I’m sure you already had chance to see the new 3DVIA Mobile application, and I’ll bet you find it really cool. However, all the discussions around mobile applications and 3D got me thinking about a connection between two worlds created by this application – the virtual word and the physical world.

The virtual world – we live it all the time when using software to create our products, designs, projects and models. The physical world is everything surrounding us. All products we design and manufacture will live in our physical world.

1. Establish a direct connection between PLM content and physical objects. For quite a long time, everything we designed or manufactured happened first on paper. During the last 20-30 years, this has been happening in our computers. However, the Internet and other technologies of today can change this perspective. Maps and other GIS applications were the first bridges connecting our virtual worlds with the real outside world. Now we can jump over and establish a connection between content we design virtually with real worlds – starting from information about users, customers, places, and, going forward, to real connections using cameras and VR equipment. Virtual-to-physical relationships become a first dimension in the connection between PLM and world content.

2. Create social relationships crossing physical and virtual boundaries. A second dimension is to connect people. With the huge social networking expansion in our everyday lives, we can think about connecting real people to their virtual avatars. We can use these connections to simulate their experiences and work across virtual to physical boundaries. Social networking experiences can reflect behaviors of people designing and manufacturing products. So, social connection is the second dimension to connect PLM and everyday people’s lives.

3. Experience hybrid relationships in mixed virtual and physical worlds. As soon as we’ll be able to establish such mixed environments, connecting information between two words, we’ll be to experience virtual objects in our everyday life. I think the 3DVIA Mobile example is a first and very small step. In the future mixed reality applications will come to many places where virtual experiences will be the first step before producing something physical. This is the third dimension.

I understand, this is sort of a dream. However, looking on the first applications we see today like 3DVIA Mobile and a growing amount of content, that exists online (such as 3DVIA content online etc.), I think, the future is not as far off as it looks in the beginning.

Do you agree?

Best,
Oleg

**picture courtesy of Project10x