Extended Reality Technologies for Applications in the Metaverse

We live in exciting times. XR is now well-established and proven as a versatile tool in many diverse industries as well as a means of entertainment it first seemed to be, but the marriage between it and Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises to make it even more valuable. Once we fully establish that connection, we will have a powerful joint system that rivals the best of science fiction.

Despite its fun and connectivity, the current range of XR experiences remain a reliable product that meets our expectations. However, firmly connecting AI to XR may unlock a new paradigm of immersive intelligent computing. The ecosystems of these two sectors currently differ, though, and when they merge, we may anticipate a significant advancement in XR content and how we engage with it.

This article will discuss how we think AI will improve XR and make it a more holistic experience in all of its fields and possibly even open up new ones.

New Technology

You may think XR is doing well – and it is – but it could still do better. If we combine it with other technologies like AI, then it becomes something fantastic. The integration of AI and XR has the potential to open up new possibilities for a wide range of applications and revolutionise the way people engage with digital content and our physical environments. When combined, they could enhance the interactive, personalised, and immersive nature of the user’s experiences. There has been a paradigm shift in our interaction with technology-driven XR, which is starting to enhance our shopping, learning, playing, and working experiences. But how, exactly, is AI going to enhance the XR experience?

Object Recognition. XR is already a well-valued tool in the technical fields of training and maintenance and will further benefit hugely from AI-driven object recognition to pick and place parts. Technical training in engineering-based fields typically involves a challenging learning curve, necessitating trainees to grasp systems, subsystems, and components with a high level of certainty. In learning, it is imperative that the student gets it right, and this is where AI can help them. 

AI can work to identify and highlight the next component needed, and then showing where it should be fitted into an assembly is a sure-fire way of helping people learn quickly and cheaply.  Detailed and explodable 3D models are easy to produce—another task that AI is more than capable of doing—so they only need to be imported into an appropriate XR environment to allow the training package to become live.

AI can also be used to assess component conditions in a service environment.  A field engineer may turn up at an ongoing service issue or even potential field failure and use an XR-based AI assistant to review components and determine which – if any – are in failure mode or close to it.  The AI could then show the service engineer the correct steps to remove and replace the failing or failed item. It’s hand-holding in its broadest form, but if it means that field failures diminish, then it can only be a good thing.  Embracing AI to its fullest also has the potential for a medical practitioner to be able to do something similar with the human body, once XR is connected to common medical imaging systems. This gives doctors the potential to diagnose many conditions via AI, just by looking.

Content Generation. Whether it is for a new entertainment app, an online shop, or a high-tech service and repair area, creating XR spaces can be a laborious task, taking many hours to get the structures and textures right for even a small space.  AI, however, has the potential to reduce that to anything from minutes to almost immediately. 

Artificial intelligence can translate two-dimensional data, such as CAD files or blueprints, into extended reality-compatible three-dimensional surroundings. This functionality conserves time and allows users to visualise intricate designs, hence improving decision-making and teamwork.

Realistic surfaces. AI will facilitate the realisation of AI-generated 3D content by incorporating textures and smart surfaces into virtual objects, enabling them to appear and function realistically, hence allowing users to interact with these objects in a lifelike manner. Contemporary animators and riggers – the procedure of constructing a skeletal framework for a 3D object, including avatars, to enable realistic movement – utilise AI-driven engines and toolkits to enhance efficiency and precision in their tasks. It is only a question of time before AI can dynamically and automatically animate and rig intricate 3D models.  That will be the start of a fantastic time. 

What More for XR and AI?

But the future of XR is not just about how AI is going to positively impact it in terms of content creation and the construction of virtual environments.  The combination of XR and AI for training is undeniably potent and is only going to become more prevalent. The numerous advantages of XR training include enhanced engagement and retention, as well as the opportunity to repeatedly practice skills in a risk-free environment, among others. Artificial intelligence can customise the user’s experience, offering guidance as necessary and dynamically adjusting the situation in response to the user’s actions and reactions. 

The use of advanced AI systems, like ChatGPT, enables natural two-way dialogues with avatar representations of interviewers, employees, and clients, thereby augmenting engagement and enhancing the immersiveness and effectiveness of the virtual training environment. Envision an avatar that, rather than relying on predetermined interview questions, poses enquiries and follow-up questions tailored to your individual role and career experience, potentially in various languages, too. As conversational AI progresses, such applications will become increasingly sophisticated.

The augmented presence of AI will facilitate enhanced interactions and navigation throughout the metaverse. AI facilitates voice and gesture recognition, liberating our hands from cumbersome controls in virtual settings. Apple is already teaching users to utilise brain interfaces, such as the double-tap gesture, to interact with technologies like its latest Apple Watch.  Progress in artificial intelligence will render our engagements with virtual material increasingly natural.

We at Unity Developers are already excited about the growing interactions between XR and AI and are looking forward to getting our teeth into some joint projects.  If you need help with your XR/AI project, come and talk to us and see how we can help.