The industrial metaverse: Where simulation and reality meet
No other topic took 2021 by storm quite like the metaverse. As we all experienced yet another year of living through a pandemic, the idea of a new, immersive reality captured the interests and imaginations of many.
As with any new concept, it’s helpful to level set on what the metaverse is — or will be. I like how my Unity colleague and one of the early pioneers of 3D media and virtual reality, Tony Parisi, put it in his excellent article on the metaverse: “The metaverse is the next evolution of the internet … enhanced and upgraded to consistently deliver 3D content, spatially organized information and experiences, and real-time synchronous communication.”
Much of the attention around the metaverse to date has centered on social experiences where people can meet up, but I’m most excited by the potential of the “industrial metaverse” where the goal doesn’t have anything to do with social interaction; rather, it’s about simulating experiences in the virtual world before moving into the physical world. (Note: There is only one metaverse, as Tony points out in his piece, so I’m using “industrial metaverse” to demonstrate how companies in industry can benefit from the metaverse.)
The industrial metaverse can transform the way every physical asset — buildings, planes, robots, cars, etc. — on the planet is created, built, and operated.
Boeing, which wants to build its next airplane in the metaverse, is one of many companies embracing this shift. Across industries such as architecture, engineering, construction, automotive, transportation, manufacturing, and beyond, the imperative to bring to market increasingly complex, intelligent, and connected projects or products — and then operate and maintain them — requires a new approach.
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