A Multi-Dimensional Digital Twin Framework for the Low-Altitude Economy

Abstract. The Low-Altitude Economy (LAE), driven by the widespread deployment of UAVs and eVTOL aircraft, demands a high-fidelity Digital Twin that extends far beyond static geographic representation. This study presents a critical review of 39 peer-reviewed papers to propose a three-layer mapping framework — Geospatial Infrastructure Layer, Environmental Sensing Layer, and Interaction Layer — and evaluates the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of each sub-domain. The Geospatial Infrastructure Layer encompasses terrain models, ground facilities, airspace structures, and semantic navigation landmarks. The Environmental Sensing Layer covers electromagnetic modeling, target sensing and countermeasure, and micro-meteorological mapping. The Interaction Layer addresses network trust, data security, swarm coordination, and platform reliability. Our TRL assessment reveals that Environmental Sensing is the most mature layer (mean TRL 4.4, 8 field-validated papers), while cross-layer integration remains the weakest link (mean TRL 3.5, zero field-validated demonstrations). We identify standardization of low-altitude spatial data products, AI-enabled predictive mapping, crowdsourced Digital Twin updating, and closed-loop cross-layer integration as the four priority research directions.