Manufacturing & Engineering Week Review and What the Apple Vision Pro Means for Manufacturing Marketing

Last week, we exhibited at Manufacturing & Engineering Week. It was just one of a cluster of manufacturing events and expos being hosted at the NEC in Birmingham, including Subcon, Auto Mechanika, Smart Factory Expo, Maintec, Drives & Controls, Design + Engineering Expo, and the Med-Tech Innovation Expo. We had stands at both M&E and Med-Tech Innovation, and we had the opportunity to speak to hundreds of other leading manufacturers, marketers, and developers.

Opening the Gates to Innovation

As innovators ourselves, we always jump at the chance to explore new tech, and there was plenty to see at the NEC last week. From loading and production supply chain machinery to software and processing solutions, it was an inspired experience for our team to take a deep dive into the various corners of the manufacturing industry and see what’s up and coming.

Of all the innovations in the room, there was one common topic on everyone’s lips; the Apple Vision Pro. Described by Apple as ‘a revolutionary spatial computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world’, the headset is filled with pioneering, first-of-its-kind hardware and software. Claiming to effortlessly blend the digital world with a physical landscape, the Vision Pro has certainly caught the attention of manufacturers.

Apple Vision Pro Manufacturing Applications

Apple has been very open about the fact the Vision Pro is a work in progress, but as a company already leading the way in using spatial computing for manufacturing marketing, we see the release of the Vision Pro as major statement about the future of mixed reality from the world’s largest technology company.

For example, using our product marketing platform, delegates can already scan a machine at a trade show with their smartphone and watch as key data and features seamlessly appear in augmented reality. With this in mind, it’s easy to imagine a future where this kind of experience is available using wearable glasses instead of a handheld device. The Vision Pro might not be fully there yet due it’s size and cost, but it’s a big step forward.

Apple wants the Vision Pro to become a productivity machine, and this means it’s relying on productivity giants like Microsoft and Adobe to get on board, along with smaller tech innovators (like us!). At the moment, the Vision Pro is pegged for release in the US only, so the early adoption and success will determine whether the likes of Adobe and Microsoft choose to create Vision Pro versions of their remaining products and if other companies will follow suit.

Given the buzz we’ve seen in the UK where a release isn’t even confirmed yet, it’s looking like the Vision Pro will be a success for Apple, and most definitely for the overall 3D / spatial computing sphere.

Does Vision Pro Change Anything Right Now?

From immersive simulations and training to enhanced collaboration and communication, there’s certainly scope for internal business uses between teams, and external meetings and demos, but is the Vision Pro revolutionary in this aspect?

More advanced networking and collaboration apps continue to enter the market, and the 3D visualisation element of the Vision Pro isn’t new. In fact, it’s not too dissimilar to what we do here at MARTECH3D; our 3D platform allows for immersive virtual demos and simulations that can be applied across both sales and marketing.

While the more niche details of the Apple Vision Pro are yet to be drilled down and cemented, it was great to see so many in the industry get excited about AR and virtual platforms as part of their operations, and we look forward to more conversations and developments within the spatial computing and 3D digital arena.