From beer breweries on opposite ends of the globe to aircraft technicians in isolated airports, telecoms infrastructure firm Nokia has been looking for ways to use the Metaverse to aid remotely located workers.
Nokia, who many remember as a manufacturer of consumer mobile devices, has since pivoted into developing technology and equipment that “delivers the internet.”
Robert Joyce, CTO of Nokia Oceania told Cointelegraph that part of those plans also includes delivering the Metaverse.
Nokia set up two labs last year to really look at the Metaverse and the technologies that underpin the Metaverse.
Last year, Nokia began collaborating with an Australian university to deliver a 5G-connected microbrewery using metaverse technology, noted Joyce.
Using Augmented Reality (AR), researchers from a brewery tech lab at the University of Technology Sydney have been working alongside researchers from a twin facility at Dortmund University in Germany.
“They actually do joint experiments where they brew beer, they change the process, the temperature, the timings, the volumes, the recipes […] and they feed back all of that brewing process into the digital twin,” he explained.
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“Then they can actually simulate brewing in the digital twin so they can perfect the beer in the digital space.”
“They actually do joint experiments where they brew beer, they change the process, the temperature, the timings, the volumes, the recipes […] and they feed back all of that brewing process into the digital twin,” he explained.
“Then they can actually simulate brewing in the digital twin so they can perfect the beer in the digital space.”
Meanwhile, in South Australia, Joyce said Nokia has been using the metaverse to potentially assist Cessna aircraft technicians at remote airports.
Joyce agreed with the statement, adding he doesn’t expect the “consumer metaverse” to take off until 2030.
It’s not the best experience to have a Quest 2 on your head for a couple of hours, and it’s not until people get to the augmented reality wearables that are comfortable [and] mass-produced.
“We see this three or five-year lag before we actually see massive uptake in consumer virtual reality or augmented reality services.”
Asked how blockchain will play a part in the future of the Metaverse, Joyce was optimistic that the technology will be key when payments or a transfer of assets is involved.
“Clearly if you wanted integrity within a metaverse, then blockchain will play a part,” said Joyce.
If I was going to buy a house next to Snoop Dogg’s and want to ensure that it couldn’t be lifted and shifted and copied, that’s where blockchain is quite useful in terms of maintaining uniqueness in a digital space.
Joyce however said that he doesn’t believe blockchain is a necessity in all applications.
“It’s not an essential underpinning technology for the Metaverse but I’m glad we’ve got it […] and it will be used in the Metaverse,” he concluded.
