At the German Launch: What Does the Apple Vision Pro Bring Us?

Since July 12, the Apple Vision Pro is finally available in Germany too. We've had it in use since the start of US sales in early February and have already traveled across Germany with it. (Read more about our Apple Vision Pro experience in our projects.)

But what exactly is the Apple Vision Pro, and what's behind the term spatial computing?

The Apple Vision Pro is a mixed-reality headset. That means this innovative technology connects the worlds of augmented reality and virtual reality. The boundaries between the real and virtual world blur. MR headsets extend the physical world with virtual content and let users interact with that content in a natural, immersive way within their physical surroundings. And that's exactly what the term spatial computing describes: the digital and physical worlds are linked, and the interaction between humans and machines (computers) becomes real in three-dimensional space.

So how can the Apple Vision Pro be integrated into everyday work?

The Apple Vision Pro offers a lot of potential and different learnings across various areas. Spatial computing can redefine education; the industrial metaverse opens up new dimensions of collaboration through digital twins; and it enables a new customer experience in e-commerce.

1. Education redefined through spatial computing

The Apple Vision Pro is reshaping the education landscape by using new possibilities of spatial computing to redefine how we learn and teach. This technology makes it possible to present complex concepts and spatial relationships in innovative ways, which holds great potential especially in education. Pupils and students, for example, can interact directly with learning materials through gestures and gaze (eye & hand tracking), creating an immersive learning experience. In a biology lesson they could travel through virtual bodies or explore complex mathematical models in three-dimensional space. Apps like INSIGHT HEART and STYLY already showcase such experiences. Siemens Healthineers launched an app for the AVP that lets users view immersive, interactive holograms of the human body (captured through medical scans) in their real surroundings. Visualizing these renderings via the app could help with surgical planning and medical training, or support patients in picturing upcoming procedures. First practical tests of this technology were carried out in the UK in March, with a specialist nurse wearing the Vision Pro during an operation. (source)

1. Industrial metaverse: new dimensions of collaboration

With the industrial metaverse, created in a cooperation between Siemens and Sony, companies gain entirely new ways of collaborating and visualizing. Digital twins of products and plants enable detailed representation and simulation that revolutionize manufacturing processes. This technology supports the visualization of complex data and makes remote maintenance and control of industrial plants easier, leading to more efficient and cost-effective production. But Siemens and Sony aren't the only ones working on the "industrial metaverse". NVIDIA sees the metaverse as the 3D evolution of the internet and wants above all to make working in it easier for companies. In this industrial metaverse, digital twins of factories or products are created, rail networks are simulated, and collaborative work on 3D developments is enabled.

1. Digital twins and the NVIDIA Omniverse

NVIDIA introduced a new software framework based on the Omniverse Cloud APIs that lets developers send their OpenUSD scenes from creation tools to the NVIDIA Graphics Delivery Network (GDN). According to NVIDIA, this cloud-based approach allows real-time renderings to be streamed directly to the Apple Vision Pro without compromising the detail of large, technically demanding datasets.

By creating high-quality, real-time-capable digital twins, the NVIDIA Omniverse opens up new possibilities for developers and designers. They can experience their 3D data in full quality and manipulate it interactively, without any loss of quality or model simplification. This is a reliable basis for developing and simulating products and makes it possible to stream complex datasets efficiently to the Apple Vision Pro. A concrete example is the automotive industry, where designers and engineers can visualize vehicle prototypes in real time and adjust them iteratively. This speeds up development and enables more precise and cost-effective product development. Regarding the Apple Vision Pro, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang highlighted the importance of the partnership between NVIDIA and Apple, especially through the integration of NVIDIA's Omniverse platform. He mentioned that Omniverse Cloud is now available on the Apple Vision Pro, seen as a significant step for using high-resolution cloud rendering in spatial computing environments. This technology allows digital twins and other complex data to be streamed to the Vision Pro in real time without loss of quality, which is especially beneficial for industrial applications (NVIDIA blog https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/omniverse-apple-vision-pro/).

1. Reshaping work through freedom of place

The Apple Vision Pro makes it possible to work anywhere, without compromise. It lets users place themselves in an environment where they can work completely isolated, focused and undisturbed, which is especially valuable in the home office. So you can work focused in the AVP without being distracted, and enjoy breaks all the more. Being among people while you concentrate on your task, and being able to dive into a virtual environment when you need isolation and focus. Thanks to its mixed-reality function, the AVP enables both, and everyone can decide for themselves. Application examples are virtual offices. With features like a virtual 80-inch screen and the ability to multitask efficiently, workflows are optimized and productivity increases. Editing video material while looking at storyboards, for example, becomes easier. Many previous AR solutions use additional handheld devices (smartphone, controller, etc.), which interferes with the actual work. With eye and hand gestures, that falls away on the Vision Pro, which holds great potential in areas like industry or medicine.

1. E-commerce and customer experience rethought

Integrating Omniverse-based workflows and digital twins opens up new channels and possibilities for e-commerce experiences. Companies can present their products in an interactive 3D space, giving customers a deeper understanding of the product and a direct visualization. Through mixed reality, these products can not only be presented in an interactive 3D space but also visualized directly in the customer's home. This visualization can support purchase decisions and strengthen customer loyalty. The Apple Vision Pro makes it possible to experience products and their features in a way far superior to previous online shopping experiences.

The Apple Vision Pro is more than just another tech gadget; it's a transformative platform that makes it possible to reshape education, work and e-commerce. By integrating advanced technologies like eye and hand tracking, as well as the connection to the NVIDIA Omniverse, it offers practical, innovative solutions to the challenges of our time.