XR and the (Industrial) Metaverse, Now or Later?
Introduction
When I started working in IT in the late-1980's, I recall that every few years brought a new technological wave, complete with its own set of defining terminologies. As my career advanced, these waves began to arrive with increasing frequency, to the point where we now encounter several waves each year, some with the force of tsunamis!
Artificial Intelligence, for instance, has been a concept for decades. I studied "Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Knowledge-Based Systems" during my university years in the mid-1980s, which at the time was largely theoretical and confined to research projects or niche use cases. Outside academia, AI was the stuff of science fiction and Hollywood blockbusters. Yet, in recent years, AI has surged forward like a fast-moving tsunami. It's become so pervasive that people use it daily, often without realising it. The rate at which new technologies are influencing our lives is accelerating, both in velocity and significance.
There are several reasons why technology is advancing much faster now compared to the 1990s:
Exponential Growth
Global Connectivity
Investment and Funding
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Consumer Demand
Open Source Movement
Education and Talent
Exponential Growth: Technological progress frequently exhibits an exponential growth trend, as Moore's Law has shown. This law notes that the count of transistors on a microchip tends to double roughly every two years and the cost halved, resulting in a rapid evolution in both computing power and efficiency accompanied by a reduction in cost.
Global Connectivity: The internet has revolutionised global connectivity, enabling rapid data and information sharing, cross-border collaboration, and access to an extensive array of data, knowledge and resources.
Investment and Funding: Investment in technology and innovation has seen a notable rise from both the private and public sectors. Such funding boosts research and development, resulting in faster breakthroughs.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Progress in one domain frequently catalyses advancements in others. For instance, advancements in materials science can result in superior hardware, which can subsequently boost software performance.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: These technologies have revolutionised many industries by automating complex tasks, analysing large datasets, and providing insights that were previously unattainable.
Consumer Demand: The demand for new and improved technology from consumers drives companies to innovate rapidly to stay competitive.
Open Source Movement: The rise of open-source software and hardware has allowed developers and engineers to build on each other’s work, accelerating innovation.
Education and Talent: There is a larger, more skilled workforce now than in the 1990s, with more people trained in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields.
These factors, among others, create a synergistic effect, propelling technological advancements at a much faster rate than in the past.
XR and Metaverse Technologies began as a slow-moving wave, in the last 3-5 years, many were surprised that it was not moving faster or increasing in strength. In the last 2 years the pace has been picking up and but are now transforming into a tsunami, advancing at a pace much faster than anticipated. Virtual Reality technologies have existed for decades, yet significant adoption barriers persisted. The concept of a Metaverse has been discussed for years; however, it lacked a clear definition, and numerous substantial barriers had to be surmounted, including technology capabilities, cost, interoperability, content, privacy, and security.
Times are changing, and we are witnessing rapid technological evolutions that are eliminating many barriers, with more expected to disappear in the near future. It's time to recognise the potential of XR and the Metaverse as serious capabilities that will transform our work methods and deliver substantial benefits.
Definitions
I have written several articles on my Blog regarding XR and its use cases, but as yet I have not delved deep into the Metaverse. The definition of Metaverse changes according to your perspective and your persona. In this article I will look at the Industrial Metaverse. First of all - lets start with some definitions. Some may define these terms somewhat differently, however the definitions below represent my definition.
What is a Metaverse?
A Metaverse is a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and physically persistent virtual reality. It’s a virtual shared space where users can interact with each other and the environment in real-time, often through avatars or digital personas.
Here are some key aspects of the metaverse:
Virtual Worlds: These are immersive environments where users can explore, socialise, and engage in various activities. Examples include online games like “Fortnite” and virtual social platforms like “Second Life.”
Extended Realities (XR): These technologies are crucial for the metaverse. Augmented Reality (AR) overlays digital information onto the real world, while Virtual Reality (VR) creates entirely immersive digital environments. Mixed Reality (MR) allows the blend of the two. XR devices provide entry points, gateways or portals to these Virtual Worlds. The can establish presence, which can drive context.
Interactivity: Users can interact with the metaverse and each other in real-time. This includes social interactions, gaming, working, shopping, and more.
Persistence: The metaverse continues to exist and evolve even when users are not logged in. Changes made by users can have lasting effects on the virtual environment.
Economy: The metaverse often includes its own economy, with virtual goods and services that can be bought, sold, and traded. Cryptocurrencies and NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are becoming popular in these digital economies.
Interoperability: Ideally, the metaverse would allow users to move seamlessly between different virtual worlds and platforms, taking their digital assets and identities with them.
The metaverse concept continues to develop, and although it offers significant potential, it also encounters numerous challenges. To surmount these obstacles, we must begin employing Metaverse Technologies to tackle these issues and discover optimal solutions.
What is the Industrial Metaverse?
The industrial metaverse is an extension of the metaverse concept, specifically tailored for industrial applications. It leverages virtual and augmented reality, digital/spatial twins, and other advanced technologies to create immersive, interactive environments for industrial purposes.
Two of the key concepts of the Industrial Metaverse I would like to focus on are as follows:
Digital/Spatial Twins: These are virtual replicas of physical assets, processes, or systems. In the industrial metaverse, digital/spatial twins can be used to simulate, monitor, and optimise real-world operations in real-time. For more information on Digital/Spatial Twins and their differences please refer to my blog post here. However it is not necessary to have a full Twin in order to reap some of the benefits of the Industrial Metaverse; a Pop-Up Industrial Metaverse can be created.
Industrial Metaverse: Could be seen as a network of Digital/Spatial Twins, or applications that do some or more parts of a Digital/Spatial Twin and/or a collection of Pop-Up Industrial Metaverses as described below.
Pop-Up Industrial Metaverse: A "pop-up industrial metaverse" refers to a relatively small virtual space created by scanning an industrial area that is the focus for a project or particular piece of work like a maintenance process or troubleshooting an issue. It merges spatial computing with 3D visualisation, enabling real-time collaboration and problem-solving within industrial environments. Devices equipped with LiDAR, such as higher-end iPhones or iPads, allow users to swiftly scan an area, generating a detailed 3D model. This model can be enhanced to photorealism through cloud-based AI optimisation techniques. Once created, the industrial metaverse 3D model can be shared in collaborative tools like Teams, where remote experts can work on the model together, attaching data, documents, and annotations relevant to maintenance planning. This pop-up metaverse then acts as a digital data hub for specific projects or tasks, accessible to frontline workers using XR devices at the actual location of the scan. XR Devices can then send data back to the pop-up industrial metaverse data hub in order to conduct analysis on how the work was executed and assessed for safety, ergonomics or other aspects of work execution.
Capabilities and Use Cases
Considering these concepts, XR and Industrial Metaverse Technologies can facilitate many capabilities. Key examples of these capabilities are as follows:
Analysis, Simulation and Training: The industrial metaverse provides a platform for realistic simulations and training. Workers can plan and/or practice complex tasks in a safe, virtual environment before applying them in the real world. For more information on Training please refer to my blog post here.
Situational Awareness: Situational Awareness underpins the provision of a Spatial Twin, providing context of a location, individual, and work goal or event. Even without an existing Digital Twin or Spatial Twin application, Situational Awareness XR Experiences can be created, serving as foundational elements for developing a Spatial Twin capability. Refer to my blog post here for more discussion on Situational Awareness.
Immersive/Remote Collaboration: Engineers, designers, and other professionals can collaborate in a shared virtual space, regardless of their physical location. This can enhance productivity and innovation. For more details on Immersive Collaboration please refer to my blog post here.
There are many potential use cases for such capabilities, including (but not limited to):
Enhanced Collaboration: XR and Metaverse technologies enable immersive collaboration, making remote work more interactive and engaging. This can improve productivity, inclusivity, and team cohesion.
Improve Industrial Operations: By providing contextualised data to front line workers to support effective decision making, or to provide guided work instruction to help bridge the industrial skills gap, allowing issues in the industrial environment to be resolved more efficiently and in a much safer way.Waiting for these technologies to mature might mean missing out on these immediate benefits and falling behind in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Data and Analytics: XR and Metaverse technologies can enable people to experience data and visualise it in a whole new way leading to better more effective decision making.
Training and Education: XR and Metaverse technologies can revolutionise training and education by providing realistic simulations and interactive learning environments, leading to better retention and understanding.
Predictive Maintenance: By integrating IoT (Internet of Things) data with digital/spatial twins, companies can predict when equipment is likely to fail and perform maintenance proactively, reducing downtime and costs.
Design and Prototyping: The industrial metaverse allows for virtual prototyping and testing of new products or processes, speeding up the design cycle and reducing the need for physical prototypes.
Supply Chain Management: Virtual environments can help visualise and manage complex supply chains, improving efficiency and responsiveness.
Enhanced Visualisation: Complex data and processes can be visualised in 3D, making it easier to understand and analyse information.
The industrial metaverse aims to revolutionise how industries operate by providing more efficient, safe, and innovative ways to manage and optimise industrial processes.
XR Devices allow us to establish a point of presence in the (Industrial) Metaverse, its our gateway or portal into the Metaverse where we can be immersed in a digital world (VR), see the physical world enhanced with digital objects and data (AR) or a blend of the two (MR).
The Big Question, now or later?
So having defined the Metaverse, Industrial Metaverse and XR, in this blog and my previous blog posts I have detailed many challenges with these technologies. Some of these challenges have been overcome, some will be overcome in the near future, and some may take two or three years to overcome. When I discuss these with my colleagues and stakeholders, there is a very common question; “Should we implement these technologies now or should we wait until they mature?” Its a great question.
My answer covers several key parts:
1. Reap the benefits from value driven use cases and capabilities that have reached a level of maturity
Firstly XR and Metaverse technologies have reached a level in their evolution where significant benefits can be realised in their current state, if they are implemented based on a solid architectural framework and with a clear strategy of “Hardware Tactical, Software Strategic”.
Implementing XR (Extended Reality) and Metaverse technologies today offers several compelling benefits:
XR and Metaverse Technology Benefit Examples:
Competitive Advantage
Cost Savings
Future Proofing
Immersive User Experience/Engagement
Competitive Advantage: Early adopters can gain a significant edge over competitors by leveraging these technologies to innovate and improve their products, services, and customer/employee experiences.
Cost Savings: Implementing XR can reduce costs associated with travel, physical prototypes, and traditional training methods.
Future-Proofing: By starting now, businesses can build expertise and infrastructure, positioning themselves to fully capitalise on these technologies as they mature.
Immersive User Experience/Engagement: The Metaverse provides new ways to engage with customers, employee’s and partners through immersive experiences, virtual shared spaces, and interactive experiences.
These benefits can be gained by looking at the potential of the use cases I detailed above.
2. Take small steps forward in less mature areas, and establish a “Fail Fast” Mentality
The second part of my answer to the question above (“Should we implement these technologies now or should we wait until they mature?”) is perhaps more controversial, but in my opinion much more important. We need to fail sometimes, and fail fast! In order to learn and improve we need to learn from failures.
Failing fast is important for several reasons:
Quick Learning
Resource Efficiency
Innovation
Resilience Building
Market Adaptation
Quick Learning: By failing quickly, you can identify what doesn’t work early on and adjust your approach. This rapid feedback loop accelerates learning and helps you refine your strategies, solutions and/or implementations.
Resource Efficiency: Early failures prevent you from investing too much time, money, and effort into unviable ideas. This allows you to allocate resources more effectively.
Innovation: Embracing failure as part of the process encourages experimentation and creativity. It fosters an environment where innovative ideas can flourish.
Resilience Building: Experiencing and overcoming failures builds resilience and adaptability, essential traits for long-term success.
Market Adaptation: In fast-paced industries, being able to pivot quickly in response to failures can help you stay ahead of market trends and competitors.
“You never fail until you stop trying”
Albert Einstein
Embracing a "fail fast" mentality allows you to transform setbacks into insightful learning opportunities, fostering ongoing enhancement. Following the development of an XR and Metaverse Strategy, and the establishment of an Architectural Framework that underpins the strategy, it's crucial to undertake proof of concept projects. These projects evaluate the strategy, the framework, and the products, services, and solutions employed in implementing the framework. It's essential to discern what is effective and what is not, to learn from failures, and to refine our methods to prevent future setbacks.
3. To understand the pre-requisites, and what is needed to integrate XR and Metaverse Technologies into your landscape.
XR and Metaverse Technologies never exist in isolation, they need to be integrated into an organisations landscape. These pre-requisites will vary widely from organisation to organisation, and the use case under consideration. Ensure you understand the pre-requisites and build on these in order to be successful in your XR & Metaverse journey. Some examples are listed below:
Availability of 3D Models: Are 3D Models available for your use case? Are they up to date? How will you ensure the models are kept up to date? Are they optimised for the software use case that is under consideration? Does an effective optimisation pipeline in place to ensure changes to models are optimised for the use case?
Data Availability: XR and Metaverse Technologies are almost always powered by data. Where is the Data needed for the use case? How can the data be accessed? Is real time data required? can IoT devices be accessed effectively? Are IoT devices in place that can supply data or do analog devices exist where we need to adopt technology to convert analog data to digital data?
Identity Management: Are Identity Management Services in place that are compatible with the hardware and software that you intend to use, do they cater for all the required roles/persona’s?
Device Management: Are the XR Endpoints that you have chosen to use manageable by your organisations End Point Management Services to ensure device security, software updates, App Store etc. What is often called Mobile Device Management (MDM) or what is becoming Unified Endpoint Management (UEM).
4. Feedback to chosen Software Partners to drive their roadmaps to meet key requirements to enable important use cases.
Construct your XR and Metaverse Architectural Framework through strong industry and software partnerships to meet key requirements and enable important use cases. It’s crucial for customers, especially large enterprise customers to provide feedback on requirements and capabilities to software vendors. for several important reasons:
Alignment with Needs: Feedback ensures that the software evolves to meet the actual needs and expectations of its users. This alignment helps in creating a product that is more useful and relevant. Since XR and Metaverse Technologies are still maturing, such feedback is critical to removing barriers to implementation.
Improved User Experience: By understanding the challenges and preferences of users, vendors can make necessary adjustments to enhance the overall user experience, making the software more intuitive and efficient.
Innovation and Improvement: Continuous feedback can lead to innovative features and improvements. Users often come up with creative ideas and solutions that vendors might not have considered.
Bug Fixes and Performance: Reporting issues and performance bottlenecks helps vendors address these problems promptly, leading to a more stable and reliable product.
Feedback that is gathered from real life situations, proof of concept projects and some of the failures and challenges experienced in such PoC’s and early adopter initiatives can be valuable for software vendors, and if implemented/resolved, can help customers avoid future failures or open up additional value driven use cases.
In conclusion
In conclusion, I believe that now is the right time to adopt XR and Metaverse technologies to reap some of the benefits and learn the lessons needed to reap even more significant future potential benefits. Also to understand how to integrate these technologies and their dependencies in your particular enterprise landscape in order to get the most out of these technologies.
A strategic approach is crucial for designing the software layer and cultivating the expertise required to implement, configure, integrate, and manage it. Strategic focus should be on the software layer, opting for vendors that offer maximum endpoint-agnosticism. It's vital to select the most suitable hardware endpoints on the market today for specific use cases, assessing what is effective, valuable, user-preferred, and concentrating on the user experience and value-centric use cases. An Endpoint Agnostic Software Strategy, paired with a Tactical Hardware Strategy, ensures that as new hardware endpoints emerge in the market with improved form factors, features, and pricing, selecting software vendors committed to endpoint agnosticism allows you to leverage these new endpoints as they become available on the market.