The Metaverse for Industry 5.0 in NextG Communications: Potential Applications and Future Challenges

With the advent of new technologies and endeavours for automation in almost all day-to-day activities, the recent discussions on the metaverse life have a greater expectation. The metaverse enables people to communicate with each other by combining the physical world with the virtual world. However, realizing the Metaverse requires symmetric content delivery, low latency, dynamic network control, etc. Industry 5.0 is expected to reform the manufacturing processes through human-robot collaboration and effective utilization of technologies like Artificial intelligence for increased productivity and less maintenance. The metaverse with Industry 5.0 may have tremendous technological integration for a more immersive experience and enhanced productivity. In this review, we present an overview of the metaverse and Industry 5.0, focusing on key technologies that enable the industrial metaverse, including virtual and augmented reality, 3D modeling, artificial intelligence, edge computing, digital twins, blockchain, and 6G communication networks. The article then discusses the metaverse's diverse applications across various Industry 5.0 sectors, such as agriculture, supply chain management, healthcare, education, and transportation, illustrated through several research initiatives. Additionally, the article addresses the challenges of implementing the industrial metaverse, proposes potential solutions, and outlines directions for future research.