Summary

The Metaverse is a 3D digital world concept consisting of virtual space that individuals can explore and navigate through their created avatars. People can play games, shop, hang out with friends in virtual coffee shops, collaborate with colleagues in virtual offices, and more in the Metaverse. Some video games and office social tools have already adopted some Metaverse elements in their ecosystems.

Cryptocurrency projects such as Decentraland and The Sandbox have taken the lead in running their own digital worlds. However, the metaverse is still a nascent concept, and most features are still under development. Companies such as Facebook (now known as "Meta"), Microsoft, and Nvidia have also begun to create their own metaverse products.

To create an immersive metaverse virtual experience, technology companies are integrating cutting-edge technologies to advance the 3D world, including blockchain, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), 3D reconstruction, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Introduction

The concept of the metaverse was first proposed by Neal Stephenson in 1992. In his science fiction novel Snow Crash, he created a fictional online world where people use digital avatars to explore and escape the real world. Decades later, technology giants have begun to build a futuristic metaverse. What is the metaverse? How do big companies use cutting-edge technology to achieve it step by step?

What is the Metaverse?

The Metaverse is a 3D online digital world that includes virtual land and items. Let's imagine a world where people can work remotely from the comfort of their homes, visit virtual museums to see the latest works of art, and have fun with fans of rock bands at virtual concerts.

Axie Infinity, The Sandbox, and Decentraland incorporate some aspects of the Metaverse, bringing elements of everyday life into the online world. However, the Metaverse is still under development. No one can foresee whether there will be only one large, all-encompassing Metaverse in the future, or multiple Metaverses for the public to travel through.

The concept is still evolving and has the potential to transcend the boundaries of video games and social media platforms. Remote work, decentralized governance, and digital identity are just some of the potential functions supported by the Metaverse. The Metaverse can be transformed into a multi-dimensional space by connecting VR headsets and glasses, and users can explore the 3D space by physically walking around.

The latest developments in the Metaverse

In October 2021, Facebook changed its name to Meta, and since then, "Metaverse" has become a new hot word. In order to reshape its brand image, the social media giant invested a lot of resources in 2021 and spent at least $10 billion on the new "Reality Labs" department. CEO Mark Zuckerberg firmly believes that the development of future Metaverse content, software, augmented reality and VR headsets will be as popular as smartphones.

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the development of the Metaverse. As more people work remotely, the public's demand for more diverse ways to connect and interact with each other has increased. It is becoming increasingly popular for colleagues to use virtual 3D spaces to participate in meetings, follow up on work progress, and collaborate. Microsoft Mesh, which was launched in November 2021, is a good example. Users use virtual avatars to communicate and collaborate in this immersive space, making remote team meetings more interactive and fun.

Some online games have also embraced the Metaverse. Pokémon Go is the first AR mobile game to create this concept, where users can capture virtual Pokémon in the real world using a smartphone app. Another popular game, Fortnite, extends its products to a variety of rich activities in the digital world, including hosting brand events and concerts.

In addition to social media and gaming platforms, technology companies such as Nvidia are also opening up new opportunities in the virtual world. Nvidia Omniverse is an open platform that aims to connect 3D spaces into a shared environment to promote virtual collaboration between engineers, designers, and creators. Currently, the platform has been applied to multiple industries. For example, the BMW Group is using Omniverse's smart production to shorten production time and improve product quality.

Key technologies driving the development of the Metaverse

To make the Metaverse experience more immersive, companies are using cutting-edge technologies to build 3D worlds, including blockchain, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), 3D reconstruction, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Blockchain and Cryptocurrency

Blockchain technology provides a transparent and open decentralized solution for digital proof of ownership, digital collectibles, value transfer, governance, operability, and interoperability. Users can use cryptocurrency to transfer value when working or socializing in the 3D digital world.

For example, in Decentraland, cryptocurrencies can be used to purchase virtual land. Players can use the game's cryptocurrency MANA to purchase 16x16 meter plots of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Thanks to blockchain technology, the ownership of these virtual lands is established and secure.

Cryptocurrency is expected to become an incentive in the future to allow people to do actual work in the Metaverse. As more and more companies move their office environment online and conduct remote work, some Metaverse-related job opportunities may emerge.

For a deeper exploration of these areas, read What is the Metaverse?

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) allow us to have an immersive 3D interactive experience. This is our starting point to the virtual world. What is the difference between augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)?

Augmented reality uses digital visual elements and characters to transform the real world. It is more common than virtual reality and can be used on almost any smartphone or digital device with a camera. Through augmented reality applications, users can view their surroundings with interactive digital visual effects, similar to the experience of the mobile game "Pokemon Go". Players can see Pokémon in the real world as long as they open their mobile phone camera.

Virtual reality works differently. Virtual reality is similar to the concept of the metaverse in that it creates a completely computer-generated virtual environment that users can explore by wearing a VR headset, gloves, and sensors.

The way augmented reality and virtual reality work is an early prototype of the Metaverse. Virtual reality has already created a digital world that integrates virtual visual content. As the technology matures, virtual reality can enhance the experience of using the Metaverse by simulating the physical world through VR devices. Users will be able to interact with people from all over the world and feel and hear each other. Considering the continued popularity of the Metaverse, we can foresee that in the near future, more and more Metaverse companies will invest in the development of AR and VR devices.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been widely used in our lives, involving business strategy planning, decision making, facial recognition, and fast computing. Recently, experts have begun to explore the possibility of using artificial intelligence to create an immersive metaverse.

Artificial intelligence can process massive amounts of data at lightning speed. Combined with machine learning technology, artificial intelligence algorithms learn from past iterations, refer to historical data, and ultimately output unique insights.

In the Metaverse, AI can be applied to non-player characters (NPCs) in different scenarios. Non-player characters are part of the game environment and can be found in almost every game. Their main function is to interact with players. With the processing power of AI, non-player characters can have realistic conversations with users or perform specific tasks in 3D space. Unlike real users, AI non-player characters can operate independently and can be used by millions of players at the same time. In addition, multiple language settings can be made.

Another potential application of AI is the creation of virtual avatars for the Metaverse. AI engines analyze 2D images or 3D scans to generate virtual avatars with greater realism and accuracy. AI can also create rich facial expressions, hairstyles, clothing, and features, making the created digital characters more lifelike and dynamic.

3D Reconstruction

3D reconstruction is not a new technology, but its use has been increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the real estate industry, as potential buyers are unable to visit properties in person during the lockdown. As a result, some real estate agencies are using 3D reconstruction technology to create virtual tours of properties. Just like in our envisioned metaverse, buyers will be able to visit and purchase their dream new property from anywhere without leaving their home.

One of the challenges facing the Metaverse is to create a digital environment that is close to the real world, and with 3D reconstruction, we can build a realistic and natural space. We can build a photorealistic 3D model by rendering buildings, actual locations and objects through special 3D cameras, thereby virtualizing the real-world network. Then, we transfer the 3D space data and 4K high-definition photography to the computer for processing and generate a virtual copy of the Metaverse for users to experience. These virtual copies of real-world objects are also called "digital twins."

Internet of Things (IoT)

The concept of the Internet of Things (IoT) was first proposed in 1999. Simply put, the Internet of Things is a system that connects everything in the real world to the Internet through sensors and devices. After these devices are connected to the Internet, they are equipped with unique identifiers and can automatically send or receive information. Currently, the Internet of Things is connecting a wide variety of massive types of data, such as thermostats, voice-controlled speakers, and medical devices.

One of the major applications of IoT in the Metaverse is to collect and provide real-world data to improve the accuracy of digital representations. For example, IoT data transmission can change the way certain Metaverse objects operate based on current weather or other conditions.

IoT implementation allows the 3D world to be seamlessly connected with a large number of real-life devices, so that real-time simulations can be created in the Metaverse. To further optimize the Metaverse environment, IoT uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to manage the collected data.

Challenges facing the Metaverse

The Metaverse is still in its early stages of development and faces many challenges, such as identity authentication and privacy control. In real life, it is usually not difficult to identify a person. However, if people move around in the digital world as avatars, it is difficult to identify or verify their identities. For example, criminals or even robots can enter the Metaverse disguised as someone else. They can then use this to damage someone else's reputation or defraud other users.

Another challenge is privacy. The Metaverse relies on AR and VR devices to provide an immersive experience. These technologies, with their camera capabilities and unique identifiers, could eventually lead to the accidental disclosure of personal information.

Summarize

The Metaverse is still a work in progress, but many companies are already exploring its potential. The cryptocurrency space has seen notable projects like Decentraland and The Sandbox, while big companies like Microsoft, Nvidia, and Facebook have also begun to get involved. As augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence advance, we will also see these borderless virtual worlds demonstrate exciting new features.