Unlocking the Potentials and Constraints of Metaverse Implementation in Manufacturing Firms

Introduction

Metaverse is a virtual world, which will compile virtual reality (VR) with augmented reality (AR), and will stabilize a link between the real world and a parallel virtual world for humans. The metaverse is poised to revolutionize various sectors by enhancing efficiency and reducing risks, especially in scientific experiments. For instance, businesses can leverage the metaverse to streamline tedious and hazardous tasks. A case in point is inventory management, which can be virtually automated, reducing the manual effort (Dwivedi et al., 2022). The metaverse also enables virtual property transactions.

In the realm of education, the metaverse offers immersive learning experiences, which experts argue are more effective than traditional audio-visual learning. This technology allows students to engage in realistic, risk-free learning and experimentation. Unlike the less interactive online education under Web 2.0, metaverse-based learning is highly interactive, facilitated by three-dimensional avatars. It also offers the flexibility of personalized learning schedules (Zhang, 2023).

Beyond business and education, the metaverse has significant implications for healthcare, tourism, and entertainment. It enables virtual travel to far-off places and enhances the realism of games, contributing to mental well-being. Therefore, the metaverse holds immense potential across sectors, promising risk reduction and economic growth.

Metaverse will have significance in both developed and developing countries, if they implement it after overcoming all challenges. It will be a new opportunity for businesses, they can earn more profit by showing their creativity in the virtual world. It will have virtual currency, assets, and the marketplace. Thus, it will be a new opportunity for the stakeholders to have benefits from businesses. Subsequently, manufacturing firms can do their work more smoothly with the help of it. For example: they can give training to their workers virtually and more interactively with the help of avatars. Moreover, multinational companies can run their business more effectively because it will mitigate the limitation of physical distance. Also, service industries like psychology and tourism can give their services more effectively by making the virtual experience more realistic through metaverse (Mourtzis, 2023). Besides, through it a diverse digital culture can be established, which will bring a collaborative new culture. In other words, it will bring more global connectivity through cross-cultural interactions.

While the metaverse offers numerous benefits, it also faces several implementation challenges. First, to create a realistic virtual experience, enhanced sensations are required. However, certain sensations, such as slipperiness, distinct aromas, and daylight, are more authentically experienced in the physical world. Therefore, these sensations need to be more naturally replicated in the metaverse, considering the multiple personas of human beings (Park & Kim, 2024). Nevertheless, the increased demand for high-powered technologies could negatively impact the environment, thereby undermining sustainability efforts.

Second, security and privacy are fundamental aspects of human life, and the potential for stored data and internet history to compromise these elements cannot be overlooked (Park & Kim, 2024). For example, Google Glass, despite being an innovative product, was discontinued due to privacy concerns. Moreover, legal regulations in the virtual world may differ from those in various countries, leading to potential conflicts. Cultural clashes may also arise in the metaverse. Finally, the global promotion and adoption of the metaverse present significant challenges. For instance, Google Glass was primarily used by financially stable individuals in developed countries. Consequently, individuals in developing and underdeveloped countries may require additional effort and training to adapt to this groundbreaking technology.

A collaborative digital environment that spans multiple dimensions, powered by a blend of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR), holds the potential to deeply integrate the automotive and manufacturing sectors into the Metaverse. This industrial Metaverse could materialize through seamless integration of cyber-physical systems, digital twins, 5G-enabled AR, VR, and AI-driven computer vision, as well as low-latency remote control capabilities, among other technologies (Fernández-Caramés & Fraga-Lamas, 2024).