Sensat launches rapid model prototyping tech for infrastructure

Justin Stanton

Editor, DC+

15 September 2025

Sensat has launched a 3D rapid prototyping tool for creating early-stage models of infrastructure and engineering projects.

A screenshot of the rapid prototyping tool from Sensat in action — The Rapid Prototyping suite features digital landscapes, a library of 3D digital representations of common assets and contextual layers

The Rapid Prototyping suite brings together several new tools to provide a quick and easy environment for developing basic site models before investing time and money in creating a fully detailed model using proprietary data.

The suite includes:

Digital landscapes – an AI-powered tool that takes existing 2D maps or satellite imagery to create a 3D representation of an existing or potential project site. This allows project teams to easily understand the layout and aspect of a site before commissioning costly and time-consuming drone data collection.

Building blocks – a library of 3D digital representations of common infrastructure assets, from building elements and infrastructure furniture through to plant and site vehicles. Using these on a digital landscape, teams can quickly create a representation of their build to test out options and establish issues such as site access.

Contextual layers – pre-populated maps of critical geospatial data covering everything from geology and flood risk through to heritage and environmental information. These can be overlaid on the digital landscape to quickly and easily identify potential areas of risk or concern.

Harry Atkinson, chief customer officer at Sensat, said: “You can think of the new Rapid Prototyping tools as SimCity for infrastructure and engineering: it lets you build and experiment with your site in a rich and intuitive way. As part of the early stages of project planning, it’s now possible to create a basic model of the project and use that to understand the opportunities and risks that a site may pose.”

The technology has been used to kickstart the development of a prototype fusion power plant on the site of a former coal-fired power station at West Burton, Nottinghamshire, by 2040. The scheme is being delivered by UK Industrial Fusion Solutions as part of the government’s STEP programme.

James Heaton, project manager at STEP, said: “3D digital twins are an established part of the infrastructure and engineering world, but to build a fully-featured twin takes time and money. Sensat’s new products enable us to create an early-stage model that we can use far earlier in the planning and build process. That means we can examine potential or existing sites and gain a deeper understanding of them, as well as identify where the risks and opportunities lie. As the project develops, we can then layer on richer and more detailed data to create the final, fully functional digital twin.

“The key to this tool is its ease of use. We don’t need specialists to create and manage the twin: it can be accessed and interacted with by everyone, from the project manager to the CEO. That means that it can facilitate collaboration early in the project lifecycle, creating real efficiencies.”

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