The “industrial metaverse”, a term the likes of Microsoft, Nvidia and Siemens use to describe VR and other augmented realities in the making, arguably outstrips its more hyped, social and gaming counterpart.
Nvidia, one of the world’s leading graphics companies, is building a “Omniverse” to allow companies to collaborate on 3D designs and realistic simulations of a factory or workshop. Microsoft is pushing to dominate the software landscape for virtual reality in the workplace. Other companies are investing a lot of money in virtual training tools to streamline training and give workers experience before they use real machines – think of a factory worker performing precision work on a machine part like a ridewearing glasses that provide visual overlay and expert guidance.
But heavy industry is one of the most expensive and regulated sectors of the US economy, with billions of dollars, global economic competitiveness and real lives at stake. If it’s not done with care , introducing such nascent technology as extended reality into the equation could cause as many problems as it could solve, especially when it comes to the training materials that provide some of the brightest examples of its use in the workplace.
“Sometimes I call it ‘whack-a-mole,’ where you offer a solution but it could create other problems,” said Emily Whitcomb, director of the National Security Council’s ‘Work to Zero’ initiative. aimed at using technology to eliminate workplace fatalities.
She is optimistic about augmented reality tools as a way to avoid exactly such disasters, however, saying the NSC is currently developing a risk assessment for augmented reality training tools. (The government has also stepped in, with OSHA funding a recent Purdue University Experience in VR training for fall safety on construction sites.)
Seattle-based Taqtile designs software that SpaceX customers at UPS have used to create AR or VR job aid tools, and especially training, for just about anyone who doesn’t work at a desk – from heavy machinists to technicians who maintain the cell towers.
Dirck Schou, the company’s founder and CEO, described to me a recent case where a factory used its technology to train employees to use a lathe in three days, a process he said would normally have took weeks. Their website features a tank mechanic repairing an M1 Abrams with HoloLens support; an employee of pharmaceutical company Novartis receives step-by-step virtual guidance on sterilizing equipment; helmet-guided maintenance workers to dizzyingly tall cell towers.
Although Schou acknowledged that there are many industry scenarios where Taqtile’s approach would not be sufficient or appropriate (or even permitted, from a regulatory standpoint), there is a great deal of enthusiasm for such products. across the public and private sector – and the resulting scrutiny from groups like the NSC keen to ensure they are implemented responsibly.
“You can’t just go out and buy a VR headset and now you have an effective training program,” Whitcomb said. “There are a lot of things that need to be in place to make sure you do this safely and efficiently.”
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele made a name for himself, including in this newsletter — as the most crypto-friendly head of state in the world, as well as a cheeky and outspoken authoritarian.
But while bitcoin advocacy could be Bukele’s global signature, it could be the biggest threat to his rise on the global stage. In this week New Yorkerjournalist Jonathan Blitzer take a closer look to how the two are intertwined as Bukele’s war on El Salvador’s violent gangs has made him Latin America’s most popular leader, even amid a crackdown on free speech in the country and the consolidation of executive power.
…all of which could be threatened by, you guessed it, Bitcoin, as the market crash means the country’s reserves are now worth around half of what its government paid for. Economist Ricardo Castaneda told Blitzer that “financial markets now view El Salvador as much riskier than before.” Read it full article here.
The world of crypto is just days away one of its most anticipated events of this year, if not the entire history of young technology: the Ethereum “merger”, where the entire Ethereum-based blockchain will go from mining “proof of work” (which still powers Bitcoin) to its more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly counterpart, “proof-of-stake”. Here’s our quick primer before the change, which Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin says will be comprehensive next week:
What, exactly, is a “merger”?
In order to transition to a new, more environmentally friendly form of cryptography (see Coinbase article explanation here), Ethereum’s powers that be will “merge” its old network, which still uses proof-of-work mining, with a newer one that runs on proof-of-stake mining and will entirely replace the old one in its features.
how far is it
Yesterday, Ethereum initiated a “fork” or divergence in the otherwise “immutable” blockchain that allows it to make technical upgrades or changes. This is a wonky and technically complicated process that takes time.
Why is this important?
Proof-of-work mining and its voluminous power consumption have played a major role in driving liberal political opposition to cryptocurrency. Abandoning Ethereum could ease some of that tension and allay the fears of traditional financial companies whose ESG requirements make them nervous about the technology. Ethereum founder Buterin describes it as basically different philosophical approach to blockchain than that of proof-of-work purists, more focused on building democratic consensus than economic value.
Stay in touch with the whole team: Ben Schrecker ([email protected]); Derek Robertson ([email protected]); (Constantin Kakaes ([email protected]); and Heidi Vogt ([email protected]). Follow us @DigitalFuture on Twitter.
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