Copyright © 2023 All Rights Reserved
7 Min
Fortnite, the widely popular video game, has unveiled a collaboration with Nike through an in-game experience named “Airphoria”. While this partnership involves elements of Nike's .Swoosh Web3 platform, it does not integrate NFTs into the Fortnite game. The .Swoosh platform, which deals with digital apparel and accessories as NFTs, is built on the Polygon network, an Ethereum scaling solution. Airphoria, available within Fortnite’s Creative Mode, allows players to participate in an ultimate Nike sneaker hunt and earn in-game rewards. However, these rewards are not tokenized as NFTs.
An interesting facet of this collaboration is that it allows .Swoosh users earn a special achievement on their NFT-based .Swoosh ID by linking it to an Epic Games account. Each .Swoosh user is assigned a .Swoosh ID when they sign up, which is an NFT minted on Polygon. Users are required to connect both .Swoosh and BitGo accounts to earn this achievement. BitGo is Nike’s crypto wallet provider, which holds the .Swoosh ID NFT along with any digital apparel and accessories purchased through .Swoosh.
While this collaboration does not bring NFTs into Fortnite, it represents a bridge between the gaming and Web3 industry through the interplay between .Swoosh and Epic Games accounts. This collaboration might also signify Nike's interest in using the .Swoosh platform for gaming and Metaverse digital items.
Shanghai has unveiled the "Shanghai Action Plan for Creating a New Path in Metaverse Tourism (2023-2025)", a visionary roadmap outlining the city's commitment to harness the burgeoning Metaverse for transforming its tourism sector. Recognizing the advantages of Shanghai's vast cultural and tourism market, advanced digital infrastructure, and innovative resources, the plan targets five key initiatives: "Digital Tourism Infrastructure", "Technological Breakthroughs", "New Metaverse Tourism Scenarios", "Digital Art Platforms", and "Immersive Interactive Content".
Under the Digital Tourism Infrastructure initiative, the city will speed up the construction of vital network infrastructure, launch new cloud platforms customized for tourism, enhance edge computing capabilities, and facilitate access to cultural resources through international and local standards.
The Technological Breakthroughs initiative aspires to advance research in digital cultural rights protection, real-time audio and video, immersive interactions, and smart media, while also accelerating the development and application of technologies like digital humans and virtual production techniques.
New Metaverse Tourism Scenarios will focus on enriching Metaverse tourism experiences through digital cultural scenes, digitization of cultural relics, immersive tourism experiences in cultural districts, and the development of innovative performing arts products.
The Digital Art Platforms initiative aims to exploit urban blockchain infrastructure to build digital creative alliances and a storage system for digital artworks, encouraging cultural institutions and artists to augment their creative endeavors.
Lastly, the Immersive Interactive Content initiative focuses on establishing Shanghai as a global hub for digital content creation by utilizing artificial intelligence to empower content and foster the development of high-tech audiovisual products.
Collaborating with companies such as Shanghai Immersion Opportunities Technology Development Co. and Shanghai iQiyi New Media Technology Co., Shanghai intends to set a precedent in the integration of popular IPs and technological innovations in Metaverse tourism.
SoftServe, a renowned software development and IT consulting firm, has announced its collaboration with Valeo, a global mobility leader, to create an innovative product design process employing Digital Twin technology. This partnership aims to expedite and optimize automotive product design by employing digital replicas of Valeo's wide array of automotive lighting products. This cutting-edge solution is developed on NVIDIA Omniverse, a platform adept at constructing and operating Metaverse applications.
Digital Twin technology creates a digital catalog of customizable lighting components, which allows clients to swiftly and efficiently choose, design, and preview lighting systems. These digital twins operate in Omniverse and facilitate SoftServe and Valeo to enhance their collective work with clients by bridging technical capabilities and style.
Utilizing virtual solutions and rapid prototyping, this technology significantly diminishes the time to market, granting automotive clients more leeway in exploring various design styles. The collaboration enables Valeo to take the lead in the automotive industry’s digital transformation through enhanced efficiencies in product design processes.
SoftServe’s remote collaboration, on-site quality assurance, and expertise in NVIDIA technology steered the platform’s development. It evolved from a rudimentary concept into a public product demo showcased at CES 2023 in Las Vegas. Valeo plans to feature the solution with augmented functionality at IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich.
Siemens AG, a titan in the global technology landscape, has proclaimed an ambitious €2 billion investment plan to bolster its manufacturing capacity, innovation laboratories, and education centers across its worldwide facilities. This key investment is emblematic of Siemens’ unwavering commitment to technological advancement and global expansion, with a particular focus on the Industrial Metaverse.
In March, Siemens joined forces with MIT Review to release the Industrial Metaverse report, which estimates the industry to be worth a staggering €100 billion by 2025. The report elucidates the transformatory potential of the emerging Industrial Metaverse, spotlighting salient trends, challenges, and opportunities.
The concept of the Industrial Metaverse, as envisioned by Siemens, is the amalgamation of the digital and physical domains where machinery, systems, and humans cooperate seamlessly. Siemens aims to utilize its prowess in digitalization and industrial technology to mold the future of industrial processes.
The allocation of funds will be employed to enhance manufacturing competencies, establish avant-garde innovation labs, and develop state-of-the-art education centers. By driving innovation and concentrating on the burgeoning Industrial Metaverse, Siemens is well-positioned to remain at the helm of technological evolutions in the industry.
Honeywell has unveiled its latest offering, the Honeywell Digital Prime Solution, which is a cloud-based digital twin designed to manage, track, and test process control alterations and system modifications efficiently. This state-of-the-art platform is poised to set a new precedent for digital twins by offering a cost-effective solution that facilitates frequent testing for more accurate results while significantly reducing reactive maintenance.
Honeywell Digital Prime confers the epitome of quality control by providing an efficacious and synergistic solution for handling alterations, executing factory acceptance tests, and enhancing project execution and training, all without having to impede the production system. The platform is particularly beneficial for companies operating in industries such as Oil & Gas, sheet manufacturing, and chemicals. These industries can deploy Honeywell Digital Prime to test modifications during planned shutdown periods, thereby minimizing rework.
Contrasting most solutions that necessitate dedicated hardware and are prone to security vulnerabilities, Honeywell Digital Prime addresses these challenges head-on by offering a “lab system as a service”. This ensures a constantly updating and dependable digital twin that aligns with live operations.
Furthermore, Honeywell Digital Prime fosters a collaborative environment with secure cloud-based connectivity, a virtual engineering platform, and intrinsic security protection. The digital ecosystem can be accessed globally through its subscription service using multi-factor authentication.
Honeywell Digital Prime will be available to customers in Q4 2023. The introduction of this platform signals a paradigm shift in monitoring and testing operations within various industries.