Application of the Metaverse in Product Engineering – A Workshop for Identification of Potential Field of Action

Metaverse will not only change our interpersonal interaction in the future, but also how we develop future products, systems and services. This paper presents five potential fields of action in product engineering regarding the application of the metaverse in product engineering, which were identified in an overarching workshop. For this purpose, different research profiles were determined in the workshop with people of different expertise in product engineering to identify initial research questions and challenges. Research profiles, based on the product profile in product engineering, revealed the following topics of the five potential fields of action: creativity, validation and verification, cross-generational development, Product-Production-CoDesign and education. Human creativity is an important foundation for product development, as it can generate new ideas. This is precisely where potential fields of action exist, for example, in how far the metaverse enables the execution of creativity methods in virtual environment. The metaverse shows potential in validation and verification, as several relevant stakeholders can be integrated with early virtual, physical or hybrid prototypes. Furthermore, products can be represented across generations to ensure circular economy, upgradeability. Here, the metaverse shows potential to access multi-generational products. In addition, the production system can be developed simultaneously with the product itself to correct errors or problems at an early stage. In addition to the direct support of product development, the developers themselves can also be trained in the metaverse by being introduced to new methods, processes and tools by experts. These five potential fields of action need to be further explored in order to better develop or enable services in the metaverse in product development.