With demand for metaverse talent set to rise, XR labs pop up in colleges

Though staffing firms have not observed any major hiring jump for XR skills, they say it will rise in the next 1-3 years and India will be one of the largest talent markets for these skills. (Illustration by Suneesh K.)

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “A tumor is a solid mass of tissue that forms when abnormal cells group together. Tumors can affect bones, skin, tissue, organs and glands. Many tumors are not cancer (they’re benign). But they still may need treatment. Cancerous, or malignant, tumors can be life-threatening and require cancer treatment.”

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), in association with the Department of Neurosurgery in Manipal Institute of Technology, is today using extended reality (XR) to study the deeper aspects of tumours and help doctors establish their intensity, volume, and exact position to plan surgeries precisely and accurately.

This is done using the Digital Imaging and Communications or DICOM 3D data of a patient.

On the other hand, Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM), a Deemed to be University, has been discussing possible collaborations with Tata Steel, NACL and other major firms. Here, the major focus is on creating digital twins of heavy machines. For instance, Tata Steel is working on ‘digital twins’ of sinter plants. In the pilot mode, a sinter plant is controlled from a building that used to be occupied by people, who now work from home, using tech such as augmentative and virtual reality (AR/VR).

Medical and industrial applications are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to XR technology. Extended reality, or XR, is an emerging realm of technology that combines real and virtual environments. The term is used to refer to human-machine interactions generated through wearables and computer technology. There is, however, a dearth of skilled talent in the market for companies looking to develop these applications. Awakening to this demand, a few engineering institutes are now setting up XR labs and offering courses to help students develop their skills and be industry-ready.

Preparing for the future

XR is categorised into three types namely AR, VR, and mixed reality (MR). Mixed reality is one of three types of extended reality technologies often associated with the metaverse. An MR headset can allow the wearer to use a real-world object to trigger a virtual-world reaction.

The AR/VR space is a niche field requiring a substantial amount of investment by colleges to establish labs — a unit of Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 alone costs around $3,500.

Hoping their efforts pay off as demand for such talent is rising, some institutes have not shied away from investing time and money on this front. Manipal, GITAM, Mahindra and Sharda University are among the varsities that are putting XR on the curriculum.

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The labs usually are large and require state-of-the-art tech. For instance, Visakhapatnam-based GITAM has equipment such as Microsoft HoloLens 2, PICO 4, Oculus Quest 2, VR Data Gloves, Leap motion sensor, Intel real sense, 3D scanners etc.

On the project side, GITAM has divided the work into two sections: Software and Hardware. Currently, hardware such as VR Data Gloves comes at a huge cost. “Hence to reduce this burden we are working on developing our Touch and Haptic VR Gloves, which can be developed with low costs and used for testing purposes,” said Mandava Kranthi Kiran, Assistant Director of the Centre for Extended Reality (CXR) at GITAM.

At Manipal, the virtual reality research in the medical domain is to help doctors plan surgical procedures in a virtual environment, improve accuracy and reduce time in the Operation Theatre (OT).

Medical immersive learning refers to the use of VR to simulate medical scenarios and provide realistic training experiences for healthcare professionals. The other objective is to train the student community, enhance their skill sets and improve their career opportunities in the field of XR.

Dr Hareesha KS, Coordinator of the Centre for Virtual Reality at MAHE, feels XR labs will eventually bring changes in the curriculum to include more related courses and programmes and increase industry linkages on the campus.

“Moreover, the ER Lab can serve as a collaborative hub, bringing together students from diverse disciplines to work on multidisciplinary projects,” he added.

In the pipeline

Though staffing firms have not observed any major hiring jump for XR skills, they say it will rise in the next 1-3 years and India will be one of the largest talent markets for these skills. The reason being that there are no separate or newfound skills needed for candidates to enter the XR industry.

Experts observed that most skills in demand for metaverse-related technologies are Unity, 3D modelling and AR/VR, with a strong background in programming basics of C++, C# or Java.

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Some institutes such as Mahindra and Sharda University are approaching XR in higher education through the lens of industry demand. As per an Accenture 2022 report, XR is poised to be a $160-billion industry by the end of 2023 globally and XR spending is projected to exceed $6.5 billion by 2022 from under $2 billion in 2020 in India alone. The next report is yet to be released.

“Storytelling, for example, will need to be recalibrated in an environment that is enabled by a combination of AR, VR, artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics,” said Professor Shashidhar Nanjundaiah, Founding Dean and Professor of the Mahindra University School of Media.

To foster innovation, the School of Media, which is yet to be launched, plans to invest in immersive technologies that find applications in the media practice.

Additionally, Mahindra University envisages more specialised programmes and courses that integrate XR methodologies into the curriculum, ensuring that students continue to be at the forefront of media innovation.

On the other hand, Sharda University’s ER labs will work in 2D and 3D game development and add immersive elements to these games as well. Another focus area will be developing 3D models that can be utilised in any of these games before creating a simulation and training environment for multiple sectors.

“XR labs serve as a breeding ground for skilled individuals who possess the necessary knowledge and practical experience in XR development, design, and application. Thus, these labs can become a talent pipeline for new-age companies looking to incorporate XR into their products, services, and experiences,” said Rani Astya, Assistant Professor of Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) at Sharda University.

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As per a report by market research firm MarketsandMarkets, the demand for talent with metaverse knowledge is expected to be highest in the consumer vertical followed by the commercial vertical. The study showed that the metaverse market for the consumer vertical had a significant market share of 50 percent in 2022. It consists of gaming, social media, sports, live entertainment, and concerts.

Further, commercial verticals, including retail and e-commerce, travel & tourism, education, and corporations had the second largest market share of 16 percent in 2022. That will only grow in the years to come.