The term ‘Metaverse’ has become synonymous with futuristic gaming realms and virtual social communities. But away from the consumer-driven buzz, there lies a burgeoning market that is arguably of even greater significance to business leaders: the Industrial Metaverse, says a new report by Arthur Little.

OSF HealthCare and academic partners working on a new virtual reality platform say Iowa was the only state where opioid-related deaths did not increase last year. And, there’s mounting evidence of the need for better awareness and interventions. The American Medical Association says more than 105,000 opioid overdose deaths were reported in the United States between December 2021 and December 2022.

Meta, in a surprising development reported by insiders, is said to be cutting ties with its advanced mixed-reality headset, the Quest Pro, including discontinuing work on a potential Quest Pro 2. The reported decision has come amidst the impending release of their latest headset, the Meta Quest 3, and the debut of their new social media platform, Threads.

Sony Group has announced an investment of approximately $2.13 billion (300 billion yen) into research and development within its gaming sector for the fiscal year ending in March 2024, highlighting the corporation’s aggressive drive towards the metaverse industry.

Infinite Reality (iR) has partnered with Vodafone Digital Asset Broker (DAB) to develop a Metaverse Showroom experience at London Tech Week. The collaborative project from the companies resulted in a digital experience that claims to highlight the future of sales and customer engagement.

XCMG Machinery, a Shenzhen Stock Exchange-listed company, has announced the launch of its updated industrial internet platform, HANYUN OS 2023, at the 2023 Industrial Internet Conference. Among the several enhancements, a key feature of this release is the incorporation of digital twin technology.

Shanghai, China’s most populous city and financial hub, has unveiled an ambitious plan to develop its culture and tourism metaverse projects. By the close of 2025, the city expects to build an industry that generates annual revenues of 50 billion yuan ($6.9 billion). This initiative is part of the city’s broader strategy to tap into the metaverse technology, which it has identified as a significant driver of economic development.

Siemens is launching a substantial €2 billion investment strategy, aiming to expand its manufacturing capacity and foster innovation across the globe, in a bid to stay ahead in the race of digitalization, automation, and sustainability. The strategy includes a heightened focus on the industrial metaverse, an emerging frontier that promises to redefine the way industries operate.

For many technology enthusiasts, the metaverse has the potential to transform almost every facet of human life, from work to education to entertainment. Now, new Cornell University research shows it could have environmental benefits, too.

Verse Orlando, the Holographic TheaterSM, is announcing its ribbon cutting ceremony on June 29th, 2023 with the launch of Art of the Future, a celebration of augmented reality and artificial intelligence. Situated in the City of the Future at Lake Nona’s world famous Boxi Park, Verse Orlando is set to redefine the boundaries of machine-human evolution with an immersive exhibit that forces the question: In the world of art, is AI a tool, a collaborator, or a distraction?