Emerging Trends in the Metaverse and Military Training

Aerospace and Defense Review | Friday, May 31, 2024

The metaverse shares many technologies and themes with military simulation and training.

FREMONT, CA: Many recent articles have discussed a military metaverse's advantages and disadvantages. A viable alternative to NATO's definition has been in the works for decades by integrating live, virtual, and constructive simulations throughout an enterprise.

Whether a military metaverse exists or not, exploring metaverse-related trends and enablers is still possible.

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Immersion: The United States Air Force and the British Army are two of several military organizations that seek to increase trainees' sense of presence and, ultimately, their ability to learn. Extended Reality (XR) devices can be a powerful tool for engaging trainees, particularly virtual reality (VR), which can completely immerse trainees in their visual experience. This technology field is rapidly evolving, and it is difficult to report on, let alone choose the right hardware. New headsets are emerging as computing power, sensors, networking, artificial intelligence, and visuals improve. As an option, HTC offers face and eye tracking. The second-generation Magic Leap AR device aims at professionals and raises privacy concerns despite improving user experience and supporting more realistic avatars. A US Army IVAS capability based on Microsoft HoloLens technology is attracting military attention as a way to bring AR to the military market.

Extended reality: Gaming proves that wearing headsets is only sometimes necessary to interact with 3D worlds that are more interactive. Defense companies will benefit from the diversity of IT hardware in the metaverse since it is easy to access and ubiquitous. Web-based Croquet OS is based on existing internet JavaScript technologies and skills. It supports 3D applications on any device. Although Croquet's founder and 3D pioneer David A. Smith said any world could connect to any other world on the web regardless of who created it or which web server hosted it, a web-based metaverse is possible.

Blending real and digital: Humans will enter a virtual world through the metaverse with XR devices, while artificial intelligence will exit the metaverse as physical robots. The military can benefit from the interaction between the real and the metaverse. Human training experience and analytics associated with the training should be enhanced by a proliferation of real-world biometric sensors connected to the metaverse. Before encountering unfamiliar and new real-world situations, robots are already trained in simulation.

Digital twins: Studies predict that in the future, digital twins and the metaverse will be able to come together, enabling humans to control machinery remotely without consequence. Industry players believe that virtual space can allow anyone to explore the physical world using robotics or to pursue advanced education. A future warship might even allow military personnel to operate equipment remotely, possibly with designers and analysts.

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These systems are designed with the end-user, the warfighter, aiming to enhance mission effectiveness, safety, and operational efficiency through advanced integration, intuitive interfaces, and real-time decision-making capabilities. Market dynamics respond to this paradigm by prioritizing the development of interoperable, modular, and scalable technologies. Demand is surging for systems that provide situational awareness, seamless communication, and AI-driven analytics to support tactical and strategic operations. The market also firmly pushes toward multi-domain operations, where land, air, sea, cyber, and space systems must operate cohesively. As a result, defense suppliers are focusing on creating interoperable platforms that reduce cognitive load and streamline user interaction. In addition, digital transformation plays a central role in developing warfighter-centric systems. Integrating digital twins, augmented reality, and predictive maintenance features supports mission planning and equipment sustainability. The market also reflects a heightened interest in autonomous and semi-autonomous systems collaborating with human operators to extend capabilities without replacing the human element. As user feedback loops become more embedded in system design processes, the market matures toward more adaptive and resilient defense technology that enhances the warfighter’s effectiveness in complex operational environments. Operational Complexities and Integrated Solutions Designing and implementing warfighter-centric systems comes with multifaceted challenges, especially when dealing with rapidly evolving combat environments and diverse operational requirements. One significant complexity lies in achieving seamless integration across legacy and next-generation systems. 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