Ericsson, Volvo Group, and Bharti Airtel announced their plan to research the use of XR, digital twin technologies, and AI in manufacturing on Monday. The research engagement, carried out at the Volvo Group Factory and Volvo Group’s research and development centre in Bangalore, will look into applications of the industrial metaverse.

The partnership will include use cases that will combine the physical and digital worlds, and interaction and collaboration between humans and machines. This research collaboration will help in improving efficiency and innovation in the manufacturing sector and the development of a digital platform for immersive training and real-time process optimization through cutting-edge AI technologies.

Digital twin technology uses a virtual copy of a physical asset to combine data from sensors, simulated models, and machine learning. Hence, It checks performance, anticipates failures, and improves efficiency through operations analysis. This is considered one of the telecom operators’ key monetization areas for 5G services.

“The initiative will see the deployment and exploration of Airtel’s 5G advanced network as the foundation for industrial XR applications. With its ultra-low latency and high-speed capabilities, 5G has the potential to enable differentiated connectivity for real-time simulations, design prototyping, and immersive training across multiple factory and industrial sites,” Airtel said.