THE METAVERSE

The metaverse is an ecosystem of a virtual world, in which users represented by avatars interacts and collaborate on a variety of real life issues in a mirror universe.

The metaverse is indeed a place to remotely network, work and play, buy and sell without leaving the confines or the comfort of home. It offers a lucid presence of a live audience faraway yet at your doorsteps.

The metaverse creates an illusion of a virtual world similar to the real world using virtual or augmented reality, block chain, artificial intelligence and internet of things technologies.

The primary interface technology for the metaverse consist of various virtual or augmented reality devices, such as goggles and lenses for output and haptic devices, laser scanners or cameras for inputs. These devices also have built in cameras or infrared laser scanners that track hand, leg and body movements, and allowing interaction with virtual objects, persons and environments.

The interaction in the metaverse is controlled by the software; hence the software and hardware integration is critical to the success of a viable metaverse.

Some of the software used in the metaverse are virtual or augmented reality engines, content creation tools, virtual or augmented software development kits (SDK) and an operating system.

The virtual or augmented reality engines like unity unreal engine or other game engines support virtual or augmented reality developments.

The content creation tools are 3D modeling software, animation tools and physics engines

The virtual or augmented reality software development kits (SDK) that provide the application programming interface (APIs) and tools for building the virtual or augmented reality experience.

The operating systems like windows, mac OS, or Linux operating system support virtual or augmented reality applications.

Block chain and crypto currency technology adds another impetus to the metaverse. Block chains provides for a decentralized and transparent transaction for digital assets ownership and secure transaction in the metaverse.

The use of artificial intelligence technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing and computer vision adds intelligence and responsiveness to the metaverse to power intelligent agents, chat box and personalized avatars experiences.

The internet of things technology connects physical devices to the digital or virtual world. The internet of things infrastructure, enables seamless communication and interaction between various devices which are essential in creating an immersive and interactive in the metaverse.

The advantages of the metaverse are; it provides an immersive and interactive experience, it increases connectivity and accessibility allowing access to information services and new business opportunities, such as virtual real estate, immersive advertising, digital goods and services, novel healthcare, increased accessibility and new forms of entertainment.

The main disadvantages of the metaverse are the technical challenges needed to create a viable metaverse and they are; the high cost of accessibility to the metaverse, the social isolation, mental health and regulatory challenges and the constraints in providing a secure metaverse.

However the metaverse will find widespread application in the following areas; the metaverse will allow users to create avatars with virtual characters to perform a variety of roles in the virtual world.

The metaverse will greatly transform the work place, online education and social institutions such that for example workers, students or customers will be able to meet  and conduct virtual meeting, classes or any activity in metaverse  with much sense and awareness of each other physical presence.

The metaverse will greatly revolutionize the way we work and play, deliver service and operate public and private institutions and so on without the loss of human touch and vitality.

 

 

SOURCES:

• The metaverse: a new era of virtual reality by Matthew Ball.
• Metaverse:A guide to the future of the internet by Tony Parisi.
• Virtual reality and the metaverse: A technical guide by Micheal E. Kaufman.
• Building the metaverse: A guide to creating immersive virtual worlds by John E. Davies.
• Virtual worlds: A new frontier for business and economics by Edward Castronova.