Edge IoT Industrial Immersive Technologies and Spatial Computing Continuum
Abstract
This position paper on edge Internet of Things (IoT) industrial immersive technologies aims to provide the vision of the convergence of edge IoT, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twins (DT), immersive triplets (IMT), intelligent mesh connectivity, IoT of senses (IoTS), software-defined automation (SDA) and spatial computing technologies to create an industrial real-digital-virtual continuum. Such a continuum is made of immersive environments, which are computer-generated virtual worlds where users can sense as if they were physically embodied in that generated perception context. The EU recognises Web 4.0 as a revolutionary technological shift toward an immersive, seamlessly interconnected world, viewing virtual worlds as a critical transition component. Edge spatial computing (ESC) is a novel computing paradigm focusing on understanding and interacting with the physical world in a 3D space close to the source. Spatial computing encompasses the processes and tools for capturing, processing, and interacting with 3D data. These technologies enable human-computer interaction that simulates interactions in real-world physical environments rather than being limited to screens and machines.
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AIOTI. All rights reserved. Edge IoT Industrial Immersive Technologies and Spatial Computing Continuum Release 1 AIOTI WG Research and Innovation 30 April 2024
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 2 1. Executive Summary This position paper on edge Internet of Things (IoT) industrial immersive technologies created by the Alliance for IoT and Edge Computing Innovation (AIOTI) aims to provide the vision of the convergence of edge IoT, artificial intelligence (AI), digital twins (DT), immersive triplets (IMT), intelligent mesh connectivity, IoT of senses (IoTS), software-defined automation (SDA) and spatial computing technologies to create an industrial real-digital-virtual continuum. Such continuum is made of immersive environments, which are computer-generated virtual worlds where users can sense as if they were physically embodied in that generated perception context. The convergence of these technologies into industrial immersive solutions advances the integration and application of edge intelligent immersive technologies combining augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and extended reality (XR) with concepts like metaverses, omniverse, multiverses, next generation spatial web, Web 4.0 as part of future virtual worlds. Such convergence of industrial immersive technologies at the edge can improve efficiency, reduce downtime, enhance safety, and better decision-making in industrial settings. However, to be effectively deployed, it both requires a strong interdisciplinary collaboration and presents challenges like robust hardware (HW) design and cost-effective availability, data security and privacy preserving methods, and effective industrial workflow integration. As technology advances, the adoption of such convergence in industry is expected to grow, offering transformative benefits across various sectors and vertical markets, including industrial manufacturing, product operations, design and maintenance, training and collaboration, data visualisation, mobility and logistic, energy, automotive, aerospace, and healthcare. The EU recognises Web 4.0 as a revolutionary technological shift toward an immersive, seamlessly interconnected world, viewing virtual worlds as a critical transition component [12][13][11]. Swift technological progress in edge IoT, AI, immersive technologies, and enhanced connectivity infrastructure have enabled the feasibility of virtual worlds. These virtual environments are key to the EU Digital Decade targets [16], influencing how individuals live, work, create, and share content and how businesses function, innovate, produce, and engage with consumers. Edge IoT industrial immersive technologies create or imitate the physical world through digital simulation (Phygital [1]) and virtual sensations giving the user a unique experience of the threedimensional (3D) spatial computing environment. Phygital is a mix of "physical" and "digital," combining the physical and digital worlds to complete one mixed experience. Edge spatial computing (ESC) is a novel computing paradigm focusing on understanding and interacting with the physical world in a 3D space close to the source. Spatial computing encompasses the processes and tools for capturing, processing, and interacting with 3D data. These technologies enable human-computer interaction that simulates interactions in real-world physical environments rather than being limited to screens and machines. ESC enhances the capabilities of autonomous edge IoT devices, robotics, and machines to interact more naturally with humans. It integrates with VR, AR, MR, XR, natural user interface, contextual, affective, and ubiquitous computing in a 3D space, utilising computer, and machine/computer vision to comprehend real-world scenarios. The topics presented in this AIOTI position paper are aligned with the AIOTI Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) and illustrate the evolution of these topics into convergence ingredients of edge industrial immersive technologies.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 3 Table of Content 2.1 Virtual reality .................................................................................................................................................. 15 2.2 Augmented Reality ....................................................................................................................................... 15 2.3 Mixed reality .................................................................................................................................................. 17 2.4 Extended reality ............................................................................................................................................. 18 2.5 Metaverse ...................................................................................................................................................... 20 2.6 Omniverse ...................................................................................................................................................... 25 2.7 Multiverse ....................................................................................................................................................... 26 2.8 Spatial Web 4.0 - Internet of Humans and Machines Evolution ................................................................ 27 3.1 Internet of Things ............................................................................................................................................ 31 3.2 Internet of Things Senses ............................................................................................................................... 33 3.3 Internet of Things Digital Twins Evolving to Immersive Triplets .................................................................. 35 3.4 Virtual Replicas with Active Force Feedback ............................................................................................ 36 3.4 Edge Computing ........................................................................................................................................... 37 3.5 Spatial Computing ........................................................................................................................................ 38 3.6 Edge Artificial Intelligence ........................................................................................................................... 40 3.7 Spatial Generative Edge Artificial Intelligence Technologies .................................................................. 41 3.8 Immersive Intelligent Mesh Connectivity .................................................................................................... 43 3.8 Integration of Sensing and Communications ............................................................................................. 48
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 4 List of Figures Figure 2-1 IoT - “Internet” and “Things” evolution. ......................................................................................................... 7 Figure 2-2 Gartner Hype Cycle for emerging technologies 2022. Source: [32] .......................................................... 8 Figure 2-3 Gartner impact radar for 2024. Source: [31]. ................................................................................................ 9 Figure 2-4 Edge IoT industrial immersive technologies. ............................................................................................... 11 Figure 3-1 Edge IoT immersive technologies. ............................................................................................................... 14 Figure 3-2 Illustration of the concepts of various immersive technologies – VR, AR, MR. Source: [7] .................... 17 Figure 3-3 XR application landscape. Source: Adapted from Frost & Sullivan ......................................................... 20 Figure 3-4 Verses characteristics. Source: Adapted from [8] ..................................................................................... 21 Figure 3-5 The concept of verses in the context of immersive technologies. .......................................................... 22 Figure 3-6 Metaverse interdisciplinarity. ........................................................................................................................ 23 Figure 3-7 The industrial metaverse. Source: Adapted from [37]. .............................................................................. 25 Figure 3-8 Internet and Web characteristics. ................................................................................................................ 27 Figure 3-9 Web evolution. ............................................................................................................................................... 28 Figure 4-1 Edge immersive technologies convergence across the value chain. .................................................... 31 Figure 4-2 Edge IoT key attributes characterised by 6As and 6Cs. ............................................................................ 32 Figure 4-3 Edge immersive multi-sensory communications for providing information and intelligence. ............. 34 Figure 4-4 IIoT and XR traffic characteristics. Source: Adapted from Nokia. ............................................................ 43 Figure 4-5 The evolution of high-capacity optical fibre transport networks. Source: [60]. ...................................... 45 Figure 4-6 Sensory communications throughput and latency requirements. Source: [43]. .................................... 46 Figure 4-7 Improving support for the XR in 5G-Advanced. Source: Adapted from [34]. ......................................... 47 Figure 8-1 Edge immersive technologies ecosystem. Source: Nokia. ...................................................................... 56 Figure 8-2 IEEE P2874 D2 system design components. Source: [55]. .......................................................................... 58
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 5 List of Tables Table 3-1 Typical existing VR, AR, and MR system specifications and technical requirements [21]. .................... 20 Table 4-1 Actuation and modalities within a multi-sensory communication for mediated social touch [19]. ..... 35 Table 4-2 QoS requirements for multi-modal streams [1]. ........................................................................................... 44 Table 4-3 Requirements of wearables, industrial wireless sensors, and video surveillance use cases [1]. ........... 45 Table I-1 Standardisation activities related to immersive technologies across various SDOs. ............................... 72
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 6 List of Acronyms 3C Connected Collaborative Computing 3D Three dimensional AI Artificial Intelligence AIOTI Alliance for IoT and Edge Computing Innovation AIOTI SRIA AIOTI Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda AoI Areas of Interest API Application Programming Interface AR Augmented Reality BIM Building information Modelling CBDC Central Bank Digital Currency DAO Decentralised Autonomous Organisation dApp Decentralised app DeFi Decentralised finance DL Deep Learning DLT Distributed Ledger Technologies DoF Degrees of Freedom DT Digital Twin E2E End to End ESC Edge Spatial Computing FoV Field of View FPS Frames per Second FW Firmware HMD Head-Mounted Display HMI Human-Machine Interface HW Hardware IMT Immersive Triplets IoT Internet of Things IIoT Industrial Internet of Things IoT DT IoT Digital Twin IoTS Internet of Things Senses IT Information Technology ITM Immersive Triplets JCAS Joint Communication and Sensing LoRa Long Range Radio LoRaWAN Long Range Wide Area Network MEC Multi-access Edge Computing ML Machine Learning MR Mixed Reality, Machine Reasoning NFT Non-Fungible Token NLP Natural Language Processing NUI Natural User Interface PCCR Pupil Centre Cornea Reflection QoE Quality of Experience QoS Quality of Service RAN Radio Access Networks RF Radio Frequency SDK Software Development Kit SLAM Simultaneous Localization And Mapping SoS Systems of Systems SRIA Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda SW Software UI User Interface VR Virtual Reality VV&T Verification, Validation and Testing Wi-Fi Wireless Fidelity XAI Explainable AI XR eXtended Reality
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 7 2. Vision and Objectives Fusion and convergence of technologies sparks innovation, allowing for cross-pollination of ideas, the creation of novel approaches, and transforms industrial landscape by enabling new edge IoT devices, systems, services, and business models. Developing cutting-edge IoT industrial immersive technologies and spatial computing requires a holistic, interdisciplinary approach as a driver of knowledge creation, research, and innovation. Collaboration between the disciplines is thus a vital complement to the grow of the disciplines themselves. The vision for industrial immersive technologies fusing and converging several technology enablers is to create a highly advanced and interconnected industrial landscape. This landscape leverages the convergence of edge IoT, AI, generative heuristics, Web 4.0, DT, IMT, IoTS, AR, VR, MR, XR, SDA and verse technologies (metaverse, omniverse, multiverse). These concepts represent layers of interconnected virtual spaces. The metaverse refers to a single, universal virtual world. The omniverse is a network of multiple metaverses, potentially operated by different entities but interconnected seamlessly, allowing users to navigate from one to another without leaving the virtual environment. The multiverse extends this idea further into a virtually infinite number of diverse universes within broader narratives. As a result, these technological developments have the potential to revolutionise industrial processes, training, and collaboration through edge IoT and spatial technologies. These technologies cover the Connected Collaborative Computing (3C) continuum that requires intelligent orchestration, to optimise security and sustainability aspects. The IoT concept entails two main components: Internet and Things. These represent technologies that are evolving and advancing in their own paths as illustrated in Figure 2-1. Figure 2-1 IoT - “Internet” and “Things” evolution. The Internet expands into novel decentralised web paradigms and 3D spatial representation, including holographic representations and immersive technologies. Things are becoming intelligent, mobile, and autonomous, based on self-X features such as self-configuration, selfawareness, and self-diagnostic, using edge AI to process information from multiple sensors and control multiple actuators based on multi-protocol intelligent connectivity, thus enabling devices to adapt to their environments, optimise their performance, and anticipate maintenance needs without human intervention.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 14 3. Definitions and Taxonomy IoT and edge computing research and innovation address IoT/edge continuum distributed architectures, intelligent connectivity. End-to-end (E2E) security, heterogenous IoT edge mesh, IoT DTs, AI, IoT swarm systems, IoTS, trustworthiness, verification, validation, and testing (VV&T), standardisation, and the convergence of all the above into the Internet of Intelligent Things. Immersive technology refers to any technology that blurs the line between the physical and digital worlds, creating a sense of presence and engagement for the user. Immersive technologies aim to transport users to virtual environments or enhance their real-world experiences by overlaying digital information onto their physical surroundings through real-time interactions in physical, digital, virtual, cyber, and spatial environments. Immersive technologies have emerged as a revolutionary approach to creating digital experiences that feel real to users. By incorporating various tools and systems, immersive technology encompasses real-time interactions in physical, digital, virtual, cyber, and spatial environments using a broad spectrum of experiences that blur the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds, providing innovative ways to interact, explore, and learn. IoT and edge computing enable innovation and broad adoption in immersive technologies and applications by bringing the novel elements of converging technologies to the edge and realtime interaction between the physical and virtual worlds. An overview of edge immersive technologies is illustrated in Figure 3-1. Figure 3-1 Edge IoT immersive technologies. The IoT devices, mobile computing units, and fleets of these interconnected devices are evolving, and the amount of information generated and exchanged by these devices grow significantly at the network edge. Consequently, the constraints due to extremely high latency and network bandwidth usage will limit the transfer of these massive volumes of data to the cloud. Using AI processing capabilities at the network edge can unleash the potential of data generated by sensors and devices.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 15 2.1 Virtual reality VR is a computer-generated simulation of an environment using 3D computer modelling, which immerses users in a wholly digital environment, often using a head-mounted display and hand controllers to simulate the physical presence in the virtual world. The immersion is achieved through hand-held controllers or gloves fitted with sensors, VR headsets or head-mounted displays (HMDs) that cover the user's field of vision, delivering content that responds to the user's movements and translate them into actions to simulate the physical presence in the virtual world, thus allowing users to interact in those worlds. VR involves components and characteristics like immersive experiences that provide a sense of immersion in a computer-generated environment distinct from the physical environment. The immersion in the virtual world happens by making use of multiple senses, including vision, hearing, and sometimes touch (through haptic feedback), to enhance the realism of the virtual environment by using IoTS devices. Advanced VR systems may also include olfactory (smell) and gustatory (taste) elements to deepen the immersive experience further. The integration of 3D graphics and environments into virtual spaces is achieved by making use of 3D computer modelling, one of the most interesting types of graphic design, and is designed to be interactive and responsive to the user's actions. This requires substantial computing power to maintain real-time rendering and interaction. An interesting offering in this domain is the open-source library for easy 3D data processing, ML and visualisation and called Open3D [45]. Standards related to VR (see Table I-1) provide guidelines on system design, user interaction, content creation, and health and safety considerations to ensure a high-quality user experience, promoting interoperability between different VR devices and software, and addressing potential health impacts associated with prolonged VR use. 2.2 Augmented Reality IoT, edge computing and AR are technologies that are changing how we interact with the world. AR combines real-world views with computer-generated elements to create an immersive experience. IoT and edge computing bring the interactions with the physical world, data collection, data storage and processing closer to the network's edge, making AR more accessible, cost-effective, and secure. AR blends digital content with the real world, allowing users to see and interact with virtual objects or information overlaid onto their physical surroundings through edge IoT devices screens, headsets, and smart glasses. AR can be defined as an interactive experience of a real-world environment where the objects that reside in the real world are enhanced by computer-generated perceptual information, across multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory, and olfactory. The technical aspects of AR involve integrating digital information with the user's environment in real-time. Unlike VR, which creates an artificial environment, AR uses the existing environment and overlays new information on top of it, creating an actual “augmentation” of the sensed reality. AR can be experienced through various devices, including smartphones, tablets, AR glasses, and HMD creating Phygital mixed experiences. From a scientific and technical standpoint, AR systems are designed to combine real and virtual worlds, interact in real-time and align virtual and real objects.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 16 The key components of AR systems include sensors and cameras to capture real-world inputs, processing to interpret the sensor input, detect features of the real world, and determine the location and orientation of a device within it, projection systems to display virtual images, display devices to present the integrated digital information to the user. This can include screens, optical projection systems, or touchscreens, enabling users to see and interact with the augmented virtual objects. Standards related to AR (see Table I-1) aim to harmonize the technical criteria, ensure interoperability between different AR devices and SW, and enhance the user experience by setting benchmarks for performance, safety, and privacy. AR systems typically consist of several key components such as a perception sensor, e.g., a camera that captures the real-world environment and feeds it into the AR system, a processor to perform image processing on the input of the camera to identify and track features in the real world, a display that presents the digital content and information superimposed on the realworld view (e.g., smartphone screen, a HMD, a projected image), tracking and alignment to align virtual content with the real-world environment (e.g., marker-based tracking, featurebased tracking, or simultaneous localisation and mappingsimultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)), interaction that allows users to interact with virtual content (e.g., via gestures, voice commands, or a handheld controller), SW that includes the programming that makes the AR experience implemented using various AR SW development kits (SDKs). With edge computing, the processing required for AR applications can run on edge devices rather than relying on cloud computing and remote servers. This significantly reduces cloudbased latency of AR systems and data transmission costs. As a result, IoT and edge computing make AR more accessible and improves the overall user experience. AR applications that run at the edge are also less susceptible to the cyber threats faced by cloud-based AR applications (which are much more vulnerable to hacking and data theft). This is because edge computing keeps data local, making it far less susceptible to attacks, as data isn't required to travel to remote cloud servers and back. IoT and edge computing enables AR experiences in real-time, which positively impacts live sports broadcasting, translation, and product visualisation. AR and VR are different technologies with specific uses and applications. The differences between AR and VR are as follows: AR enhances the real world by superimposing computergenerated elements, while VR creates an entirely artificial environment that replaces the real world. AR is interactive and allows users to view and interact with their real-world surroundings, while VR is designed to immerse users in a wholly digital environment. AR systems typically use a camera to capture the real world and display digital content superimposed on it. VR systems usually use head-mounted displays to fully immerse users in digital content. The immersion level of VR apps is greater than AR and has been proven beneficial for training purposes. The key differences between AR and VR lie in their relationship to the real and digital worlds. AR enhances the real world with computer-generated elements, while VR completely replaces it with a digital environment. Knowing the difference between AR and VR is important for understanding their potential uses and limitations and the different roles Edge computing plays for each technology. It also helps to better understand the impacts of these technologies in different industrial sectors and across these sectors.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 17 2.3 Mixed reality MR refers to blending physical and digital worlds to produce new environments and visualisations where physical and digital objects coexist and interact in real-time. MR encompasses a wide range, from AR, where real-world environments are augmented with virtual objects, to VR, where virtual environments incorporate elements from the real world and users are immersed in a simulated digital environment or a digital replica of reality. This continuum highlights the fluidity between the purely physical and virtual worlds, with MR as an intermediary state that integrates both aspects. The level of augmentation can vary from a simple information display to the addition of virtual objects and even complete augmentation of the real world. MR includes all variants where virtual and real environments are mixed and variants where real objects are included in the virtual world. MR combines elements of VR and AR, allowing users to cooperate with virtual objects anchored to the real-world and interacting with it. MR involves wearing a headset that overlays digital content onto the user's environment while maintaining awareness of the physical world. MR, when integrated with IoT, edge computing, and AI, can significantly enhance immersive experiences across various domains, from industrial applications to everyday consumer use. The concepts of VR, AR, MR immersive technologies are illustrated in Figure 3-2. Technical and scientific aspects of MR involve seamless integration by the seamless blend of real and virtual worlds, requiring sophisticated sensing, processing, and display technologies, real-time interactions with both real and virtual elements occur in real-time, demanding high computational efficiency and responsive input/output systems, spatial registration by aligning virtual objects with the real world to maintain the illusion of coexistence, necessitating advanced computer vision, sensor fusion, and tracking technologies. Figure 3-2 Illustration of the concepts of various immersive technologies – VR, AR, MR. Source: [7] To propose a comparison, differently from MR, original AR applications were dependent on the sensing systems and their external references (like markers) to enable spatial computing. These solutions were effective (e.g., AR platforms) but could not interact with the environment outside the marker except when complex structured solutions were used. Sensor-fusion solutions nowadays overcome those limitations, and the two terms are often swapped in a common language.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 18 Key components and technologies used in MR systems include advanced displays, such as HMDs or smart glasses, which can overlay virtual content onto the physical world, environmental sensing using cameras, depth sensors, and other technologies to capture detailed information about the surrounding environment, spatial computing enabling devices to understand and interact with the physical space around them, including object recognition and spatial mapping, haptic feedback providing tactile feedback to enhance the sense of physical interaction with virtual objects. Standards related to MR (see Table I-1) aim to provide a framework for terminology, system design, user experience, and interoperability among MR devices and applications to ensure compatibility, safety, and privacy across the diverse ecosystem of MR technology and applications. In VR, users are immersed in a simulated digital environment or a digital replica of reality. In AR digital information is overlaid on images of reality viewed through a device. The level of augmentation can vary from a simple information display to the addition of virtual objects and even complete augmentation of the real world. However, MR includes all variants where virtual and real environments are mixed and variants where real objects are included in the virtual world. Edge devices support MR and have new sensors that enable the virtual avatar to maintain eye contact and replicate the facial emotions of actual people. With further advancement in the technology, avatars will be able to express human emotions better and employ body language, giving the impression of a real dialogue in virtual environments. 2.4 Extended reality XR is an umbrella term that covers immersive technologies ranging from VR to MR, and AR. The combination of intelligent wireless and cellular connectivity and XR technologies enables new mobile experiences for consumers and industrial users and opens a broad range of business opportunities for service. XR is a term that encompasses the entire spectrum of real and virtual combined environments and human-machine interactions generated by computer technology and wearables. XR technology aims to blend the digital and physical worlds in a seamless and immersive way, leveraging the strengths of VR, AR, and MR to create experiences that could range from entirely synthetic environments (VR) to real-world settings augmented with digital overlays (AR) and environments where physical and digital objects coexist and interact in real-time (MR). The future technological landscape is profoundly reshaped by the convergence of IoT, edge computing, AI, and industrial immersive technologies such as XR, all within the framework of emerging Internet Web 4.0 technologies. This convergence is expected to bring about a new digital interaction and automation era across various industries and aspects of daily life. Key aspects and objectives of XR include immersive experiences that could either augment the real world with digital content (AR), blend the real and virtual worlds (MR), or create a fully immersive virtual environment (VR), interactivity across the spectrum of XR by interacting with digital objects overlaid onto the real world or navigating and manipulating an entirely virtual space, multi-sensory engagement using multiple senses, not just sight and sound but potentially touch (through haptic feedback) and other senses The aim of XR is to create more immersive and compelling experiences, real-time processing of complex data, including spatial mapping, object recognition, and seamless integration of virtual and real elements and the use of wearable and non-wearable edge IoT devices through a variety of HMDs (for VR and MR), smart glasses (for AR), mobile devices, and even future
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 19 technologies that may provide more unobtrusive ways to blend digital and physical experiences. Standards and guidelines for XR (see Table I-1) are focused on ensuring interoperability between devices, defining consistent user experience metrics, and addressing ethical considerations and privacy concerns to facilitate the widespread adoption of XR technologies by providing a solid framework for developers, manufacturers, and content creators to follow. XR streaming enables data-intensive AR and VR applications to be collected in real-time by mobile devices. This opens new fields of application for immersive technologies in the IoT environment. The elements specific to the immersive technologies represented by XR are Field of View (FoV), which defines an observable area or the range of vision (e.g., 200m) an individual can see via an XR device such as HMD when the user is static within a given XR environment; Degrees of Freedom (6DoF), which describes the position and orientation of an object in space by three components of translation and three components of rotation (e.g., swivels left and right - yawing, tilts forward and backwards - pitching, pivots side to side - rolling). A six degrees of freedom (6DoF) experience allows for moving up and down (elevating/heaving - Y Translation), moving left and right (strafing/swaying - X Translation), moving forward and backwards (walking/surging - Z Translation) in addition to yawing, pitching, and rolling. Haptics are mechanisms and technologies for tactile feedback to enhance the interaction experience with onscreen interfaces via touch, vibration, and force feedback, creating a virtual sense of touch. HMDs are used as devices with miniature displays or projection technology integrated and mounted on helmets/hats or into eyeglasses to create a virtual sense of sight and sound. Positional tracking using 6DoF allows edge devices to estimate their position relative to the environment by combining HW and SW to detect the absolute position. Head tracking refers to the movement of the user's head and is used to move the images displayed to match the head's position. Orientation tracking uses accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers to determine how the user's head turns. Eye tracking facilitates and seizes the way the user's eyes are looking using light from infrared cameras, which is directed toward the participant's pupils, inducing reflections in both the pupil and the cornea. These centre corneal reflections (PCCR), can provide information about the movement and direction of the eyes. Eye tracking is utilised to capture and analyse visual attention using heatmaps, gaze replays, and output metrics for areas of interest (AoI), considering the time to first fixation and time spent. Full body tracking is defined as the procedure of tracing humanlike movements of the virtual subject within the immersive environments by recording in real-time via HMDs and multiple motion controller peripherals, the scene location coordinates of moving objects to catch the movement of the entire body of the user. Inside-out tracking refers to the positional tracking technique commonly used in XR technologies to track the position of HMDs and motion controller accessories. The difference compared with outside-in tracking is the camera location or other sensors used to determine the object's position in space. The XR edge devices use an inside-out tracking watch to determine how its position changes about the environment. Outside-in tracking refers to positional tracking, where fixed external sensors are placed around the viewer to decide the headset's position and associated tracked peripherals [7]. A summary of existing typical XR key performance indicators (KPIs) is presented in Table 3-1. AR can be considered a simple version of MR, and advanced AR technologies may be merged into MR, while ultimate XR may only consist of MR and VR.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 20 Table 3-1 Typical existing VR, AR, and MR system specifications and technical requirements [21]. Specification VR AR MR Screen Occlusion Translucent Translucent Display HMD OHMD OHMD Environment Virtual Passive virtual & real Passive virtual, active virtual, real Uplink Data Rate 150 kbps 0.02 - 1.0 Gbps 0.02 - 1.0 Gbps Downlink Data Rate 0.02 - 1.0 Gbps 0.02 - 1.0 Gbps 0.02 - 1.0 Gbps Latency 20 - 1000 ms 20 ms 10 ms Refresh Rate ∼90 Hz" ∼90 Hz ∼90 Hz Pixels-perDegree 10 - 15 30 - 60 30 - 60 Field-ofView 100◦- 150◦ 20◦ - 50◦ 20◦ - 50◦ The progression towards Web 4.0 involves the Internet becoming more intelligent and autonomous. Technologies like the semantic Web enhance data connectivity through betterstructured, linked data that machines can understand and process. In an XR context, this means dynamically generated content that is contextually relevant to what the user sees or interacts with. Blockchain technologies ensure secure, decentralised processing and storage of the massive amounts of data generated by edge IoT devices and used in XR environments. Figure 3-3 XR application landscape. Source: Adapted from Frost & Sullivan The convergence of IoT, edge computing, AI, and XR within the Internet Web 4.0 framework is poised to create a more connected, responsive, and immersive digital future. This will enhance current applications and open new possibilities in how humans live, machines operate, work, and interact with humans and other machines in physical, digital, virtual, and cyber environments. Figure 3-3 illustrates the expected application landscape for XR immersive technology. 2.5 Metaverse The terms "verse," "metaverse," "omniverse," and "multiverse" are part of the future development of immersive technologies, and each term represents a concept, ranging from digital, virtual, and cyber ecosystems about the universe. "Verse" is a general suffix that denotes a type of universe and is used as a shorthand in various contexts to refer to a universe or a particular immersive environment within a broader context.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 21 Verses are dynamic concepts in digital technology that offer immersive digital experiences that seamlessly interconnect people, places, machines, objects, and information in real-time, transcending the constraints of the physical world. The metaverse displays six characteristics as illustrated in Figure 3-4: immersiveness, which refers to a computer-generated virtual environment sufficiently realistic for users to feel psychologically and emotionally involved and through sensory perception (e.g., sight, sound, touch, temperature, and pressure) and expressions (e.g., gestures and signs), it is possible to understand it; spatiotemporal that represents the limits to the real world due to the finiteness of space and the irreversibility of time, which refers to the break of space and time limitations in the metaverse, a virtual space-time continuum parallel to the real one; sustainability representing a high degree of independence and a closed economic cycle indicates that the metaverse maintains a consistent value system and a closed economic loop; interoperability that implies that users can seamlessly move between virtual worlds (i.e., sub-verses) without interrupting the immersive experience, considering that the digital assets used for rendering or reconstructing virtual worlds can be interchanged between different platforms; scalability, which is the ability to remain efficient with the number of concurrent users/avatars, the level of scene complexity, scope, and range of interactions between users/avatars and heterogeneity, considering the existence of heterogeneous virtual spaces with distinct implementations, heterogeneous physical devices with different interfaces, heterogeneous data types, heterogeneous communications modes, and diverse human psychology. Avatars can seamlessly traverse various virtual worlds, including sub-verses, to experience a digital environment and participate in virtual economic activities through physical infrastructures and a metaverse incentive [8][61]. Figure 3-4 Verses characteristics. Source: Adapted from [8] The metaverse integrates a sense of immersion, real-time interactivity, and user instruments while including platforms and devices that work seamlessly with each other, multiple people and machines that interact simultaneously, and use cases across sectors. The metaverse embraces and augments reality with virtual content and experiences that can enhance the experiences in virtual spaces.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 22 Figure 3-5 The concept of verses in the context of immersive technologies. A metaverse is a digital universe created by converging enhanced physical and persistent virtual reality. The metaverse describes virtual worlds, where users, represented by avatars, engage in 3D environments, performing interactions to build social and economic connections [18]. This concept originated in Neal Stephenson's 1992 science fiction novel "Snow Crash," which portrays an immersive virtual realm [38]. In "Snow Crash," the metaverse is imagined as a future version of the Internet, a unified and immersive virtual world enabled by VR and AR headsets. These virtual worlds are computer-simulated environments inhabited by users who can create personal avatars. Users independently explore, participate in activities, and communicate within these spaces. Avatars can range from textual and graphical representations to live video avatars with auditory and tactile feedback. The metaverse is an interdisciplinary concept as illustrated in Figure 3-6 that encompasses an interconnected network of shareable and persisting virtual worlds, AR, and the Internet that allows end users to experience a sense of social presence and spatial awareness in a threedimensional virtual space and participate in an extensive virtual economy. The metaverse concept is often associated with science fiction and VR but is also being developed as a potential future reality. Various technologies such as VR/AR, 3D modelling and animation SW, game engines, cloud, and edge computing, blockchain, intelligent connectivity networks, AI and ML are utilised to create and support a metaverse. The industrial metaverse welds physical-digital-cyber fusion and human augmentation for industrial applications. It incorporates digital representations of physical industrial environments, IoT devices, systems, assets, and spaces that people manage, control, communicate and interact with. These technologies continue to develop and improve as the metaverse progresses allowing for creating immersive brand experiences or virtual storefronts, allowing people and machine to interact with each other in a new way, facilitating remote collaboration and communication and share information seamlessly regardless of location.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 23 Figure 3-6 Metaverse interdisciplinarity. The idea of the metaverse that postulates as a hypothetical iteration of the Internet as a single, universal, and immersive virtual world is facilitated by other immersive technologies such as AR, VR, MR. A metaverse is a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connections. It is an open, shared, and persistent virtual space where users can be digital avatars. The premise of the metaverse is that users can do everything in the virtual world that they can do in the real world. The metaverse combines concepts of immersive technologies (VR, AR) and digital second life. The metaverse is a collection of every virtual world built using blockchain technology. These include gaming planets, NFT galleries, curated lands, or digital streets. The NFTs are blockchainbased tokens that each represent a unique asset designed to be cryptographically verifiable, unique, or scarce and easily transferable. An NFT can be considered an irrevocable digital certificate of ownership and authenticity for a given digital or physical asset. The metaverse is not one place; it is a collection of novel digital spaces that people and machines call the next iteration of the Internet. The metaverse differs from online social platforms in terms of the space between centralisation and decentralisation. Metaverse develops digital spaces that allows users to use a single identity to travel across and through the growing network of virtual landscapes. This makes it more like a mirror of the real world. The term metaverse is widely used across various fields, including technology, gaming, social media, and academia. However, it had yet to be formalised by a universally accepted standardized definition. The metaverse concept can be defined as a collective virtual shared space created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality, persistent virtual spaces, and the Internet. It represents an expansive network of 3D virtual worlds and simulations that support the continuity of identity, objects, history, payments, and entitlements.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 30 Immersive technologies benefit from Web 4.0 trust and security features to offer experiences that are not only visually and sensorially compelling but also profoundly engaging through real ownership, economic participation, and social interaction. This can lead to more meaningful and sustained engagement in virtual spaces, as users are not just passive consumers but active participants in these digital ecosystems. The synergies between Web 4.0 and immersive technologies are unlocking new possibilities for virtual experiences, redefining how we interact with digital content, engage with communities, and transact in virtual environments. As these technologies advance, they are likely to create more immersive, interactive, and inclusive virtual worlds that closely mirror the complexity and richness of the physical world. Web 4.0 embodies a new era of the Internet, conceived as a decentralised online ecosystem founded on blockchain technology. Unlike the present Internet version (Web2), dominated by centralised platforms and services owned by a handful of large corporations, Web 4.0 aims to return control and ownership to the users. The technological advances it brings have the potential to profoundly change the way one interacts with the digital realm, creating a more open, transparent, and user-empowered internet. The future of technology, particularly with the convergence of IoT, edge computing, AI, and industrial immersive technologies, is poised for groundbreaking developments, especially when integrated with emerging concepts like the metaverse, the omniverse, the multiverse, and Internet Web 4.0. This future version of the Internet is expected to be more autonomous, intelligent, and seamlessly integrated into everyday objects. It could leverage blockchain for security and decentralisation, facilitate microtransactions within the various verses, and support sophisticated AI-driven interactions. The convergence of these technologies signifies a technological shift, as well as a cultural and economic one, potentially altering how we perceive and interact with the digital and physical worlds. This convergence promises a more integrated, immersive, and interactive future.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 31 4. Industrial Immersive Enabling Technologies Convergence The convergence of industrial immersive enabling technologies refers to the integration and synergistic application of various advanced technologies to create immersive, interactive, and highly efficient industrial environments. The goal is to enhance operational efficiency, improve safety, security, and foster innovation in industrial settings. In industrial immersive environments, edge computing provides the mechanisms for distributing data processing and redefines the IoT landscape by moving data processing and analytics at the edge by using AI/ML techniques and ensuring an advanced level of embedded security. Figure 4-1 Edge immersive technologies convergence across the value chain. Edge computing is a key ingredient of industrial immersive technologies that allows an effective deployment of real-time applications, considering that the processing is performed close to the data source. It also reduces the order of magnitude of transmitted data, by not transmitting the extensive amount of raw data created by IoT devices, rather just sending smaller amount of data, thanks to storage and local processing capabilities. 3.1 Internet of Things IoT represents a dynamic global network infrastructure endowed with self-configuring capabilities, utilizing standard interoperable communication protocols. This network integrates physical and virtual “things” - each possessing unique identities, physical characteristics, and virtual personalities - through intelligent interfaces, enabling seamless integration into the information network. In this ecosystem, “things” actively participate in business, informational, and social processes, capable of intercommunication and environmental interaction.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 32 They autonomously react to real-world events and influence outcomes by executing processes that trigger actions and generate services, with minimal or no human oversight. Service-oriented interfaces facilitate these interactions by allowing remote querying and modification of their states and related information, all while addressing security and privacy concerns. In the context of industry digitisation, IoT and Industrial IoT (IIoT) merge key attributes of advanced Internet technology, mobile systems, and pervasive connectivity with industrial control functionalities, including sensing, actuating, and controlling. Interoperability, platform integration, and standardisation are crucial in the digitization of industrial applications. IoT, IIoT, and industrial control systems incorporate essential attributes like integrity, availability, and confidentiality, crucial for application deployment within and across various industrial sectors. Edge computing is defined as a paradigm that can be implemented using different architectures built to support an IoT distributed infrastructure of data processing (signals, image, voice, etc.) with edge IoT devices operating close to the points of collection (data sources) and utilisation. The edge computing distributed paradigm provides computing capabilities to the IoT nodes and devices of the edge of the network (or edge domain) to improve the performance (energy efficiency, latency, etc.), operating cost, security and reliability of applications and services. Edge computing performs data analysis by minimising the distance between IoT nodes and devices and reducing the dependence on centralised resources that serve them while minimising network hops. IoT edge computing capabilities include a steady operating procedure across different platform infrastructures to deliver processing services to remote IoT devices, application integration, orchestration, and service delivery requirements. The edge computing technologies are meant to properly consider HW limitations and cost constraints, to effectively handle limited or intermittent network connections, and to implement methods to satisfy the most diverse requirement sets, e.g., IoT applications requiring low latency or greatly differing in data rates. For intelligent IoT applications, the edge computing concept is mirrored in the development of different edge computing levels (micro, deep, meta), that incorporate the computing and intelligence continuum from the sensors/actuators, processing units, controllers, gateways, onpremises servers to the interface with multi-access, fog, and cloud computing. Figure 4-2 Edge IoT key attributes characterised by 6As and 6Cs. Edge IoT and industrial immersive technology developments are characterised by six key attributes, collectively known as the 6As: Anything (any device) transferred from/to Anyone (any person/machine), located Anywhere, at Anytime (in any context), using Any path (any network) for optimal connectivity based on performance and economic considerations, all to provide Any service (any business). The intelligent edge IoT paradigm has evolved, leading to the creation of IoT ecosystems built on foundational elements termed the 6Cs: Collect (diverse devices of varying complexity and intelligence enhance real-time data collection), Connect (ubiquitous connections between these diverse devices and data), Cache (data storage within distributed IoT computing environments), Compute (advanced data processing), Cognise
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 33 (analytics and real-time AI processing), and Collaborate (creating/developing new interactions, services, and business models through collaboration) [41][40]. The IoT transforms everyday objects into rich ecosystems of information that enhance our lives. It influences the future Internet landscape, impacting security and privacy while potentially narrowing the digital divide. As AI and IoT increasingly rely on network connectivity, their vulnerability to security threats grows. The AI in IoT market size was estimated at USD 9.17 billion in 2023, USD 10.75 billion in 2024, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.35% to reach USD 28.11 billion by 2030 [50]. The future success of the Internet as a driver of economic and social innovation hinges on how these new technologies tackle such challenges. Integrating AI with IoT opens new opportunities, from scientific breakthroughs to enhancing human intelligence and merging it with the physical and digital realms. The convergence of IoT with technologies like AI, DLTs, hyperconnectivity, distributed edge computing, and autonomous systems requires heightened human-centric safeguards and ethical considerations in their design and implementation [40]. The IoT bridges the gap between the virtual, digital, and physical realms by integrating people, machines, processes, data, and things, generating knowledge through IoT applications and platforms. It addresses security, privacy, and trust issues across these dimensions in a time of increasing technology, computing power, connectivity, network capacity, and smart device proliferation. IoT is a key driver of digital and immersive transformation in this context. The primary added value of IoT/IIoT and edge computing is the contextualisation and onboarding of the immersive technologies in the industrial sectors. The intelligent edge IT devices used in immersive environments are equipped with sensing, connectivity, processing, and analytics to understand complex situations by aggregating information, applying AI patterns and incorporating user behaviour. This allows the decision-making processes to be aligned with a local, global context, visualise the event and add a graphical animation of actual and future scenarios. Intelligent connectivity, edge computing and IoT are shaping the future of immersive technologies. Thanks to higher bandwidths, flexible external computing capacities, industrial immersive applications are emerging in various industrial sectors. IoT connects physical and virtual worlds. Data from IoT-enabled devices is collected, converted into information, and made visible in real-time through interactions in physical, digital, virtual, cyber, and spatial environments. Immersive technologies represent the IoT, by augmenting the world with information derived from the IoT or even immersing humans and machines in the new created spatial environments. 3.2 Internet of Things Senses The notion of "senses" within the context of IoT likely refers to the extension and enhancement of IoT capabilities through advanced sensory technologies that mimic human senses such as sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. These sensory technologies enable IoT devices to perceive their environment nuancedly, leading to more sophisticated data collection, interpretation, and interaction capabilities in immersive contexts. Sight (Vision): This sense is mediated by vision sensors, which enable one to perceive light, colours, shapes, and movements. It's essential for navigating our environment and recognising objects and individuals. Cameras and image recognition technologies allow IoT devices to see their environment. This can be used in applications such as immersive systems, autonomous, and quality control in manufacturing.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 34 Hearing (Audition): Hearing is the ability to perceive sounds by detecting vibrations. It's crucial for communication through language, recognising sounds in the environment. Microphones and advanced sound processing technologies enable devices to hear and respond to audio cues. Taste (Gustation): Taste is the ability to detect flavours in substances, including sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and umami (savoury). It's vital for tasting food and drinks and for avoiding harmful substances. This is an evolving sense in IoT and emerging in areas like environmental monitoring and food safety. Smell (Olfaction): The sense of smell allows us to detect and differentiate odours. It's closely linked to taste and memory, significantly influencing the perception of flavours and emotional memories. The IoT advances include sensors capable of detecting chemical compositions or specific gases that mimic the human senses of smell. Touch (Tactile Sense): Touch is the ability to perceive pressure, temperature, and pain. It's essential for physical interaction with the environment and connection with humans, animals, things, and other machines. Sensors that detect pressure, temperature, or vibration allow IoT devices to "feel" physical interactions in immersive environments. This sense is crucial for wearables, IoT devices, and robotics in real and immersive environments, e.g., in human-human collaboration or human-robot-interaction. Tactile IoT is formed by networks that combine ultra-low latency with extremely high availability, reliability, and security, enabling the delivery of physical sensations or tactile experiences remotely in real and immersive environments in real-time through advanced haptic technologies and high-speed networks. Balance and Spatial Orientation (Vestibular Sense): Vestibular sense helps maintain balance and spatial orientation. It's governed by the detection of position in relation to gravity and movement. The sense of sight is crucial in connecting perception to physical reality, whereas hearing offers additional proof of what's real. When further verification is needed beyond sight and sound, one naturally seeks to touch the object for closer examination. Touch provides the definitive perceptual experience to affirm reality, and this sense of immersion can be enhanced through advanced media and sensory technology. The Figure 4-3 illustrates the extension of the use of senses and the models developed to provide information and improve the immersive experience with more multi-sensory communication and intelligence. Figure 4-3 Edge immersive multi-sensory communications for providing information and intelligence.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 35 Humans have additional senses, including proprioception (the sense of body position and movement), thermoception (the sense of temperature), and nociception (the sense of pain). IoTS in immersive applications need to ensure interoperability, reliability, and security in IoT applications reflecting the advancements and integrations of sensory capabilities within the immersive IoT edge ecosystem, enabling users to experience and manipulate objects in a virtual or remote environment as if they were directly interacting with them. Haptic technology is part of the evolution of the IoTS, integrating immersive technologies with devices and algorithms capable of generating touch sensations, including force feedback and texture simulation, allowing users to feel the shape, texture, stiffness, and other properties of virtual objects. The use of haptic technology for touch-based social interactions is called social touch technology (STT). It addresses circumstances where human communication partners engage in social touch mediated through technology and situations where humans interact with artificial social agents (virtual) that can respond to applying social touches. For advanced immersive applications, haptics to multi-sensory communications is complemented by mixing haptics sensing and actuation with other modalities, such as vision and sound, in a VR/AR context [19]. Table 4-1 Actuation and modalities within a multi-sensory communication for mediated social touch [19]. Meaning Type of touch Body Location Modalities Actuation Affection Abstract, Contact, Hug, Squeeze, Stroke, Kiss, Press, Tickle Hand, Abdomen, Leg, Arm, Chest, Torso, Back, Side, Lips Touch, Vision, Audition Vibrotactile, Temperature, Force Greeting Handshake Hand Touch, Vision, Audition Temperature, Force Inclusion Holding Hands Hand Touch Temperature, Force Playful Aggression Arm Wrestling Hand Touch Force Symbolic Abstract, Poke Hand, Cheek, Finger, Arm Touch, Vision, Audition Vibrotactile, Force The Table 4-1 shows the types of actuation and modalities communicated to reflect different types of social touch and meanings. 3.3 Internet of Things Digital Twins Evolving to Immersive Triplets The expansion of immersive technologies transforms DTs into immersive triplets, defined as the dynamic spatial, digital, and virtual representations of a physical object or system, spanning their lifecycle, and updating from real-time conditions and spatial data. They use immersive environments, simulation, ML, and reasoning to assist decision-making and create real-time avatars for immersive applications. The convergence of IIoT, AI, ML, DTs, and IMTs combined with XR are the backbone for the development of the industrial metaverse by increasing the intelligent capabilities of the elements in the immersive industrial spaces and changing how digital models and physical products interact using SDA in the future industrial processes and Industry 5.0. Immersive triplets integrate IoT, edge and spatial computing, AI, ML, and software analytics with spatial network graphs to create living immersive simulation models that update, change, and move in space as their physical counterparts change. The key components of the immersive triplets include real-time data integration to accurately replicate IoT edge devices in a virtual 3D space. This data includes operational data, environmental conditions, physical parameters, spatial coordinates, and other relevant information. As part of the immersive environments and various verses, the immersive triplets apply complex simulations and models that can predict future states, conduct analyses, and optimize systems through simulations before physical changes are made.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 36 They cover the entire lifecycle of their physical counterparts, from design and development through operation to decommissioning, providing valuable insights at each stage. Effective immersive triplets can integrate with other immersive systems and platforms, ensuring data flows seamlessly between different application areas. IMTs advance immersive technologies by providing a detailed, real-time digital, virtual, and spatial replica of physical objects, processes, systems, or environments. These virtual spatial models are not static; they are updated from real-time data, enabling them to accurately simulate the current state of their physical counterparts. Integrating IMTs with immersive technologies like VR, AR, and MR drives innovation across various sectors. By incorporating real-time data into immersive environments, IMTs make VR and AR experiences more realistic and interactive. Users can explore and interact with virtual replicas that reflect the status of the physical world, including dynamic changes and real-time feedback. IMTs in immersive environments enable remote teams to collaborate more effectively by interacting with the same virtual model from different locations and spatial contexts. In an industrial context, NFTs can represent physical assets (e.g., IoT devices, machines), digital assets (SW, data), or intellectual property. The blockchain's immutable ledger ensures that each asset's history, from creation through various ownerships or changes, is permanently recorded and easily verifiable. NFTs are used to create and manage IMTs and DTs of physical assets, including monitoring, simulation, and control. IoT devices and their immersive triplets and digital twins can track and record real-time asset use, condition, and location data. When paired with NFTs, this data becomes part of the asset's unique digital footprint on the blockchain, enhancing traceability and security. By processing data at the edge, closer to where it's generated, companies can quickly update an NFT's status to reflect real-time changes, which is crucial for dynamic and high-value asset management. Edge AI algorithms can analyse data from immersive triplets and DTs to optimise performance, predict maintenance needs, and enhance operational efficiency. NFTs ensure that the data and models are uniquely linked to specific assets, adding a layer of security and authenticity. Integrating NFTs with IoT, edge computing, AI, and blockchain technologies with immersive triplets and DTs holds significant potential for transforming industrial operations, supply chains, and digital asset management. This convergence enhances operational efficiency and transparency and opens new avenues for asset utilisation and value creation in industrial immersive technologies. The synergy between immersive triplets and immersive technologies creates opportunities for more interactive, accurate, and efficient applications across various sectors. By bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds through 3D spatial representation and real-time stamp, this integration enhances the realism and applicability of immersive experiences and unlocks new potentials for innovation, collaboration, and learning. 3.4 Virtual Replicas with Active Force Feedback Integrating active force feedback mechanisms can enrich systems such as immersive triplets that feature virtual replicas of physical spaces. This can significantly enhance the human interaction with these virtual replicas. This allows individuals to not just experience, but also actively manipulate a virtual replica of a physical space.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 37 Users can express actions in detail, including manipulating the position and orientation of an object and applying precise amounts of pressure to specific points on objects. These virtual interactions can be used to convey ideas, or directly transmitted to robotic devices on-site that execution of changes in the physical environment. This streamlines the communication of complex ideas and instructions through intuitive action. 3.4 Edge Computing Edge computing moves service provisioning closer to producers and users of such services. It can provide reduced latency, mobility support, and facilitate data analytics to be done close to the data source and creates the possibility for reduced energy consumption. The convergence of the IoT and edge computing with immersive technologies, such as VR, AR, and MR, is creating a transformative synergy that significantly advances the capabilities and applications of each technology. This integration brings a new era of immersive experiences more interactive, responsive, and integrated with the real world. The synergies created by IoT, edge computing, AI, and immersive technologies enhanced realtime interactivity and provided low latency by processing data closer to the source. This allows users to experience real-time interaction with virtual environments with minimal delay, making experiences like VR and AR-guided applications more seamless and effective. With IoT devices generating vast amounts of data, edge computing enables real-time data analytics. This lets immersive applications dynamically adjust content based on immediate user interactions and environmental conditions, enhancing personalisation and responsiveness. IoT devices and edge computing platforms can provide real-time information about the physical environment, which can be integrated into AR and VR applications to create more contextually aware immersive experiences and improve contextual and spatial awareness. Spatial computing, IoT, and immersive technologies combine to enable advanced spatial computing capabilities, where the physical and digital spaces are more tightly integrated. Users can interact with digital objects that are aware of and responsive to their environment's physical layout and objects, enabling more natural and intuitive interactions. IoT devices and edge computing can gather data on user preferences, health metrics, and environmental conditions. This allows immersive applications to tailor experiences in real-time to the individual's needs and context, improving accessibility, personalisation, and user satisfaction. Wearable IoT devices, edge computing processing, and AI can enhance immersive experiences through biometric data, enabling applications to adjust based on the user's physical responses. This can lead to more engaging and personalised content. Edge processing reduces the need for constant high-bandwidth connectivity to the cloud, making it more feasible to deploy immersive technologies in bandwidth-constrained environments that increase the scalability and efficiency of the technology. Edge computing can reduce the energy consumption of data processing for IoT devices, extending the battery life of wearable and portable immersive technology devices. AI can boost IoT and edge computing by offering more intelligent data analysis tools and facilitating real-time autonomous decision-making.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 38 It also foresees maintenance requirements in industrial contexts or tailors' user interactions in virtual settings according to behaviour and preferences. AI's role in comprehending and handling the complexity of interactions within multiverse environments, where several virtual worlds coexist, is essential. The synergies between IoT, edge computing, and immersive technologies drive significant advances across various sectors by enhancing interactivity, contextual awareness, user experience, and scalability. This integration is paving the way for innovative applications that were previously challenging or impossible to achieve, predicting a new era of digital interaction that muddies the lines between the physical and virtual worlds. 3.5 Spatial Computing Spatial computing is a foundational technology that enables immersive technologies and bridges the digital and physical worlds. It integrates the understanding and management of physical space into computing, allowing digital objects to exist and interact in three dimensions in a way that mirrors real-life experiences. This capability is central to the development and effectiveness of immersive technologies such as VR, AR, and MR. Here is how spatial computing plays a pivotal role: Spatial computing enables realistic interactions that allow accurate mapping and understanding of real-world environments and translate that information into digital contexts. This enables immersive technologies to place virtual objects in real spaces so that they appear and behave as if they are truly part of that space. Spatial computing is used in AR to overlay digital content onto the physical world seamlessly, making it possible for users to interact with virtual objects using their real physical movements. Spatial computing makes virtual environments more believable and immersive by understanding the spatial relationships between objects and accurately interpreting user movements and interactions. In VR, this means creating a digital space that users can navigate and interact with naturally and intuitively, significantly enhancing the feeling of presence within a virtual environment. In MR applications, spatial computing is essential for blending real and virtual worlds to enable devices to recognise and react to physical spaces and objects, allowing for the integration of digital content into the physical world at a level of complexity and interactivity previously unattainable. This includes recognising surfaces and boundaries, spatial audio, and interactions that consider the physics of the user’s environment. The role of spatial computing is to allow for a digital access to the real physical world by transforming real objects and assets into situated, digitalized, semantically functional and dynamic digital entities. To accomplish this goal, spatial computing is not limited to geometry reconstruction of the surroundings, but also usually implements a semantic understanding of the scene, using object recognition, segmentation, identification, and state estimation. The result is a complete digital capture of the extent, space, spatial location, functionality, dynamic state of any spatial entity. Spatial computing enables natural user interfaces (NUIs) that allow users to interact with digital environments instinctively, using gestures, speech, and movement. This removes the need for traditional input devices like keyboard and mouse, making the technology more accessible and engaging for a broader range of users. With spatial computing, designers and developers can create experiences that leverage the three-dimensional space, leading to innovative interaction and engagement.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 39 This includes spatially aware applications and services for education, training, entertainment, and more, offering users novel ways to learn, explore, and connect with content. Spatial computing technologies, combined with multiple sensors, IoT, edge computing, AI, machine vision, and processing algorithms, allow for precise tracking of user movements and the accurate positioning of virtual objects in real spaces and verses. This precision is vital for applications that require exact interactions and real-time spatial interactions, such as mobile autonomous IoT systems. The developments and adoption of spatial computing on the web accelerate as web standards evolve and internet speeds increase. The trends are affected by the advancements in industrialedge immersive technologies that further blur the lines between physical and digital spaces, leading to more innovative applications and changing how we interact with the web and the physical world. Web 4.0 is envisioned as a more intelligent, autonomous, and decentralised Internet iteration, relying on AI, enhanced data processing, and 3D immersive technologies. Spatial computing extends this vision by adding a layer of spatial intelligence to the Internet, enabling interfaces and experiences that are more intuitive and integrated with the user's physical environment. Integrating spatial computing with IoT means this data can be utilised to create highly contextual and interactive maps of environments. IoT devices can interact with spatial computing systems to create environments that understand and respond to human and machine presence and activities. Edge IoT involves the deployment of numerous sensors and devices that collect data from their environment. Integrating spatial computing with edge IoT and immersive technologies means this data can be utilised to create highly contextual and interactive maps of environments. Edge computing processes data at or near the source of data generation, which is crucial for spatial computing applications that require low latency, such as autonomous vehicles or interactive immersive applications. It also allows for instantaneous reactions and adjustments in dynamic environments, which is essential for applications like autonomous driving or robotic surgery. Edge AI and machine learning can analyse and learn from the spatial data collected, enhancing the capabilities of spatial computing applications. Based on the flow of people or goods, they can predict patterns and suggest optimisations for spatial layouts in industries like retail or manufacturing. They can also improve gesture and voice recognition systems that interact with spatial computing environments, making them more intuitive and responsive. Immersive technologies are natural extensions of spatial computing, providing users with immersive experiences that blend real and virtual worlds and enhance the realism of virtual environments by accurately replicating the physics and geometry of real-world spaces and enabling a shared virtual workspace where physical boundaries are no longer a limitation, allowing real-time collaboration and interaction. Integrating spatial computing with Web 4.0, IoT, edge computing, AI, and immersive technologies could lead to a more intuitive, efficient, and interactive digital future. This convergence promises to reshape how we interact with digital systems and the physical world, making our interactions more synchronised and context-aware. Spatial computing provides the technical underpinning for immersive technologies to flourish, and for AR, VR, MR to be integrated in an XR unified approach offering tools and frameworks that bring digital and physical realms closer together. As spatial computing evolves, it will continue to expand the capabilities and applications of immersive technologies, making them more integrated into daily lives and work.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 46 The total fibre optical spectrum available is more than 1000 THz, and core networks that will provide connectivity capacity for immersive applications rely almost entirely on fibres. The Figure 4-5 shows the evolution of high-capacity optical transport fibre networks and the leading technologies that have impacted the evolution. The limits of optical fibre technology are comparable to Moore’s Law, which shows the exponential growth in the number of devices in semiconductor circuits and of similar log gradients growing by a factor of 1.4 per year [60]. Mesh networking involves a network topology where nodes connect directly, dynamically, and non-hierarchically to as many other nodes as possible and cooperate to efficiently route data to and from users in real and virtual environments. This self-healing, flexible networking approach ensures high reliability and scalability. Immersive intelligent mesh connectivity enhances immersive experiences by facilitating high-bandwidth, low-latency connections essential for VR, AR, and MR applications. It ensures users relish seamless, realistic, immersive experiences without interruptions or delays. Technologies convergence leverages AI for optimisation and personalisation to manage network resources dynamically, adapting to user behaviour and environmental changes to optimise performance and enhance user experiences in real and immersive environments. This includes AI-driven content delivery, network security, and user interface adaptation. The immersive technologies employ the mesh network infrastructure to provide robust, extensive coverage to ensure users can access immersive, intelligent services anytime, anywhere, to any device by creating flexible, efficient workspaces that rely on a mix of real and virtual interactions. The integration of these technologies could provide the next-generation digital infrastructure, offering unprecedented levels of integration, interaction, and immersion in digital environments. Figure 4-6 Sensory communications throughput and latency requirements. Source: [43].
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 47 The advancement, development, and roll-out of intelligent connectivity technologies and networks are critical as immersive technologies require ubiquitous communication and real-time interaction. The throughput and latency requirements for different components of the immersive technologies landscape are illustrated in Figure 4-6, which clearly show that VR requires significantly higher throughput and lower latency than video applications. As a result, the degree to which immersive technologies can achieve full immersion and broad accessibility hinges on deploying and adopting connectivity options like optical fibre, 5G, Wi-Fi 7, and forthcoming technologies such as 6G. Immersive experiences require stringent low latency and high bandwidth performance to deliver immersive environments and real-time behaviour. The capabilities of new Wi-Fi protocols enable the full potential of immersive applications, supporting responsive, engaging AR, VR, MR, XR and verses experiences by providing multi-gigabit speeds for instantaneous data exchange, power efficiency to deliver rapid, efficient data transfers and bounded latency and high reliability for lag-free experiences in congested environments. Wi-Fi serves as one of the foundations of connectivity for new and emerging immersive applications. The 6 GHz spectrum of Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 ensures that edge devices delivering immersive experiences meet the high standards for QoS and QoE performance, interoperability, and security. Wireless and cellular 5G/6G and beyond technologies are the ones offering the highbandwidth, low-latency communication necessary to support seamless interactions between physical, digital, and virtual spaces. To further boost XR performance, 5GAdvanced (starting with 3GPP Rel-18 - Table I-1) introduces several heterogeneous enhancements and activities handled within various 3GPP Service and Systems Aspects (SA) and Radio Access Networks (RAN) group, including both XR-specific enablers and service-agnostic enhancements. An overview of these innovations is illustrated in Figure 4-7. Figure 4-7 Improving support for the XR in 5G-Advanced. Source: Adapted from [34]. The 3C connected collaborative computing merges the IoT, network technologies, edge computing, AI infrastructure and platforms and integrate them into different applications across industrial sectors.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 48 The 3C ecosystem, which spans semiconductors, IoT, platforms, AI, computational capacity at edge and cloud environments, communication technologies, connectivity infrastructure, data management, and applications are essential for large-scale pilots that set up end-to-end integrated infrastructures and platforms and bring together players from different segments of the connectivity value chain and beyond to demonstrate the convergence of technologies in different industrial sectors. Some applications will need data from IoT located in areas not covered by wireless or mobile/cellular networks, and 6G will integrate satellite connectivity to address these specific cases. With such integration, the ATAWAD (AnyTime, AnyWhere AnyDevice/Anything) value proposition will be reached, and immersive applications will take advantage of that evolution. 3.8 Integration of Sensing and Communications Integrating advanced IoT sensory technologies and intelligent mesh connectivity is essential for converging edge immersive technologies. Edge AI and immersive intelligent mesh connectivity allow for the classification, detection, localisation, and estimation of an object's attributes and other functions. The IoT is expected to combine sensing and communication technologies into a fully integrated system. Systems incorporating joint communication and sensing (JCAS) functionalities represent a significant innovation for 6G that will facilitate numerous emerging immersive technologies and applications and enable the concept of a perceptive network. The communication component of an JCAS system would mean connecting the digital, physical, and human worlds in real-time with all extreme requirements coming from the immersive technology value chain (Figure 4-1). The sensing component, on the other hand, will provide us with the capability to sense the world and to provide context information to create the digital map of the environment, which is a prerequisite for creating the DTs and seamless integration of the physical, digital, virtual, and cyber worlds. With JCAS in 6G and beyond, we will have the capability to not only localise objects that are part of the network but also to sense and integrate objects that are not connected to the network. For real-time immersive applications, integrating a human model with a DT representation of the physical world entails exchanging multimodal data, such as haptics, position, velocity, and interactions, as well as the senses in the IoT context, including human gestures, head movements and posture, eye contact, facial expressions, emotions, etc. [44]. The JCAS integration is envisioned in different ways, from loosely coupled to fully integrated, shared spectrum, shared HW, to shared signal processing module and network protocol stacks, and even using the same waveform for both communications and sensing. Sensing functionality can be introduced as a service with a low incremental cost as it leverages equipment and spectrum deployed for communication purposes. JCAS can extend the capability of cellular networks by adding see-and-feel functionalities. The edge devices can sense their surroundings and exchange their sensing results through communication links. From a network perspective, the widely deployed base stations for legacy cellular service could be re-used for wide-area seamless RF sensing. Incorporating AI, communications, positioning, and sensing capabilities, the cellular network could intelligently fuse the physical world with the digital world and provide various new services for consumers and industry customers [1]. Systems with JCAS functionalities are still in their early stages, and during the next few years, a substantial amount of additional research will be needed. They will also share resources in the time, frequency, and space domains and essential components, including HW, waveforms, and signal processing. This implies that the signals of the cellular system will be used to significantly increase the sensing capabilities in addition to the communication network transporting sensor data.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 49 Integrating communication and sensing can add ambient IoT to budget-friendly and powerefficient edge devices that facilitate the connection of numerous objects and items to networks, allowing for many applications. The driving forces behind ambient IoT are energy harvesting, storage, and backscattering techniques. Energy harvesting and storage can include diverse energy sources, including RF signals, light, vibrations, and thermal energy. Different energy sources have varying levels of availability and energy density. The backscattering technique can involve a few other factors. Backscattering, combined with active signal generation (e.g., power amplifiers), minimises power consumption in Ambient IoT devices. In backscattering, the transmitted signal reflects continuous waves from a reader, modulated with information for communication. Ambient IoT's reliance on energy harvesting and backscattering holds the potential to advance low-cost, maintenance-free, and environmentally sustainable IoT solutions. The combined functionality of communication and sensing also facilitates emerging secure proximity services. Such technology ensures the secure and private exchange of data between devices in close physical proximity, enabling applications like mobile payment, intelligent access control, communication to everything and IIoT. The sensing feature acts as the authentication mechanisms to safeguard the communication and prevent unauthorized access or data breaches. JCAS also allows secure communication links by localising potential eavesdroppers, preventing the decoding of malicious data, and activating focussed counterattack measures based on encryption and authentication protocols in combination with dynamic beamforming or special filtering. The ambient IoT edge devices can be used as part of the immersive spaces to provide real-time information about the environmental conditions in the physical world.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 50 5. Immersive Physical-Digital-Virtual Spatial Computing Continuum The immersive physical, digital, virtual, and spatial computing continuum refers to the seamless integration and interaction across physical, digital, and virtual environments facilitated by advanced computing covering edge, swarm, spatial, fog and cloud technologies. This continuum is built on the foundation of processing data and providing capabilities to enable computers to understand and manipulate spatial data representing the physical world and its dynamics in digital, virtual and 3D spatial forms. The key elements of this continuum include the physical, digital, virtual and 3D spatial spaces. The physical space is defined by the tangible, real-world environment, which includes everything from the physical layout of a room to the natural environment outside. Spatial computing technologies in this domain often involve sensing and affect physical space, such as robotics and IoTS devices. The digital space is defined by the digital representation of information, including the physical world's digital twins and purely digital data and processes. This space is where data from the physical world is collected, processed, and analysed to create actionable insights or simulations. The virtual space encompasses fully digital environments that can be experienced with high degree of immersion through technologies like VR, AR, and MR. These spaces are not bound by the physical laws of the real world, allowing for experiences considerably different from real-life interactions. The continuum emphasises the fluid movement and interaction between these spaces, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding how digital information and virtual experiences are increasingly integrated into our physical world. Spatial computing supports 3D space and refers to the computational techniques and technologies that enable the above interactions, including computer vision, sensor fusion, and spatial reasoning, allowing computers to perceive and interact with the 3D world. The immersive physical, digital, virtual, and spatial computing continuum represents an emerging vision where the boundaries between these spaces become increasingly blurred, enabling more natural and intuitive interactions with and through technology. This continuum is about the technologies and creating experiences that enhance human and machine capabilities, improve efficiency, and enable new forms of creativity and expression in immersive applications. The convergence and synergies between immersive technologies (VR, AR, and MR) and holographic technologies represent a significant evolution in how we interact with digital information and the physical world. This convergence creates new possibilities for interaction, visualisation, and communication, blending the physical and digital realms. Integrating holographic displays with VR and AR technologies can enhance the sense of immersion and realism. Holograms can be projected into the physical space, allowing users to view and interact with 3D images without needing headsets or specific viewing angles. This integration can make virtual meetings, telepresence, and remote collaboration more lifelike and engaging. By combining holographic technology with spatial computing and gesture recognition, users can interact with holograms directly without wearables. This synergy allows for creating interfaces and applications where information can be manipulated with hands or body movements, eliminating the need for controllers or wearable devices.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 51 Alternatively, using controllers or wearables that can provide additional forms of feedback, such as vibrotactile, resistive, and active force feedback, allows the user to have a richer experience of the digital environment or virtual replica. These additions could enable humans to express actions in greater detail, including the amount of applied pressure required to handle tasks that require great precision and subtlety. These additions can also be used in applications where vision alone does not provide sufficient information, for example, due to an obstructed view. Edge immersive technologies require participants to use their devices (like VR headsets) to experience digital content. The integration with holographic technology enables multiple users to view and interact with the same digital content simultaneously in a shared physical space, fostering collaboration and making shared experiences more natural and accessible. Current AR technology overlays digital content onto the real world through screens or AR glasses, which can sometimes lack depth and spatial accuracy. Holographic technology can provide better depth cues and spatial positioning, making digital content appear as though it is genuinely part of the physical world. The convergence of immersive and holographic technologies has several challenges, including hardware limitations, cost, and the need to develop holographic display technologies further. As these technologies advance, they promise to create more natural, intuitive, and accessible ways to interact with digital content, leading to innovations that could reshape edge immersive applications where digital and physical realities are seamlessly blended, offering enriched, interactive, and accessible experiences.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 52 6. Industrial Immersive Systems of Systems Integration Integrating industrial immersive systems with IoT, edge computing, AI, and industrial immersive technologies, such as VR, AR, MR and verses (e.g., metaverse, omniverse, multiverse) and Web 4.0 technologies presents a transformative opportunity for industries, enabling more efficient operations, enhanced decision-making, and immersive, interactive experiences. The integration of these advanced technologies into cohesive systems of systems (SoS) faces several significant challenges: Interoperability and Standardisation Challenge: Different devices and systems often use proprietary protocols and data formats, making seamless communication and data exchange difficult. This lack of interoperability can hinder the integration process and limit the potential benefits of a fully connected ecosystem. Impact: Without standardisation, industries may face increased costs and complexity in integrating disparate systems, potentially leading to siloed information, and reduced operational efficiency. Scalability and Flexibility Challenge: As the number of connected devices grows, the system must scale without significant performance losses. Additionally, the system needs the flexibility to integrate new technologies and adapt to changing operational requirements. Impact: Failure to address scalability and flexibility can result in inefficiencies or costly upgrades. Trust, Data Privacy and Security Challenge: Integrating IoT, edge computing, and AI increases the amount of data collected, processed, and stored, raising significant data privacy and security concerns. Protecting this data against unauthorised access and ensuring compliance with regulations such as GDPR becomes more complex in a highly interconnected environment. Impact: Breaches or non-compliance can result in significant financial penalties, loss of customer trust, and damage to the company's reputation. Real-time Data Processing and Decision Making Challenge: Industrial immersive systems often require real-time or near-real-time data processing and decision-making capabilities. Achieving this level of performance, especially in complex environments with high data volumes, is challenging. Impact: Delays in data processing or decision-making can lead to missed opportunities for optimisation, reduced operational efficiency, and potentially unsafe conditions in critical industrial processes. IoT, Edge Computing and AI Infrastructure Challenge: Implementing edge computing infrastructure requires significant investment in HW, SW, and interoperable platforms. Additionally, managing and maintaining this infrastructure, especially across distributed locations, can be complex and resource-intensive. Impact: With adequate investment and management, the benefits of edge computing, such as reduced latency and improved data privacy, may be fully realised, impacting the overall effectiveness of the integrated system.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 53 AI Model Accuracy and Trustworthiness Challenge: Developing robust and bias-free AI models is difficult, especially when dealing with complex, real-world data. Ensuring these models can operate effectively ethically, and safely (without causing any harms to human) in an industrial context is a significant challenge. Impact: Inaccurate or biased AI models can lead to incorrect decisions, inefficiencies, and potential harm, undermining trust in the system and limiting its effectiveness. User Acceptance, Adoption and Training Challenge: The success of integrated systems also depends on user acceptance and the availability of training. Users need to trust the technology and understand how to interact effectively. Impact: User resistance or a lack of proper training can hinder the adoption and effective use of integrated systems, reducing their potential benefits. The integration of IoT, edge computing, and AI into industrial immersive systems of systems presents a promising future for industries. Overcoming challenges related to interoperability, scalability, privacy, real-time processing, infrastructure, AI accuracy, and user acceptance is crucial for realising the full potential of these technologies. Addressing these challenges requires a collaborative effort among technology providers, industry stakeholders, and regulatory bodies to develop standards, best practices, and innovative solutions that pave the way for successful integration and adoption.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 54 7. Industrial Immersive Trustworthiness Creating a trustworthy framework for IoT, edge computing, AI, and industrial immersive technologies, such as VR, AR, MR and verses (e.g., metaverse, omniverse, multiverse), requires a comprehensive approach integrating system engineering dependability principles. Dependability in this context encompasses attributes such as availability, reliability, safety, integrity, and maintainability, which are critical for industrial applications where errors or downtimes can lead to significant risks or losses. These principles can be applied to build a trustworthy framework for industrial immersive technologies by considering system properties implemented for specific immersive technologies and applications. Availability requires implementing industrial immersive redundant solutions with redundant HW and SW systems to ensure that if one component fails, another can take over without disrupting the immersive experience. This is crucial in industrial settings where downtime can be costly. This implies a robust network infrastructure that ensures a robust, reliable, intelligent connectivity that can support immersive applications seamless and continuous operation, including provisions for network failures. Reliability requires fault tolerance to be embedded in the immersive system design, allowing the system to continue operation even in the presence of faults. This includes error detection and correction mechanisms that can identify and mitigate issues without interrupting the user experience. This implies the use of mechanisms for a structured automated upgradability and updatability approach, allowing regular SW/firmware/algorithms updates and patches to address vulnerabilities and bugs and improve system performance, ensuring the reliability of the immersive technology, but also a substantial improvement of the current sensing technologies being more accurate, reliable, cost worthy in error detection. Safety requires continuous risk assessment and mitigation to identify potential safety hazards when using immersive technologies in industrial environments. To address these risks, it is critical to develop and implement mitigation strategies and provide comprehensive user training and clear guidelines on the safe use of immersive technologies, including measures to prevent physical and psychological harm. Security and data integrity require data encryption and security protocols to protect sensitive information transmitted or stored by immersive systems, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality. Authentication and access control mechanisms are vital in industrial-edge immersive technologies to prevent unauthorised access to immersive systems, ensuring that only authorised personnel can use or modify the system. Maintainability requires using modular design approaches that allow for easy replacement or upgrading of components without affecting the overall system operation. This facilitates quicker repairs and updates, enhancing system maintainability. As immersive technologies operate online and interact with each other remotely and via the Internet, remote diagnostics and support capabilities are mandatory to enable timely identification and resolution of issues, minimising the need for on-site maintenance and reducing downtime. Usability is based on the user-centred design principle to ensure that immersive technologies' design focuses on user needs and ergonomics, making systems intuitive and straightforward to use, which is essential for adoption and effectiveness in industrial settings. This approach requires the implementation of feedback mechanisms or collecting user feedback on the system's performance and usability, allowing for continuous improvement based on real-world use. Ethical considerations related to privacy protection must be enforced by implementing measures to protect personal and sensitive data collected or used by immersive technologies.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 55 This has to be combined with practices that include transparency and accountability about immersive technologies' capabilities, limitations, and use of data, ensuring accountability for their performance and impact. Creating a trustworthy framework for industrial immersive technologies involves a holistic approach that integrates system engineering dependability principles with considerations for usability, including explainability and interpretability mechanisms for AI-based models, ethical issues, and the specific needs of industrial environments. By addressing these aspects, organisations can develop and deploy immersive technologies that are effective, engaging, reliable, safe, and trustworthy.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 62 High-quality, robust, reliable, and affordable immersive technologies: Development of integrated and miniaturised semiconductors, IoT devices, edge processing, and AI/ML technologies for implementing intelligent IIoT immersive technologies. Integration of immersive technology: Development of system-of-systems concepts, approaches, and frameworks for integrating edge IoT industrial immersive technologies and the spatial computing continuum with existing systems in various industries. Development of web-based 3D immersive solutions to enhance digital experiences on web-based platforms that eliminate the need for app downloads, providing immediate and universal access on various devices. Interoperability and Standardisation: With a vast array of edge IoT immersive devices, platforms, and technologies, ensuring interoperability among different systems is a significant challenge. Standardisation efforts are crucial to enable seamless communication and integration across devices and platforms. Especially the interlock and synergy between the several SDOs involved in the immersive technology domain calls for a joint world-wide effort in delivering aligned and non-controversial technical specifications mandated by the different Work Groups. Data Privacy and Security: While edge computing can enhance data privacy, the increased distribution of data processing points expands the attack surface for potential breaches. Ensuring robust security measures that can operate effectively in decentralised environments is essential. Scalability: As the number of connected edge IoT immersive devices and the volume of data they generate grow, developing scalable solutions that can handle this increase efficiently without compromising performance is a significant challenge. Complexity in Deployment and Management: The convergence of these technologies increases the complexity of deploying and managing fully immersive systems. New skill sets and knowledge are needed to implement and maintain these integrated systems effectively. Ethical and Societal Implications: The widespread adoption of immersive technologies raises ethical questions concerning privacy, surveillance, and the potential displacement of jobs due to automation and AI/ML introduction. This is also a concern as the more sophisticated the HMDs get the more biodata they will collect, even reaching the point of private medical data. Addressing these concerns requires careful consideration and the development of ethical guidelines and policies. European regulations play a pivotal role in this regard and must follow close the advancement of the technology in the field of immersive technologies. Interdisciplinary Integration: The development of immersive technologies requires engagement in interdisciplinary activities that demand comparing disciplines, understanding disciplines, and thinking between disciplines to stimulate the co-creation of solution-oriented transferable knowledge. The immersive technology design focuses on integrated research through multidisciplinary group work of experts and non-experts interconnected into a transdisciplinary framework, as the immersive concept is a multidimensional complex of disciplinary interrelations that require learning to think at the interfaces between disciplines. Collaboration Across the Technology Spectrum: IoT, connectivity, computing, and AI are converging, and stakeholders in different segments of the value chain need to work together, including chip manufacturers, supply chain providers, IoT and electronic communications network equipment providers, AI solutions developers, edge, cloud service providers, and immersive applications providers.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 63 10. Conclusions The convergence of IoT, edge computing, AI, and industrial immersive technologies holds great promise for transforming industries and enhancing human capabilities. However, realising this potential requires overcoming significant challenges, including interoperability, privacy, energy consumption, security, legal and ethical considerations. Success in this endeavour depends on collaborative efforts among research communities, technologists, industry leaders, standardisation bodies, policymakers, and the broader society to develop innovative solutions and frameworks that can effectively address these challenges while maximising the benefits of these converging immersive technologies. Concentrated and aligned efforts in technological development, orchestration, standardisation, interoperability, and research at the European level are needed to overcome the challenges and use the opportunities that arise from the convergence of IoT, edge computing, AI, and industrial immersive technologies. The convergence and fusion of technologies such as IoT, AI, intelligent connectivity with DTs, immersive triplets, and cloud data exchange facilitate the development and deployment of VR, AR, MR, XR, and various verses (metaverse, omniverse, multiverse), inherently require a highly interdisciplinary approach. The multidisciplinary nature of these technologies involves multiple fields, such as computer science, electrical engineering, data science, user experience design, cognitive science, and more. The systems-of-systems integration of these technologies signifies a technological shift, as well as a cultural and economic one, potentially altering how we perceive and interact with the digital and physical worlds. This convergence promises a more integrated, immersive, and interactive future. Technological Synergy: The convergence of IoT, AI, intelligent connectivity, and immersive technologies such as VR, AR, MR, and XR at the edge, combined with DTs and immersive triplets, creates a powerful platform for innovation in industrial applications. This synergy facilitates advanced simulations, real-time operations, and enhanced user interactions, driving forward the concept of the industrial verses. European Industrial Leadership: European leadership in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, energy, and health provides a solid foundation for the adoption and integration of these converging technologies. This existing industrial base can pioneer the development of systems-of-systems integration crucial for realizing industrial verses. Maturity of the Industrial Metaverse: The industrial metaverse is currently more advanced than its consumer counterparts, primarily due to the higher readiness and immediate applicability of DTs and AI in industrial settings. This maturity offers a strategic advantage in deploying these technologies more rapidly and effectively. Generative and Contextual Technologies: The role of next-generation IoT and generative AI in creating context-aware, dynamically adaptive industrial environments is significant. These technologies allow for more sophisticated and tailored immersive experiences, enhancing operational efficiency and decision-making processes. Invest in Research and Development: Encourage and fund research and innovation projects integrating AI, IoT, DTs, immersive triplets, intelligent connectivity, and immersive technologies. This investment should solve specific industrial challenges and push the boundaries of what's currently possible in immersive assets accuracy and real-time data analytics.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 64 Allocate significant resources towards research and development to continuously advance the capabilities of edge IoT and immersive technologies. This should include the exploration of new materials, sensors, algorithms, and user interfaces. Promote Standards and Interoperability: Develop and promote industry-wide standards to ensure interoperability among different technologies and platforms. This will facilitate systemsof-systems integration and allow seamless interactions between various components of the industrial metaverse. Align the activities with the regulations and requirements in the European Data, AI, Cybersecurity and Chips Acts. Implement Pilot Projects and Scalability Tests: Encourage the development of a European framework to address the verification, validation and testing of AI-based immersive technologies. Launch pilot projects within key industrial sectors to test the feasibility and effectiveness of these technologies. Evaluate performance, gather user feedback, and scale successful practices across other sectors and markets. Stimulate Regulatory and Policy Support: Work closely with regulatory bodies to create guidelines that support the deployment of the immersive edge IoT, AI, DTs, IMTs, intelligent connectivity, IoTS, SDA, spatial computing verses and Web 4.0, while ensuring safety and ethical considerations. Promote policies that encourage the adoption of next-generation technologies in industrial settings. Extend Public-Private Partnerships: Establish partnerships between public authorities, research, academic institutions, and industry leaders. These collaborations can accelerate technology transfer, scale innovations, and align strategic interests across sectors. Enhance Skills and Education: Implement training programs and update educational curricula to include skills relevant to emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and immersive technologies. Preparing a workforce adept at navigating and optimising these technologies is crucial. Strengthen Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Foster collaboration and coordination between European partnerships and initiatives to enhance the interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge and to spur innovation in edge IoT and immersive technologies. Establish joint task forces or innovation clusters where these collaborations can thrive. Enhance IoT and Edge Computing, HW, SW, AI Technology Stack and Data Integration: Invest in developing robust HW, AI, data, and data sets that can withstand industrial environments and efficiently support immersive technologies. Parallelly, promote SDA to allow flexible, scalable, and cost-effective solutions. Improve Workflow Integration: Design integration protocols and tools that enable seamless embedding of IoT and immersive technologies into existing industrial workflows to support the integration of systems of-systems for immersive applications. Provide modular solutions that can be customised for different industrial needs to minimise disruption and enhance adoption. Create Interdisciplinary projects: Establish dedicated research and innovation projects focused on the convergence of these technologies. These projects can serve as references for interdisciplinary innovation, bringing together experts from various fields to focus on shared goals and challenges in industrial immersive technologies and applications across industrial sectors and platforms. By creating these projects, collaborative efforts can be streamlined and more effectively directed towards innovative solutions that span multiple industries and disciplines. This will ultimately enhance the development and deployment of integrated technologies in the realm of IoT, AI, and immersive environments.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 65 Secure Data and Protect Privacy by Providing a Trustworthy Framework for Immersive Technologies Development: Implement advanced dependable measures tailored to the immersive edge computing environment to protect sensitive industrial data and provide trustworthy design and operation mechanisms for industrial immersive applications. Adopt trustpreserving technologies, to ensure that data exploitation does not compromise system robustness, reliability, scalability, interoperability, security, safety, and reliability. Establish Collaborative Platforms: Create platforms where professionals from different disciplines can meet, share ideas, and collaborate on projects. This could be through regular interdisciplinary workshops, seminars, and joint research initiatives. Foster Academic and Industry Partnerships: Encourage partnerships between academia and industry to combine theoretical knowledge with practical applications. These partnerships can provide mutual benefits—academics gain insight into real-world challenges, and industry players access cutting-edge research. Secure Digital and Connectivity Infrastructure: As reliance on interconnected technologies grows, robust cybersecurity measures are essential. Develop secure connectivity infrastructure and protocols to protect sensitive industrial data and maintain operational integrity against threats. Upgrade network infrastructure to support high-speed, low-latency communications essential for immersive and edge computing applications including the expansion of 5G/6G networks and advanced Wi-Fi technologies. Support Startups and Innovation: Encourage startups by providing financial, technical, and mentorship support. Startups often drive innovation in cutting-edge immersive technologies, and their agile nature enables rapid adaptation and development of novel solutions. During the next decade European industries can effectively leverage the convergence of edge IoT, AI, and immersive technologies to transform industrial operations, enhancing efficiency, safety, and decision-making capabilities while fostering a competitive edge in the global market. By addressing and adopting these recommendations, European industrial sectors can enhance their global competitiveness and lead in developing and applying sustainable, cutting-edge technologies within the industrial immersive technologies and applications, fostering growth and innovation in a rapidly evolving twin digital and green physical and virtual landscape. This position paper on edge IoT industrial immersive technologies will be followed by a new position paper on edge IoT industrial immersive applications across industrial sectors, which is planned to be released in the autumn of 2024.
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© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 69 Contributors Editors: Ovidiu Vermesan, SINTEF Valerio Frascolla, Intel Reviewer: Damir Filipovic, AIOTI Secretary General Contributors (alphabetic order): Alain Pagani, German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, Germany Albena Mihovska, Research and Development and Innovation Consortium, Bulgaria Björn Debaillie, imec, Belgium Cian O Murchu, Tyndall National Institute, Ireland Daniela Buleandra, SIMAVI, Romania Francesco Chinello, Aarhus University, Denmark François Fischer, FSCOM, France George Suciu, BEIA Consult International SRL, Romania Ignacio Lacalle, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Spain Ilia Pietri, Intracom Telecom Solutions, Greece Jesus Angel Garcia Sanchez, Indra Sistemas Joachim Hillebrand, Virtual Vehicle Research, Austria Konstantinos Koumaditis, Aarhus University, Denmark Martin Serrano, Insight SFI research Centre for Data Analytics, Ireland Matthias Hartmann, imec, Belgium Monica Florea, SIMAVI, Romania Mirko Presser, Aarhus University, Denmark Natalie Samovich, Enercoutim, Portugal Ovidiu Vermesan, SINTEF, Norway Philippe Sayegh, VERSES, The Netherlands Pierre Yves Danet, 48deg79min-Consulting, France Ranga Rao Venkatesha Prasad, Technical University Delf, Netherlands Ronald Maandonks, Signify, The Netherlands Roumen Nikolov, Virtech, Bulgaria Roy Bahr, SINTEF, Norway Sergio Gusmeroli, Politecnico di Milano, Italy Udayanto Dwi Atmojo, Aalto University, Finland Valerio Frascolla, Intel, Germany Vasileios Karagiannis, Austrian Institute of Technology, Austria Veronica Quintuna Rodriguez, Orange, France Vladimir Poulkov, Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 70 Acknowledgements All rights reserved, Alliance for IoT and Edge Computing Innovation (AIOTI). The content of this document is provided ‘as-is’ and for general information purposes only; it does not constitute strategic or any other professional advice. The content or parts thereof may not be complete, accurate or up to date. Notwithstanding anything contained in this document, AIOTI disclaims responsibility (including where AIOTI or any of its officers, members or contractors have been negligent) for any direct or indirect loss, damage, claim, or liability any person, company, organisation or other entity or body may incur as a result, this to the maximum extent permitted by law. This paper was prepared by its author(s) and contributor(s) in their personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this paper are the individual author(s) and contributor(s) own and do not reflect the view of AIOTI or its members. The statements, opinions and data contained in this paper and the presentation of materials therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever by AIOTI or its members. AIOTI hold no responsibility for any breach or damage to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions, or products referred to in this paper.
© AIOTI. All rights reserved. 71 About AIOTI AIOTI is the multi-stakeholder platform for stimulating IoT and Edge Computing Innovation in Europe, bringing together small and large companies, academia, policy makers and end-users and representatives of society in an end-to-end approach. We work with partners in a global context. We strive to leverage, share, and promote best practices in the IoT and Edge Computing ecosystems, be a one-stop point of information on all relevant aspects of IoT Innovation to its members while proactively addressing key issues and roadblocks for economic growth, acceptance, and adoption of IoT and Edge Computing Innovation in society. AIOTI’s contribution goes beyond technology and addresses horizontal elements across application domains, such as matchmaking and stimulating cooperation in IoT and Edge Computing ecosystems, creating joint research roadmaps, driving convergence of standards and interoperability, and defining policies.