How Apple Vision Pro is Revolutionizing Workforces by Bringing the Industrial Metaverse to the Shop Floor

Antoine Bisson, the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Poka, explains how the Apple Vision Pro has the potential to revolutionize the frontline worker experience by bringing the “Industrial Metaverse” to the shop floor. This article originally appeared in Insight Jam, an enterprise IT community that enables human conversation on AI.

Recent technological revolutions in manufacturing, especially those from Industry 4.0, have always focused on machines and materials. But what about the frontline worker? As Industry 5.0 emerges onto the manufacturing scene, so is spatial computing, thanks to Apple Vision Pro. Once integrated as part of a connected worker platform, it can boost effectiveness, sustainability, and safety for each frontline worker. The industrial metaverse is on our doorstep! Apple Vision Pro has incredible potential for business applications with connected workers on the shop floor—it’s not all about consumer applications!

Cutting-edge organizations know that digital investment requires looking beyond just machines and materials—employees are just as important. Over 80 percent of manufacturing executives agree that smart factory solutions will fuel competition for the next five years–but it’s not just machines that are leveling up; so are humans! Manufacturers are already preparing for the industrial metaverse, which could lead to a 12 percent rise in worker productivity—a step in the right direction to address current labor shortages.

Now that Apple Vision Pro and the Poka-connected workforce platform have joined forces, the Industrial Metaverse may be closer than you think. These two technologies are leading the future of the manufacturing industry.

The Industrial Metaverse is On Our Doorstep

Much of the current hype has centered on consumers using the tech to blend digital content with the physical world seamlessly. However, there are significant industry applications for such spatial computing technologies. Spatial computing solutions must be more than just a cut-and-paste job—there’s much more to it than simply taking current iPad applications and making them available on the App Store for Apple Vision Pro. The new era of spatial computing requires intense re-design, re-engineering, and a truly re-imagined approach to the current technology used on the shop floor to achieve its full potential.

Visual Instructions Are Revolutionizing Training Processes

I have seen with our customers how company training programs have already been transformed with the help of visual work instructions. Multimedia, one-point lessons make it easier for workers to understand and retain critical information, leading to better performance. Now, with Apple Vision Pro, video instructions can become more immersive and provide a more realistic experience, as it can be used to film instructions from a first-person point of view.

The benefits are twofold. Not only does this avoid having two people—the videographer and the trainer—when creating content, but the training video quality provides a more impactful experience.

Immersive Training Experiences Will Upskill the Manufacturing Sector

3D CAD models can be uploaded to the plant, production line, workstation, and equipment levels. When a user is watching a work instruction, they can have the 3D model open and available in a second window—giving workers the opportunity to practice and the ability to operate the object or machine. This enhanced and immersive training experience can be especially valuable when you want to provide instructions before a worker is on the factory floor.

Boosting Productivity and Efficiency – Hands-Free!

Ensuring productivity and efficiency is a top priority for any manufacturing business, and that’s why it is essential that employees are given the tools and relevant information that will help them perform tasks to the best of their ability. This is where the ability to execute tasks and checklists that can be done hands-free plays a huge role. They can help improve efficiency and ensure workers have easy access to critical information and the ability to collaborate, all the while getting the job done.

An associate can put the checklist on the device to perform a product changeover and have it visible in a window as a reference. Then, as the steps are completed, the checklist can be filled in through speech-to-text. Instead of picking up a tablet to fill in the checklist once the steps are completed, it can be done in real-time.

AR, VR, and Apple Vision Pro: A Match Made in Manufacturing Heaven

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have existed for some time. Concerns about earlier devices have kept companies from investing heavily in development as headsets were deemed too clunky, unresponsive, poor quality, and not adapted for manufacturers. However, Apple Vision Pro allows seamless transitions between fully immersive digital content and augmented physical reality. Game-changing features enable users to precisely manipulate physical objects using their eyes, hands, and voice.

Spatial Computing is the Future of Manufacturing

The emergence of Apple Vision Pro transforms an intuitive experience by leveraging spatial computing and augmented reality. Add to this the power of a connected worker platform. From enhancing training to redefining task execution, a new era of frontline worker efficiency is underway, opening up new frontiers for manufacturing businesses in productivity, operational efficiency, and worker safety.