By Jens Hansen, CoFounder & CEO at Supertrends Institute
Omniverse, Multiverse, Metaverse … what is that all about?
What is important is the purpose, not the naming
Are the names Omniverse, Multiverse, and Metaverse just synonyms? … The short answer is no! But in many aspects, each of these words or names represent a similar concept. The concept that we today can create digital representation of almost any universe, no matter how complex, gigantic, or microscopic such a universe may be. What also may be referred to as digital twins. Digital twins representing parts of our physical world.
One reason for the existence of multiple names such as Omniverse, Multiverse, Metaverse and others is that some companies are seeking to the monetize directly on this relatively new power of creating highly complex, operational, digital twins. They are trying to walk in the shoes of giants like Xerox, Google, Kleenex, and others. Today the US company Nvidia is promoting the name and model of Omniverse, and the US company Meta is promoting the name and model of Metaverse. These are both multibillion dollar companies, and I am sure that more will follow with more names for the concept of creating digital twin worlds.
Overall, this is signaling to all of us that the relatively new power of being able to create highly complex, operational digital twins has a huge, global – or should we say universal – potential.
For the reason of simplicity, I will in this brief article continue using the name Omniverse, for any digital twin, model universe. With “Omni” having the meaning “of all things”.
From gaming to optimization of real-life, autonomous vehicles
Virtual worlds or digital twin worlds have until recently primarily been associated with gaming. Today it is proven by multiple corporate applications that digital twins are not only useful but powerful for core business functions such as planning infrastructure like roads and buildings, for designing and testing the distribution of nearfield antenna communication solutions in complex urban areas such as 5G and, they can be used for simulation and testing of autonomous vehicles, driving millions of virtual miles at an ultra-low cost per mile.
For business purposes especially Nvidia’s Omniverse platform is making it easy to create ultra-realistic virtual spaces for real-world purposes and problems. This platform combines the real-time ray-tracing technology of the brand’s latest graphics processing units with an array of open-source tools for collaborating live in photorealistic 3-D worlds. Architects like Foster+Partners are using the omniverse to visualize minute building details earlier in the design process, and BMW has built a digital twin of one of its factories, enabling the company to test more efficient assembly-line possibilities.
… and why does this matter to YOU?
Whether you are a large, global corporation or small to medium sized regional business two factors are essential for you to succeed medium to longer term: 1) your innovative speed, capabilities and results and 2) your overall cost-level of your total business, including your innovation and R&D.
In this respect – for a second – you may think of the omniverse as the internet. Imagine your business today if you had not deeply integrated the use of the internet starting slowly about 20 years ago. Anything from sending emails instead of faxes, to all the knowledge you are constantly creating, accumulating, and sharing in the cloud, to how you managed to work-from-anywhere through the resent 2 years of a global pandemic.
Now think of the omniverse here in 2022 as an ‘equivalent’ to the internet in the early 2002’s, and think of the omniverse as an ultra-realistic digital twin representation of the aspects of this world that are most critical for the continued success of your business. Think of the omniverse as an essential opportunity for you and your business to 1) increase your innovative speed, capabilities and results and 2) lower your overall cost-level of your total business, including your innovation and R&D.
… Then ask yourself:
– Who in our business is responsible for making sure that we understand how the omniverse relates to us and our business? Our business at a strategic level, not at the technical level.
– How much do we presently know about the aspects of the omniverse and the potential of the omniverse for our strategic business development and overall success?
– What could happen if we choose to simply ignore the omniverse and keep our focus on other and more traditional strategic aspects of business?
At Supertrends institute we believe that the omniverse is hugely important for all businesses to understand and to follow the development of. It will be different from business to business in which ways and how much they can benefit directly from the omniverse. Not having a good business understanding of the omniverse may be very costly.
Written by Jens Hansen, CoFounder and CEO of Supertrends Institute – A global reaching, small company with people representation in 14 different countries across the world, created fully during the pandemic only through virtual collaboration.