Processor and graphics card maker Nvidia has revealed improvements to its Omniverse, a platform that allows professionals to collaborate in a shared virtual world. This real-world simulation could enable innovation in multiple fields without fear of potential mistakes.
Nvidia is embracing progress. At its GTC 2021 event, the American group unveiled new technology to develop its Omniverse. This Omniverse is a virtual replica of the real world in the form of a digital platform. The Nvidia Omniverse can be used to create simulations in the virtual world, to experiment and test solutions before exporting them to a real-world environment. It offers a way to make bold improvements without fear of failure. The Omniverse is mainly aimed at companies for professional use.
The most concrete examples involve automotive companies. Mercedes Benz is currently working in the Omniverse to train its autonomous driving software. This is a hugely beneficial operation, as the company takes no risks and receives a wealth of information. For its part, BMW has cloned its factories in the virtual world to allow its engineers to optimize manufacturing processes. This digital twin technology allows the creation of alternate environments with parameters that can be modified at will.
Understanding actions and their consequences thanks to virtual simulation
Since launching publicly in December 2020, the Omniverse offers its users the possibility of collaborating digitally. There are no less than 70,000 creators involved and, above all, just over 700 companies, such as BMW, Sony Pictures, Mercedes, Lockheed Martin and Ericsson. According to Richard Kerris, the vice-president of the Omniverse project, virtual worlds will become essential for future innovations. The technology of digital twins is particularly anticipated. These digital clones will make it possible to take structures, environments or behaviors from the real world and implant them in the virtual world.
The ability to create alternate universes that look like our real world in every way, and with the ability to modify features and parameters, could represent a leap forward for society as a whole. In the Omniverse, you can go back in time to replay a disaster or a construction project. It's also possible to go forward in time by modifying certain climate characteristics, for example, to understand what impact certain changes could have. "That allows us to plan much brighter futures, to optimize our businesses, to create a better Earth and a future for ourselves," said Rev Lebaredian, Nvidia's VP of simulation technology and Omniverse engineering at the GTC 2021 event.
And this is just the beginning. This simulation of reality could well have some surprises in store as it opens up new avenues of innovation...
