A Collaborative AR/VR Platform for Social Manufacturing

Abstract

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies have significantly progressed in recent years, revolutionizing a diverse set of industries, mainly the industrial metaverse in cultural heritage and the cultural and creative sectors. In the context of social manufacturing, there's a pronounced need for platforms that foster collaboration. This paper introduces a collaborative AR/VR platform for social manufacturing, emphasizing the need for a co-creation environment. This platform supports real-time customized fabrication of 3D objects through rapid manufacturing within an AR/VR-based collaborative framework, further enhancing shared awareness in social manufacturing endeavors. The platform provides a robust toolkit for AR/VR applications that enables real-time interaction with virtual entities and seamless integration with the backend databases of online marketplaces. Designed to be universally adaptable, the toolkit is indifferent to the type of database it interacts with, and can function on a wide range of platforms including Web VR, Mobile AR, and HoloLens AR. A use case involving a reference chair model demonstrates the toolkit's capabilities, highlighting its potential to transform experiences within AR/VR landscapes. By offering a seamless fusion of digital content within physical environments, this AR/VR toolkit signifies a considerable advancement towards the intersection of digital and physical realities, paving the way of immersive experiences.