University of Oulu and SME partners demonstrated co-creative cyber studio at 6GTNF project seminar

The University of Oulu, in collaboration with SME partners FINWE, Kaitotek, and Allbesmart, demonstrated an innovative participatory co-creative cyber studio at the 6GTNF project seminar held at Dipoli, Espoo, on 26 September 2024.

The demonstration used a sliced O-RAN-compliant 5G network with continuous Quality of Service (QoS) monitoring, enabling seamless collaboration in a virtual environment and real-world actuation through digital twins.

This is a breakthrough for digital fabrication. It allows users without direct access at scale to a fabrication lab to engage in rapid prototyping. By leveraging the cyber-studio, users can remotely design, finalise, and execute 3D printing jobs through avatars in a shared metaverse environment.

The co-creative cyber-studio results from the integration of three Horizon Europe 6G-XR Open Call projects into the University of Oulu’s 5G Test Network, with partial support from the 6GTNF project.

Following the integration, extensive measurements were conducted to validate the system’s performance.

In the demonstration, a remote user wishing to create a 3D-printed object used an avatar to bring their original design to the digital twin of the University of Oulu’s Fab Lab. An instructor’s avatar, also present in the same 3D digital twin, assisted in finalising the design. Once completed, the design was uploaded to the digital twin of a 3D printer. The printer was then activated within the metaverse, which triggered the physical printer in the real world to begin the printing process. The entire printing job could be monitored in the metaverse through live camera feeds from the physical printer.

This successful demonstration highlights the potential of sliced O-RAN systems to support co-creative applications while maintaining network integrity. It opens new avenues for digital fabrication and prototyping, making these technologies more accessible to a broader audience.

For more details on the demonstration, please contact Project Manager Antti Pauanne (antti.pauanne@oulu.fi) or Professor Ari Pouttu (ari.pouttu@oulu.fi)