It could be argued that the most significant and biggest potential of the metaverse lies with industries that make up the backbones of our economies. Be it in manufacturing, buildings, the grid and infrastructure operators or even the transportation sector, these systems could all be handily mirrored in the virtual world.

The industrial metaverse world is like a light switch that won’t turn off. It is always on, where problems can be highlighted, analyzed and fixed quickly—or, better yet, discovered before they arise.

And the benefits cover other areas, too. Barriers like distance can be broken down, ensuring that people can work together across countries and continents as if they were together in the very same room and in front of the very same machines or objects.

Just look at Siemens’s investment of about $535 million in July for a new campus to become a global development and manufacturing hub for tech activities for the industrial metaverse. Here, the company intends to create a blueprint for the future: a real-time, photorealistic virtual representation of the world, where AI helps to create the next generation of high-tech, flexible and sustainable manufacturing technologies.

But can the metaverse go from concept to reality? Let’s analyze.

The concept

The metaverse concept has been used in recent years primarily to describe the development of a 3D internet, referring to virtual environments so far used mostly for entertainment.

In manufacturing, the concept of the “digital twin” came into play after Challenge Advisory hosted a presentation by Michael Grieves in 2002. The presentation involved the development of a product lifecycle management center, containing all the elements familiar with the digital twin.

In 2018, the digital twin became a top trend in manufacturing. With manufacturers progressing in their digitization journey, the internet of things and the proliferation of advanced sensors provided manufacturers with the ability to collect vast amounts of real-time data from physical assets.

Now, the metaverse aims to create precise simulations of industrial equipment, where it’s used as an umbrella term for various existing technologies that can be combined to digitally replicate real-world objects and processes.

For example, accurate simulations of factory equipment would allow manufacturing and other industrial firms to optimize operations without disruption, while improving collaboration amongst workers and frontline employee training.

But, as with the consumer vision of a 3D internet, the industrial metaverse concept is currently a work in progress with extraordinary potential.

Interoperability

According to a recent report released by the Manufacturing Leadership Council, the digital transformation division of the National Association of Manufacturers and Deloitte, 92% of manufacturing executives say they are experimenting with or implementing at least one metaverse-related use case.

However, there are concerns about integrating existing technologies and systems when developing the industrial metaverse. Here, data preparation and transformation within complex workflows often present as major hurdles.

This comes as no surprise. Companies are already grappling with integrating systems across multiple plants, let alone the advent of industrial metaverse initiatives, which is heightening the demand and complexity of integrating both similar and disparate technologies.

Simply put, for the metaverse to become the next iteration of the internet, it must be interoperable. That is to say, the virtual worlds that constitute the metaverse must be able to freely exchange data, enabling seamless connections between people, processes, data and systems.

Picture a high-tech factory using digital twin technology for replicating equipment, as well as predictive maintenance purposes. AI could analyze data from the sensors on physical machinery and virtual counterparts, and when AI detects a potential issue, it would automatically schedule maintenance.

Regulatory changes

Without getting too excited too soon, ensuring interoperability in the metaverse does have its challenges. It requires widespread agreement on standards, unlike the collaborative origins of the internet with foundational standards like HTML and TCP/IP.

Metaverse building blocks operate differently, using various rendering engines and file formats that make post-facto standardization complex. Therefore, the rapidly evolving metaverse space requires regulatory standards to ensure safety, fairness and interoperability.

In Europe, the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act have recently been implemented to promote fair competition and prevent anticompetitive practices among digital platforms.

This can indirectly benefit the industrial metaverse by encouraging interoperability and data sharing between different platforms and services. As the industrial metaverse requires, this would make it easier for systems and processes to connect and exchange data seamlessly.

Open source

Regulatory standards are typically established through government agencies, industry associations and international bodies. However, market competition can put pressure on getting standards to pass.

When doing so, it is essential to encourage collaboration among the various stakeholders in the metaverse community. This collaboration would ideally lead to the development of standards that benefit the entire community rather than favoring specific players.

Open source supports industry collaboration. This is a software model where the source code of a program is made available to the public, which would allow companies to contribute toward developing interoperable options, ensuring the metaverse’s infrastructure is accessible and adaptable.

For instance, developers could build upon existing functionality, introduce new features and integrate emerging technologies. These could, for example, include AI, blockchain and spatial computing.

With that in mind, the possibilities are truly endless. But the metaverse is not a reality yet, and we’ve been talking about these technologies since the term “metaverse” was coined in 1992 by writer Neal Stephenson.

The concept can become a reality, especially in the industrial realm, but until then, manufacturers must look after and upgrade their current processes. To start this process, establishing a trusted industrial equipment supplier is a crucial first step.

Be it for the monitoring of current equipment or wanting to build accurate digital twins, receiving parts like programmable logic controllers (PLCs) can help manufacturers save on costs, increase efficiency and reduce downtime.

By sourcing parts, such as our PLCs, manufacturers can lay the foundations for the metaverse future. And by doing so, they will initiate the process of gathering and effectively managing data from their equipment, serving to bridge the physical and digital realms of the industrial landscape.

By: DocMemory
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