From Smart Factories to Meta-Factories: the Evolution towards the Industrial Metaverse

Abstract

[Abstract]: This article introduces the concept of Meta-Factory, an evolution of a Smart Factory that harnesses the benefits of integrating Industrial Metaverse (I-verse) applications within an industrial environment through advanced Extended Reality (XR) devices, Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial IoT (IIoT) nodes, and other Industry 4.0/5.0 technologies. Specifically, this article analyzes the groundwork for developing future Meta-Factories by providing an in-depth exploration of the key technologies that support such a concept: the latest XR, communications, Artificial Intelligence, Distributed Ledger and traceability technologies, as well as the use of Opportunistic Edge Computing (OEC) communications for the interaction with surrounding IoT/IIoT devices. Moreover, it examines the creation of next-generation Meta-Factory applications, along with a detailed analysis of the main research directions. As a result, this article provides a holistic perspective and valuable guidelines for future researchers aimed at shaping the future of Meta-Factories.