The Role of an XR Streaming Platform for Industrial Training: Exploring Hololight Hub in XR5.0

In today’s rapidly evolving industrial landscape, organizations are turning to Extended Reality (XR)—encompassing Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Realities—for immersive and cost-effective employee training in low-risk industrial environments. XR addresses the unique challenges faced by industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and aerospace, where traditional training methods like classroom sessions, simulations, and manuals often fall short. By offering interactive, hands-on learning experiences, XR allows employees to safely train in high-stakes scenarios involving hazardous materials or complex machinery without disrupting production. With features like rapid feedback, performance tracking, and scenario-based learning, XR ensures better knowledge retention, making it a critical tool for workforce development. However, while XR has a lot of potential, scaling it can be difficult. Here’s where XR streaming platforms such as Hololight’s Hololight Hub come in.

Hololight Hub: The XR Streaming Platform

Hololight Hub is a cloud-based system that hosts, manages, and streams XR applications in real time to devices, whether from the cloud or on-premises servers. It ensures high-quality, low-latency streaming, enabling smooth experiences regardless of device capabilities. Features like application version control, user management, analytics, and robust security protocols make it an efficient solution for industrial training. By centralizing XR application management, organizations can quickly update their content and provide access to users across multiple locations, simplifying operations while enhancing scalability.

Hololight Hub, deployed in the XR5.0 project as the XR5.0 training platform, uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) to host XR5.0 apps, leveraging Hololight Stream, a remote rendering solution for immersive, lag-free and secure streaming. Administrators manage access, track progress, and update content through a centralized dashboard, ensuring seamless delivery. The platform supports various devices enabling enterprises to select the device that best aligns with their specific use cases as well as adapting to device capabilities while offering other device features like spatial mapping hand and eye tracking for enhanced AR experiences. With high-fidelity 3D content streaming and secure data management within controlled networks, Hololight Hub delivers immersive XR experiences while minimizing IT workloads.

The Benefits of Using an XR Streaming Platform for Industrial Training

1. Centrally Managed Infrastructure

Hololight Hub allows organizations to centrally manage all training applications and user data, making it easier to deploy training content across multiple locations. This capability is particularly useful for industries with a geographically dispersed workforce. A new training module can be uploaded once and streamed to employees worldwide, ensuring uniform training experiences and avoiding discrepancies that could occur with localized training.

2. Device-Agnostic Access

Industrial environments often consist of a range of devices with varying capabilities. Hololight Hub streaming platform enables training to be accessed on different devices, including AR headsets such as Microsoft HoloLens 2, VR headsets such as Meta Quest 3, Windows Desktop and iOS devices. By streaming content from the cloud, the platform allows even lower-end devices to access high-quality XR applications, thus reducing the need for expensive, specialized hardware.

3. Cost Savings

Physical simulations and custom hardware setups can be prohibitively expensive to create and maintain. By taking a cloud-based approach Hololight Hub reduces cost by eliminating the need for complex on-site installations. Moreover, since training is hosted and managed in the cloud, hardware requirements are minimized on the user side, allowing companies to deliver immersive training on a larger scale without a substantial upfront investment.

4. Scalability and Flexibility

One of the most valuable aspects of XR streaming platforms such as Hololight Hub is their scalability. As companies grow, they can easily scale their training programs to match their expanding workforce without needing additional local hardware. Training modules can be customized to meet the specific needs of various job roles, and employees can access them from anywhere with an internet connection. This flexibility is invaluable in dynamic industrial settings.

5. Enhanced Security

Industrial training often involves sensitive information, from proprietary processes to safety protocols. XR streaming platforms offer robust security measures, including encrypted data transfer and user access management, ensuring that confidential information remains secure. By managing access to applications and monitoring data flows, companies can comply with regulatory standards and protect their valuable intellectual property.

Role of Streaming Platform within XR5.0 project

The XR5.0 project will design, build and provide a cloud-based XR platform to train industrial operators in an immersive environment. The XR5.0 training platform is based on HOLO’s Hololight Hub streaming platform wherein XR5.0-enabled XR apps will be hosted and streamed. The platform will provide a cloud repository, developed by partner SYN, that will enable industrial enterprises to upload and store their training materials and assets. The repository will be integrated with the XR platform to enable streaming of XR training assets in real-time to end-users. In addition, XR5.0 training platform will offer the industrial enterprise the functionality to design and develop immersive training programs (developed by partner IML) that will address the needs of various operators based on expertise and level in industrial environments in alignment with XR5.0 pilots and use cases. As a result, it will enable industrial operators to be completely immersed during training sessions in a high-quality and robust virtual environment grounded in a real-world industrial context. In addition, the project via its XR5.0 apps hosted on the XR5.0 training platform will use AI technologies and the worker’s digital image to personalise the XR training content and flows to the workers’ needs.

Hololight Hub Admin View: The remote expert/admin utilises a web interface to upload and manage applications, training material, assets and users.

Hololight Hub User View: On the XR device, trainees/users can access a library of XR applications specifically assigned to them. Depending on the context of their task or training, they can select and run the appropriate application from this library.