Sunny Coffee: real-time map of Paris café terraces using ray-casting (aka.me)

A new tech project, Sunny Coffee, has emerged in Paris, offering a real-time map showcasing 220 sunny café terraces throughout the city. Launched during a hot weather spell, the map leverages data from Paris Open Data for terrace permits, OpenStreetMap and IGN's 3D building data for accurate shadow calculations, and Open-Meteo for weather forecasts. By combining these resources through two distinct shadow-rendering algorithms—geometric ray-casting for server-side computations and WebGL-based pixel sampling for real-time browser interaction—Sunny Coffee aims to guide Parisians and tourists to the sunniest spots for coffee enjoyment. This initiative is significant for the AI/ML community as it demonstrates the practical application of advanced geospatial analysis and real-time data integration. With a cache of around 600,000 buildings and algorithms that compute sunlight exposure for each café every 15 minutes, the project showcases innovation in urban computing. The technical challenges, including handling complex building geometries and ensuring data accuracy, underline the sophistication needed in developing real-time mapping solutions. Sunny Coffee stands as a proof of concept for future urban technology applications that enhance everyday experiences while showcasing the potential of AI-driven tools in city planning and public services.