Spatial Digital Twin
The Spatial Digital Twin module transforms physical spaces into interactive digital canvases. Upload floor plans and site maps, pin live data (KPIs, equipment status, action items) to specific locations, place NFC/QR anchors for physical-digital bridging, and conduct structured Gemba walks with geo-located observation capture.
This is the bridge between the digital Obeya room and the physical shopfloor.
Overview
Operational transformation requires going to the Gemba — the actual place where work happens. The Spatial Digital Twin module supports this by:
- Providing spatial layouts (floor plans, site maps, process flow diagrams) as interactive canvases
- Allowing data pins to overlay live information at specific coordinates on layouts
- Placing NFC/QR anchors that connect physical locations to digital context
- Enabling structured Gemba walks with observation capture, priority tagging, and route tracking
Getting Started
- Navigate to Spatial from the workspace menu.
- Click + New Layout and upload a floor plan SVG or choose a layout type.
- Pin data points to specific locations by clicking on the canvas.
- Place NFC/QR anchors at key locations for physical-digital bridging.
- Start a Gemba walk to conduct a structured shopfloor observation session.
How It Works
Spatial Layouts
Layouts are the canvas on which all spatial data is placed. Three types are supported:
| Type | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Floor Plan | Building interior layout | Equipment locations, workstation data |
| Site Map | Campus or facility overview | Building-level status, outdoor assets |
| Process Flow | Logical process diagram | Process step data, bottleneck visualization |
Each layout stores SVG data for rendering and a configuration object for layout-specific settings. Layouts support full CRUD with cascade deletion of child pins and anchors.
Data Pins
Pins overlay live data at specific (x, y) coordinates on a layout. Each pin links to a real entity in ProBeya:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Layout | The parent layout this pin belongs to |
| X, Y | Coordinates on the layout canvas |
| Entity Type | What kind of entity (e.g., "kpi", "action", "equipment") |
| Entity ID | Reference to the actual entity record |
| Label | Optional display label |
| Config | Optional rendering configuration |
When users view a layout, pins render at their coordinates with the entity's current data, creating a live spatial dashboard.
NFC/QR Anchors
Anchors bridge the physical and digital worlds. Place them on the layout where physical tags (NFC stickers or QR codes) exist in the real environment.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | nfc or qr |
| Code | Unique identifier (NFC tag UID or QR content) |
| Label | Human-readable description |
| X, Y | Position on the layout |
| Context Data | JSONB payload resolved when the anchor is scanned |
When a worker scans an NFC tag or QR code on the shopfloor, the system resolves the anchor code and returns the context data — which might be a link to the equipment's KPI dashboard, its maintenance checklist, or its current status.
Gemba Walks
Gemba walks are structured observation sessions conducted on a specific layout.
Walk Lifecycle:
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| in_progress | Walk is active, observations being recorded |
| completed | Walk finished, all observations captured |
| cancelled | Walk abandoned before completion |
During an active walk, the user records observations at specific locations:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Anchor | Optional anchor where the observation was made |
| Type | positive (good practice), concern (needs attention), action_needed (urgent) |
| Description | Free-text observation details |
| Photo | Optional photo attachment (S3 key) |
| Voice Note | Optional voice recording (S3 key) |
| Priority | 1 (low) to 5 (critical) |
The walk's route is automatically built by appending anchor IDs as observations are made, creating a breadcrumb trail of where the walker went.
Walk History
View past Gemba walks for any layout with observation counts and status filtering. Each historical walk shows the walker, timestamps, route taken, and total observation count.
Configuration
Layout Management
Layouts support name search and type filtering. The listing is paginated and sorted by creation date (newest first). Each layout can be fetched with all its pins and anchors in a single query for efficient rendering.
Organization-Scoped Anchors
Anchors are scoped to both a layout and the organization. The system verifies layout ownership before any anchor or pin mutation, preventing cross-tenant data access.
Permissions
- Workspace Members can view layouts, pins, and anchors
- Walk Participants can start walks and record observations
- Workspace Admins can create/edit layouts, place pins, and configure anchors
- Organization Admins have full access across all workspaces
Tips & Best Practices
Place QR anchors at every major workstation and piece of equipment. Even if you do not use them immediately, the infrastructure is ready when you need it — and it costs almost nothing to maintain.
Conduct Gemba walks at consistent times (e.g., every Tuesday at 10:00) to build a routine. Compare walk observations over weeks to track whether issues are being resolved.
Use the "positive" observation type deliberately. Recognizing good practices during Gemba walks reinforces the behaviors you want to sustain in the transformation.
Related Features
- Gemba Walk — the operational lean module for structured shopfloor walks
- Link Hub — QR code generation for anchors
- KPI Boards — data source for KPI pins on layouts
- Routines — standardized work that can be triggered from spatial anchors