NVIDIA expands OpenUSD with new tools for industrial sectors

NVIDIA has announced significant enhancements to its Universal Scene Description (OpenUSD), which is expected to broaden the framework to include sectors like robotics, industrial design, and engineering. The new developments aim to aid industries in building precise virtual worlds, facilitating the next generation of artificial intelligence.

The enhancements build on the NVIDIA Omniverse platform, a tool designed to help industries visualise and simulate industrial design and engineering projects. By incorporating NVIDIA-accelerated development frameworks, which now include OpenUSD-based generative AI models, developers can create advanced applications for various sectors. New USD connectors also allow massive, fully NVIDIA RTX ray-traced datasets to be streamed to Apple Vision Pro.

Rev Lebaredian, vice president of Omniverse and simulation technology at NVIDIA, said, "The generative AI boom for heavy industries is here. Until recently, digital worlds have been primarily used by creative industries; now, with the enhancements and accessibility NVIDIA NIM microservices are bringing to OpenUSD, industries of all kinds can build physically based virtual worlds and digital twins to drive innovation while preparing for the next wave of AI: robotics."

Among the newly introduced tools are NVIDIA NIM microservices tailored for generative AI models to accelerate OpenUSD adoption across diverse industrial sectors. These models provide capabilities such as generating OpenUSD Python code, applying materials to 3D objects, and understanding 3D space and physics, thereby expediting the development of digital twins and robots.

The preview of available microservices includes USD Code NIM, which can answer general knowledge questions about OpenUSD and auto-generate OpenUSD-Python code. This code can be visualised in an OpenUSD viewing application, such as usdview from Pixar, or an NVIDIA Omniverse Kit-based application. USD Search NIM lets developers search extensive libraries of OpenUSD, 3D, and image data using natural language or image inputs. USD Validate NIM checks the compatibility of uploaded files against OpenUSD release versions and renders path-traced images using NVIDIA Omniverse Cloud APIs.

Microservices expected to be available soon include USD Layout NIM, which enables users to assemble OpenUSD-based scenes from text prompts, and USD SmartMaterial NIM, which applies realistic materials to CAD objects. Other tools include fVDB Mesh Generation NIM, fVDB Physics Super-Res NIM, and fVDB NeRF-XL NIM, focusing on mesh generation and high-resolution physics simulation.

Businesses are already utilising NVIDIA's new developments. Foxconn is leveraging NVIDIA NIM microservices and Omniverse to create a digital twin of a factory. Dr Zhe Shi, Foxconn's Chief Digital Officer, said, "Digital twins will help us accelerate the next wave of industrial manufacturing and autonomous machines. NVIDIA Omniverse and the new NIM microservices will democratise the ability to develop digital twins and help our teams build physically based virtual factories faster than ever."

Additionally, WPP, a global marketing and communications services company, has adopted USD Search and USD Code NIM microservices in its AI-enabled content creation pipeline for clients like The Coca-Cola Company. Stephan Pretourius, WPP’s chief technology officer, noted, "Using NVIDIA NIM microservices with NVIDIA Omniverse has made it possible for us to launch innovative new production tools with companies like The Coca-Cola Company at unprecedented speed."

NVIDIA has announced new USD connectors to enhance generative AI applications across various industries, including collaborating with Siemens. This integration will bring OpenUSD pipelines to Siemens' Simcenter portfolio, supporting high-fidelity, real-time visualisation of complex simulation data. Siemens aims to incorporate Omniverse into its Teamcenter Product Lifecycle Management portfolio.

Steve May, chief technology officer of Pixar and chairman of the Alliance for OpenUSD, remarked, "OpenUSD is revolutionising the way we create and interact with 3D content. Now, with these new services and APIs for OpenUSD built by NVIDIA, we expect to see accelerated growth and adoption of USD, paving the way for new users and industries to more easily engage with our ecosystem."