent gaps in the operational picture and timely decision-making for response teams, which require user-centred systems that connect analysis to action. This study proposes and formatively validates an integrated framework that couples digital twins and augmented reality for humanitarian logistics. Methods : A mixed methods design combined a structured literature synthesis with a practitioner survey across architecture, engineering, planning, BIM, and construction to assess perceived value and adoption conditions. Results : Findings indicate that practitioners prioritised digital twins for enhancing situational awareness (71.4%) and augmented reality for providing real-time information overlays (64.3%). A majority judged that integrating these technologies would yield substantial improvements in disaster response (67.9%), despite implementation challenges. Conclusions : The framework links live state estimation and short-horizon simulation to role-specific, in-scene AR cues, with the aim of reducing decision latency and improving coordination. Adoption depends primarily on human and organisational factors, including user accessibility, preparation needs, and clear governance. These results suggest a viable pathway to operationalise the bridge between analysis and field action and outline priorities for pilot evaluation.

Keywords: disaster management; digital twin; augmented reality; situational awareness; emergency response; built environment; climate risk (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L8 L80 L81 L86 L87 L9 L90 L91 L92 L93 L98 L99 M1 M10 M11 M16 M19 R4 R40 R41 R49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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