The Metaverse has recently stolen headlines and it was a new theme that stayed a predominant topic of discussion at the CES2022. Hyundai Motor Corporation whose vision for the future is to serve as a mobility company;coined their paradigm shift bythe ”Metamobility” concept. This concept, baptized by Hyundai as Metamobility, “will allow smart devices to access virtual spaces, while robots will act as a medium to connect the virtual and real worlds,” according to the company.
When we discuss Metaverse;Web 3.0 (Spatial web) needs to be discussed in the same breath since it is as an enabler to make it all work together. I believe Metaverse, Augmented Reality(AR) and Virtual Reality(VR) are somewhat cohesive technologies in this spectrum that gluesto portray a virtual or augmented space that you can create and explore.
Spatial interaction layer : Through next – generation interfaces ( e.g. , smart glasses or voice ) , we will be able to interact with contextual , real – time information that has been called up by intuitive and sensory triggers such as geolocation , computer vision , and voice , gesture , or biometric commands . In effect , this merges the digital and physical layers for the user .
Digital information layer : Through sensorization and digital mapping of the physical world , we will eventually create a digital twin of every object in every place . Today this type digital information is primarily accessed via screens and dashboards . In the future , it will be retrieved primarily via the spatial interaction layer .
Physical layer : The world as we currently know and experience it through the five senses .
The reason I believe Web 3.0 could be a hinging piece to make it all work together is because Web 2.0 that we know and interact is not capable of handling 3D Graphics whereas Web 3.0 can. Whereas Web 2.0 used to handle web applications at its core, Web 3.0 opens door for smart applications that leverage AI and ML.
While the implications of Metaverse in our day-to-day life is yet to form a definiteshapethere are technologists who argue that in future the metaverse would become more personal and organic as opposed to the fatigue induced by Zoom calls and Teams meetings that can only promise to connect individuals separated by a virtual space. An inevitable adoption of the metaverse is underway through digitalization andindustrial automation in the manufacturing industry otherwise known as Industry 4.0, the 4th Industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 bases its operation on Industrial IOT, and combines at least some of the technologies such as: Robotics, AI, AR / VR , Big Data, 3D printing, simulation, System integration, smart sensors, advanced human interface, and mobile devices
To remain competent in the new era of hi-tech data management and connected technologies traditional companies need to keep their long-term strategic vision open to change in this technological sphere. A wave of high liquidity mergers and strategic acquisitions involving buyers flushed with funds to support start-ups or established Industry 4.0 players engaged inthe cutting-edge technology such as digital twins lead us to believe that the race has just begun, and it will only get more interesting in the years ahead.
Many municipalities in the world have started their digital twin journeyto simulate, predict, and visualize the pulse of the cities to make more informed decisions. For example, #Sweden struggling with housing shortage wants to take a sustainable path in urban development and they are using the digital twin technology to remain green in their journey. By capturing reality, including trees and topography in their digital twin the planners can now design in context and be mindful of the natural world. This is revolutionary!
Establishing a practice loop for information exchange between a physical Petrochemical factory IoT and a virtual digital twin model augmented with machine learning helps to realize production control optimizationbased on real-time industrial big data.Digital twins are composed of physical products, virtual products, and connection data that ties physical and virtual products together. Production control optimization through a high degree of automation, digitization, visualization, modeling, and integration is the future direction of petrochemical enterprises and digital twins appear to be the convergence between physical products and virtual space to fill this void.
The European Commission is creating a digital twin of the earth named “DestinE”. It is going to be a virtual representation of all the physical processes of the earth`s surface including human influences on food, water, and energy flows as well as geophysical and meteorological systems to assess the climate impact now and far into the future. This model can be used to show if a dike can prevent flooding in the Netherlands or the effect of deforestation in the Amazon or even help policy makers reach decisive agreements to curb global warming based on simulations using the digital twin relying on key insights faster.
We can stay eager and inquisitive towardsthe confluence of several transformative technologies in the Web 3.0 and Spatial web that will in turn enable Metaverse to become more pervasive in our private lives and workplaces thus bridging the virtual with physical. To remain competent in this sphere we ought to participate with this revolutionary vision in mind fairly from conception like what most large companies have already started working with many technologies that enable the Spatial Web. We could take the baby steps by considering tapping into data capturing through IIOT (Industrial Internet of Things), prepare for handling the captured data volume and further map your business processes through digitalization.Consider the modelling of a digital twin of the manufacturing line and think about ways to optimize production by relying on predictive analysis using its digital equivalent.
