Industrial XR / 3D Tech / Reality Capture / Digital Twin / AI / Spatial Computing / Connected Workforce
January 9, 2025: Issue 128
In a lively fireside chat, UPS tech guru Mark Gröb and AREA's Mark Sage tackled how XR is flipping the enterprise world on its head. From slashing training time to turning AI into a visual sidekick, they unpacked the perks of XR—and the headaches, too. Turns out, revolutionizing industries isn’t all fun and games, but XR might just make it look that way.
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here and get fresh spatial tech intel each week.
What’s Inside:
📦 UPS Delivers with XR: Fireside Insights on Industry Transformation
⚡️ Shell's AI Power Move: Transforming the Energy Sector
🤖 Nvidia CEO's Vision: AI is Driving the Future
🚀 Digital Twins Go Live: Spatial Streaming is Here!
🔥 Siemens' Big Reveal: AI & Digital Twins Take Center Stage
🗑️ Grant Thornton and Imvizar Toss Plastic Waste into the AR Spotlight
Since you subscribe to this newsletter, you know that XR (extended reality) isn’t just for gamers dodging virtual fireballs or astronauts training for spacewalks. It’s also transforming real-world enterprises in really big ways.
In a 🔥 fireside chat hosted by AREA, two Marks (MarkGröb from UPS and Mark Sage from AREA) shared how XR is shaking up industries. Tidbits they roasted on included:
Cutting training times faster than you can ask, “Where’s the manual?”
Using digital twins and AI for tasks big and small.
Helping humans and machines speak the same language — finally. (Guess I can stop learning binary.)
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and holograms. There are challenges (data privacy, cost, and the occasional cultural resistance). But with a little courage — and an internal XR champion — enterprises can leap into the future.
AI Accelerator:Shell, a century-old energy giant, is using AI to revolutionize operations and future energy solutions. Partnering with NVIDIA, Shell has sped up complex energy simulations by a staggering million-fold. Shell has also created AI machine learning models that can study carbon dioxide storage in subsurface reservoirs approximately 100,000 times faster than conventional physics-based simulation.
Autonomy Unlocked: Nvidia is rolling out AI-powered technology that could transform self-driving cars, robotics and digital manufacturing, CEO Jensen Huang announced in a keynote at CES 2025.
Siemens is showcasing its vision for the future where data, AI and software-defined automation will converge to enable unprecedented flexibility, optimization and continuous improvement across the world’s industries with innovations in industrial AI and digital twin technology.
SPONSORED BY:US! Level up your professional game at the 7th Annual Industrial IMMERSIVE, March 3-4, 2025, in Houston with FOUR co-located events for the price of one!
Connect with 450+ industry leaders at:
Industrial XR Forum
Industrial Digital Twin Forum
Industrial Reality Capture Forum
Industrial AI Nexus Converge
Whether you’re looking to sharpen your skills, gain actionable insights, or showcase your company's tech or solutions, this is the event to power your 2025 success. Don’t miss your chance to network, learn, and lead in the next wave of industrial tech.
Googleunveiled new AI tools, including Gemini updates and Project Astra, its vision for smart assistants. Astra, an “AI agent,” uses your phone’s camera and voice recognition for daily tasks—and could even power next-gen Google smart glasses, thrilling XR enthusiasts.
Rumors have already emerged highlighting how Meta and Samsung are planning on grabbing the AR wearables market in 2025. Meta is accelerating its AR smart glasses ambitions, with rumors of an AR heads-up display for its Ray-Ban wearables. Meanwhile, Samsung hints at launching its long-awaited XR device in 2025.
Innoactive announced a transformative leap in digital twin workflows, powered by Innoactive’s XR Streaming and the NVIDIA Omniverse platform, for the Apple Vision Pro. By harnessing the power of Universal Scene Description and Omniverse, this technology delivers photorealistic 3D experiences.
WHAT'S THE DEAL
Simulation Theory, a start-up dedicated to reducing waste by optimizing compute resources, has successfully raised $2 million in pre-seed funding.
Swave Photonics NV, a Belgian startup developing displays for augmented reality glasses, recently announced that it has secured €27 million in early-stage funding.
WHAT ELSE
Grant Thornton and Imvizar Toss Plastic Waste into the AR Spotlight
(Image Credit: Imvizar)
Grant Thornton and Imvizar teamed up to use the power of augmented reality to communicate the environmental damage of plastic waste.
A major challenge the scientific community faces is being able to communicate what this innovative work means for the wider society. Whether it’s breaking down the complexities of quantum physics or explaining in simple terms why space research is vital, telling the right story is a key part of the job.
This becomes even more critical when we talk about arguably the world’s biggest challenge: the climate crisis. The difficulties in communicating about climate don’t just come from the complexity of the science, but also the misinformation and disinformation that comes with it.
However, a Dublin-based start-up wants to use the power of augmented reality (AR) to tackle the communication challenge from a different angle.
Founded by Michael Guerin and Adele Keane in 2021, Imvizar prides itself on “turning spaces into living narratives” through AR technology.
The company has more than 100 AR experiences across eight countries and, last year, it raised €1.5m in funding for its ‘no-code’ AR creation tool, which allows users to create their own augmented realities (AR) without any code or design experience.
In partnership with Grant Thornton, Imvizar sought to create an immersive project that would help engage audiences in a relatable way on the issue of plastics and waste. Read more --> (h/t SiliconRepublic)
Want more news on specific innovations in the energy industry?
Automating Energy/Industrial Operations with Robotics & Drone Systems Weekly ------> Energy Drone & Robotics News
