Unity "AI and XR-powered Digital Twin to Drive Industrial Innovation"

Key Unity executives posing as speakers at the Unity APAC Industry Summit 2023. From left to right: Alex Hughes, Unity Japan Digital Twin Studio Lead; Rory Ames, Vice President of Unity Solution Development; Beomju Kim, APAC Advocacy Leader.

원본보기 아이콘

Unity predicted that extended reality (XR) utilizing Apple’s 'Vision Pro' and other technologies will become mainstream in the industry. It emphasized its intention to take the lead in the digital twin market (digital models linked to real-world objects) by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and XR technologies.

Unity, which develops a 3D content creation engine and operates related platforms, announced its future business plans on the 5th at a press conference held during the Asia-Pacific regional conference 'APAC Industry Summit 2023' at the Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas Hotel.

The APAC Industry Summit is Unity’s first integrated event for the Asia-Pacific region. Key client representatives using Unity attended to share innovative know-how and experiences utilizing 3D technology.

Lori Ames, Vice President of Unity’s Solution Development division, emphasized, "Using Unity, companies can visualize scattered data in 3D and transfer it into XR environments to create immersive apps." She also added that Unity supports the development environment for apps dedicated to Apple’s recently announced XR headset, Vision Pro.

There was also mention of the integration between AI and digital twin technologies, a hot topic in the industry. A representative example of digital twin technology is virtualizing specific processes by importing data. For instance, simulating the construction process realistically without actually building a structure at a construction site.

Vice President Ames highlighted digital twins using the Unity engine. She explained that Unity can be used not only in the gaming industry but also across various industries to manage sites more efficiently.

She said, "Digital twins have evolved over a long period. Virtualizing processes is digital twin," adding, "You can use data to visualize any process as a virtual concept." In fact, companies such as LG Uplus, Hyundai Motor Company, Samsung Heavy Industries, CJ LiveCity, DL E&C, and HD Hyundai Infracore are utilizing the Unity engine.

Kim Beom-ju, Head of Unity Korea, explained, "It will be very helpful in preparing assets (data used for program creation) needed for development, and it can also be used to train data to predict the future," adding, "It will also be useful for efficiently operating factories or buildings."

Vice President Ames said, "Korea’s industrial sector is well known for its innovation, and I believe it is an optimal country in the digital twin field," adding, "If developers who have experience playing or creating games enter the industrial sector and utilize Unity, it will create tremendous synergy."

The scene of the Asia-Pacific regional conference 'APAC Industry Summit 2023' held on the 5th at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas Hotel.

원본보기 아이콘

The summit began with opening speeches from representatives of Unity’s major clients. Sessions included ‘Creating New Customer Experiences through Spatial Digitalization’ by Kim Min-gu, Head of LG Uplus Web3 Business Development Lab, and ‘Accelerating Intelligent Manufacturing Innovation with Unity: The Metafactory’ by Jung Hong-beom, Head of Hyundai Motor Group’s Singapore Global Innovation Center.

Meanwhile, Kim In-sook, Vice President of Unity APAC Marketing, was reserved regarding the recently controversial runtime fee plan, stating, "The headquarters announced a revision on the 20th of last month, and I believe the uncertainties have been resolved."

Unity recently unveiled a new 'runtime fee' plan charging developers based on the number of times users install their apps, which sparked backlash from small and indie game developers worldwide. In response to strong opposition from users, Unity announced a revision. The runtime fee will not apply to games created with Unity Personal, the free plan for students and amateurs.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.