One of the most interesting technical crashes in recent years is the metaverse. As recently as 2022, it was white hot, with massive hype led by Meta. Even Bill Gates was saying that in two to three years most business meetings will be held in the metaverse with digital avatars. Since then, it’s completely lost momentum and is hardly mentioned any more.
The concept of the metaverse is that by strapping on a VR headset you can enter a virtual world parallel to your own. You create a digital avatar – rather like an extension of your Facebook profile – to interact with others. You can shop, work, exercise, travel, learn, play and connect in this virtual world, blending your physical and virtual lives. It gives you the feeling of being present without actually being there, as if you’re inside the internet, not on it. I had a chance to try it out at the Siemens stand at the Electra Mining Expo a couple of years ago, and I really thought I was going to fall off a platform.
So, what went wrong? Basically it was overhyped and underdeveloped, and the vision was far ahead of the technology. Early applications were clumsy, and they didn’t have convincing content or the high-quality graphics that people were used to. Also, the average user didn’t see the value in spending time in a VR world, while VR headsets were expensive and uncomfortable. Confusion over what the metaverse actually was didn’t help, so the world shifted toward more immediate, practical technologies like AI.
However, there’s an industrial metaverse developing quietly behind the scenes. Engineers know how to cut through the hype and focus on what works, and in the engineering and manufacturing world it’s thriving. Instead of a flashy virtual world, industries are using it in a bundle of tools like the digital twin, extended reality, remote collaboration in 3D spaces and immersive training. These are helping to solve specific problems in areas like operations, marketing, maintenance and training. The focus has shifted to value-driven, outcome-based applications, and it’s evolving into a powerful tool for innovation and optimisation in manufacturing, defense and healthcare.
There’s no shortage of examples and the digital twin is an obvious one. Boeing is planning to build its next plane in the metaverse before doing it in reality by using digital twins to sort out design problems early on. BMW created a digital twin of its Regensburg plant and was able to test full production cycles virtually without stopping its real operations. This revolutionised its planning process and allowed many more people to design and produce. AB InBev has replicated its entire brewery network and supply chain in digital form, resulting in smarter decision making across all its operations.
Companies like Siemens, GE, Bosch and Dassault Systèmes are doing it too. The potential for collaboration is huge. Siemens and Nvidia have partnered to simulate lifelike factories in real time for planning and predictive maintenance. Hyundai is testing its meta-factory virtually so that plant managers can solve problems without having to physically visit the plant. Engineers collaborate in 3D across continents using Autodesk XR to design and troubleshoot machinery inside shared 3D models.
In the marketing world, Schneider Electric offers its customers interactive 3D demonstrations of its new smart grid systems. Training is another good application where virtual and augmented reality are reshaping workforce training. Honeywell, ABB and Shell are using extended reality to simulate complex equipment safely, reducing risk and improving learning outcomes. ABB uses extended reality for training workers in hazardous environments, allowing them to ‘walk through’ procedures virtually. Shell uses VR programs for training staff for offshore platforms where real-life training would be risky and costly.
The metaverse isn’t gone, it’s just going through a reality check. It fragmented, transformed and is now quietly establishing itself in areas where it adds value. Engineers know that innovation is nonlinear. Their role is to cut through the hype and focus on what works, what scales and what serves peoples’ needs. Beneath every buzzword lies real engineering work, designing hardware, writing code and building infrastructure. That’s where progress happens. Breakthroughs can happen through small, specific applications that solve real-world problems, not through sweeping revolutions.
The story of the metaverse is a reminder of how innovation unfolds − unevenly, incrementally and not necessarily with its original name. Over the next five to ten years, we may see a more integrated and useful form of the metaverse emerge with less hype and more value. Its future now depends on technological advances, clearer applications and better user experience. Let’s see what happens.
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