Definition: The metaverse is a network of permanently available, shared 3D spaces where people, data and digital objects come together in real time. You can access these spaces through browsers, mobile devices, desktop applications, and VR and AR headsets. There is no single "metaverse" as a product. The term stands for a vision that consists of many individual technologies.

In B2B mechanical engineering, the industrial metaverse is the most relevant: virtual showrooms for machine portfolios, persistent planning spaces for factory halls, digital twins in operation, joint design reviews and training environments.

Advantage: A 3D model becomes the shared reference point for sales, engineering and service, independent of location and on several platforms.

English: Metaverse, Industrial Metaverse
German: Metaversum, industrielles Metaverse

How It Works

Building blocks of a metaverse space

Technically, a persistent 3D space consists of several layers:

  1. 3D content: Machine models, halls, environments (derived from CAD and optimized)
  2. Real-time display: Real-time rendering on the device or through cloud streaming
  3. Persistence: The space continues to exist, and changes (notes, positions, configurations) stay saved
  4. Multi-user synchronization: Several people see the same state at the same time
  5. Data connection: Live data from sensors, IoT platforms or ERP systems

Persistence as the difference

A conventional 3D presentation ends when you close the window. A persistent space works more like a shared project folder in 3D: the team returns to the same place, and comments and variants are still there.

Open formats and interoperability

Content can only move between tools when there are shared formats. The most important ones:

  • OpenUSD: Scene description, originally from Pixar. The Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD) published the Core Specification 1.0 in December 2025. This is a first step toward formal standardization.
  • glTF 2.0: Compact delivery format for web and mobile (Khronos Group).
  • USDZ: Package format based on USD, mainly for Apple platforms.

Hype and Reality (2021-2026)

The hype cycle

In 2021, Facebook changed its name to Meta, and "metaverse" became a buzzword for social VR worlds, digital real estate and cryptocurrencies. Many of these consumer visions did not succeed.

The disillusionment

Several large providers reduced their programs for virtual workspaces:

  • Microsoft discontinued the Mesh platform on December 1, 2025, and moved 3D events into Teams.
  • Meta shut down Horizon Workrooms as a standalone app in February 2026 and downsized Reality Labs.

What remains

What remains is the practical core: real-time 3D, digital twins, open scene formats and collaborative work on 3D data. Industrial companies use these building blocks, often without the "metaverse" label. For example, Siemens and NVIDIA announced in 2022 that they would connect their platforms for an "industrial metaverse".

Rule of thumb: Evaluate specific use cases (showroom, review, training) with a measurable benefit, not the buzzword.

B2B Applications

Sales: virtual showroom

A manufacturer of packaging machines shows its complete line in a persistent 3D hall:

  • Customers visit the showroom through a link in the browser or in the VR headset
  • Field sales guides the customer through the hall
  • Configurations stay saved and are the basis for the quote

Advantage: You can also show machines that are not physically in stock.

Trade show: hybrid booth

Only one machine stands at the trade show. The others are available in 3D on a kiosk or a large screen. The same space stays online after the trade show, and contacts can visit it again later.

Service: digital twin in operation

The persistent space shows the digital twin of a filling line with live data:

  • Faults are marked on the affected component
  • The service technician and the expert see the same model, wherever they are
  • The maintenance history is stored directly on the part

Training: virtual training hall

Operators practice on a CNC machine in VR or on a tablet before they go to the real machine. Trainers and participants meet in the same space, also across locations.

Design review: shared planning space

Engineering, sales and the customer check a conveyor system at 1:1 scale. Comments stay in the space, and the next review continues directly from them.

Platform comparison

Access Strength Limitation
Web No download, shareable through a link Performance depends on the device
Mobile/tablet Mobile, AR possible Small screen
Kiosk/large screen Trade show, showroom Fixed location
VR headset 1:1 scale, high immersion Hardware, introduction necessary
AR/MR Context in the real environment Tracking requirements

Introduction in the Company

Start small

Many projects fail because they plan a complete virtual world before a single use case works. A step-by-step approach is more successful:

  1. Select a use case: for example, a trade show showroom for three machines
  2. Prepare the 3D data: optimize CAD models through a 3D pipeline
  3. Select the platform: web first, kiosk and VR as an addition
  4. Measure: visitor numbers, time spent, inquiries, trips saved
  5. Expand: more machines, live data, training content

Costs and benefits

The largest effort is usually not the software, but the preparation of the 3D data and its maintenance. When a machine changes, you must also update the virtual space. When you manage the 3D models centrally and use them for several channels (configurator, showroom, training), you spread this effort across several applications.

Clarify responsibility

A persistent space needs an owner: Who maintains the content, who gives access, who removes outdated models? Without clear responsibility, virtual showrooms quickly become outdated.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do I need a VR headset for the metaverse?

No. Most B2B applications work in the browser, on the tablet or on a kiosk screen. VR is worth it for: true-to-scale reviews and training. Recommendation: Start with web 3D and add VR where it is useful.

Is the metaverse dead after the hype?

The consumer vision has cooled down, but the underlying technologies have not. Still active: OpenUSD, glTF, digital twins, real-time rendering. Trend: Terms such as "digital twin" or "virtual showroom" increasingly replace the word "metaverse".

What is the difference between a virtual showroom and a 3D viewer?

A viewer shows a single model. A showroom is a walkable space with several machines, navigation, information and often shared use. Persistence: Content and notes stay available.

What role does OpenUSD play?

OpenUSD describes complex scenes with layers, variants and references. This makes the exchange between CAD, simulation and visualization easier. Status: Core Specification 1.0 since December 2025. Further specifications for geometry, materials and physics are announced.

What are the risks?

Vendor lock-in: Proprietary platforms can be discontinued (see Mesh, Workrooms). Data: Design data needs access control (data security, data privacy). Protection: Open formats and your own data sovereignty.

Industry Standards and Technologies

Basics: - Extended reality (XR) – umbrella term for AR, VR, MR - Virtual reality – fully virtual environment - Augmented reality – digital content in the real environment - Mixed reality – fusion of both worlds - Immersive experience – immersion in 3D content

3D technologies: - 3D model – the basis of every space - 3D pipeline – from CAD to the real-time model - Real-time rendering – display in real time - WebGL – 3D in the browser - OpenUSD – scene description - glTF – web 3D format

Industry: - Digital twin – digital twin - IoT – connected machines - 3D product configurators – configuration in 3D - Virtual showroom – digital exhibition - Industrial metaverse – real-time 3D in production

Platforms and devices: - visionOS – Apple spatial computing - HoloLens – Microsoft MR headset - USDZ – AR format based on USD - Avatar – digital representation of persons - Remote collaboration – distributed collaboration