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Researcher in Residence: Unlocking the manufacturing Metaverse

In the age of Industry 4.0, the convergence of digital technologies promises a revolution in manufacturing. From cutting-edge sensors to AI and robotics, these advancements hold the key to transforming industries. However, not all aspects of manufacturing are easily digitised, leaving many challenges unaddressed. The University of Manchester’s Keith Davey will be addressing those challenges in collaboration with the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. 

Keith’s proposal aims to redefine manufacturing through a fresh lens. By structuring information in a relatable quantity space, this innovative approach seeks to bridge the gap between the digital and physical realms. Building upon recent discoveries, it unlocks new rules to connect smaller packets of information to larger ones, forming a cohesive manufacturing “metaverse.”

At its core, this concept draws inspiration from metamaterials, where properties are interconnected, forming metasystems. By applying universal rules across structures of all sizes, this manufacturing metaverse promises to revolutionise digital information structures, enhancing connectivity, adaptivity, and resilience in manufacturing organisations.

Though still conceptual, this initiative holds real-world relevance, offering the potential to usher in deeper connectivity, machine-informed adaptivity, and ultimately, more resilient manufacturing ecosystems. As Industry 4.0 evolves, this proposal paves the way for a new era of manufacturing excellence.

The proposed work with National Manufacturing Institute Scotland builds on developments at the University of Manchester with the establishment of a universal theory that relates packages of information of different sizes.  The theory has brought into existence an infinite number of unique rules that can be applied to many areas.

Foundational work on the establishment of metamaterials and metasystems has recently been published (Davey et al., Size effects and the existence of scalable materials and systems, IJMS, 275 (2024) 109319), which forms a foundation stone for the proposed manufacturing metaverse.  The project is essentially about how information structures in the manufacturing world should be organised. 

Keith said of the project: “The theory provides a view that facilitates links between materials, processes, systems, finance, networks, and in principle, an entire metaverse can be formed.  The current focus is on dealing with uncertainties in information and data transfers but the possibility of producing learning materials is an aspect that is being actively considered with colleagues at the institute. It is recognised, of course, that successful take-up of the proposed concepts will ultimately require them to be understood in the wider manufacturing community.”