Abstract

The metaverse is a 3D digital world concept, consisting of a virtual space in which individuals can explore and travel through created avatars. People can play games, shop in the metaverse, hang out with friends in virtual coffee shops, collaborate with colleagues in virtual offices, and so on. Some video games and office social tools already employ certain metaverse elements in their ecosystems.

Cryptocurrency projects such as Decentraland and The Sandbox were the first to put their respective digital worlds into operation. However, the Metaverse is still an emerging 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.

In order to create an immersive metaverse virtual experience, technology companies have integrated cutting-edge technologies to promote the development of the 3D world. These technologies include: 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 proposed in the year. In his science fiction novel "Snow Crash," he created a fictional online world in which people use digital avatars to explore and escape from the real world. Decades later, technology giants have begun to build futuristic metaverses. What is the Metaverse? How do large companies use cutting-edge technology to achieve this step by step?

What is the Metaverse?

The Metaverse is a 3D online digital world concept that contains virtual lands and items. Let’s imagine a world where people work remotely from the comfort of their homes, visit virtual museums to admire the latest works of art, and entertain fans of rock bands at virtual concerts.

Axie Infinity, The Sandbox and Decentraland integrate certain contents of the metaverse and integrate various elements of daily life into the online world. However, the Metaverse is still in development. No one can foresee whether there will be only one large-scale and all-encompassing metaverse in the future, or whether there will be multiple metaverses for the public to travel through.

This concept is still evolving and promises to break the boundaries between video games and social media platforms. Remote working, decentralized governance, and digital identity are just some of the potential capabilities 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 walking around.

The latest development of the Metaverse

In October 2021, Facebook changed its name to Meta. Since then, &ldquo "Metaverse" has become a new favorite word. In order to reshape its brand image, the social media giant will invest a lot of resources in 2021 and spend at least US$10 billion in the new "Reality Labs" department. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is convinced that in the future Metaverse content, software, augmented reality and VR headset development will be as ubiquitous as smartphones.

The spread of the new coronavirus epidemic has accelerated the development process of the Metaverse. As more and more people begin to work remotely, the public’s demand for diverse ways to connect and interact with each other increases. 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, unveiled in November 2021, is a good example. Users use avatars to communicate and collaborate in this immersive space, making remote team meetings more interactive and fun.

Some online games are also open to the Metaverse. "Pokémon Go" is the first AR mobile game to create this concept. Users can capture virtual Pokémon in the real world using a smartphone app. Another popular game, “Fortnite,” has extended 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 designed to connect 3D spaces into shared environments to facilitate virtual collaboration among engineers, designers and creators. At present, the platform has been applied in many industries. For example, the BMW Group is using Omniverse’s smart production to shorten production times and improve product quality.

Key technologies to promote the development of the Metaverse

In order to make the Metaverse experience more immersive, various Major companies are using cutting-edge technologies to create 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 digital proof of ownership, digital collectibles, Value transfer, governance, operability and interoperability provide transparent and open decentralized solutions. 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 purchase non-fungible token (NFT) plots of 16x16 meters using the game cryptocurrency MANA. With the blessing of blockchain technology, the ownership of these virtual lands can be established and secured.

Cryptocurrencies are expected to serve as incentives in the future for people to do actual work in the Metaverse. As more and more companies turn their office environments online and carry out remote work, some job opportunities related to the Metaverse may also emerge.

For a more in-depth exploration of these areas, please readWhat is the Metaverse? 》.  

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual reality (VR) allows us to obtain 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 visuals, similar to the experience of the mobile game Pokémon Go. Players can see Pokémon in the real world as long as they turn on their phone's camera.

Virtual reality works differently. The concept of virtual reality is similar to that of the metaverse. They both create a virtual environment that is completely computer-generated. Users can explore it by wearing VR headsets, gloves and sensors.

The way augmented reality and virtual reality work are early prototypes of the Metaverse. Virtual reality has created digital worlds that incorporate virtual visual content. As technology becomes more mature, virtual reality can be physically simulated through VR equipment, thereby enhancing the experience of using the Metaverse. Users will be able to interact with people from all over the globe and feel and hear each other. Considering that the popularity of the Metaverse continues unabated, we can foresee that in the near future, more and more Metaverse companies will invest in the development of AR and VR equipment.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gained a lot of attention in our lives. It is widely used in business strategy planning, decision-making, facial recognition and rapid calculation. Recently, experts have begun exploring 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, the artificial intelligence algorithm learns from past iterations, refers to historical data, and finally outputs unique insights.

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

Another potential application of artificial intelligence is the creation of avatars of the Metaverse. The artificial intelligence engine analyzes 2D images or 3D scans to generate more realistic and accurate avatars. Artificial intelligence can also create rich facial expressions, hairstyles, clothing and features, making the created digital characters more lifelike and with better dynamic effects.

3D reconstruction

3D reconstruction is not a new technology, and its usage has been increasing during the COVID-19 epidemic. , especially in the real estate industry, where potential buyers are unable to inspect properties in person during lockdown. Therefore, some agents use 3D reconstruction technology to create virtual house tours. Just like the metaverse we envision, buyers can inspect and purchase the new properties they dream of anywhere without even stepping out of their homes.

A major challenge facing the Metaverse is to create a digital environment that is close to the real world, and with 3D reconstruction, a realistic and natural space can be constructed. We use special 3D cameras to render buildings, actual locations and objects to build photorealistic 3D models, thereby virtualizing the real-world network. Then, we transfer the 3D spatial 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 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. When connected to the Internet, these devices are equipped with a unique identifier and can automatically send or receive information. The Internet of Things is currently connecting vast amounts of data of all kinds, from thermostats to voice-activated speakers to medical devices.

One of the applications of the Internet of Things in the Metaverse is to collect and provide real-world data to improve the accuracy of digital representation. For example, IoT data transmission could change the way certain metaverse objects behave based on current weather or other conditions.

Internet of Things implementations allow the 3D world to seamlessly connect with a large number of real-life devices, allowing real-time simulations to 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 the early stages of development and is still facing identity authentication and privacy management and many other challenges. In real life, personal identification is usually not difficult. But it can be difficult to identify or authenticate people if they move around the digital world as avatars. For example, criminals and even robots could enter the Metaverse disguised as someone else. They then use this to damage others' reputations or defraud other users.

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

Summary

The Metaverse is still under development, but many The company has already begun exploring its development potential. The cryptocurrency field has given birth to high-profile projects such as Decentraland and The Sandbox, and major companies such as Microsoft, Nvidia and Facebook have also begun to get involved. As augmented reality, virtual reality and artificial intelligence technologies advance, we will also see these borderless virtual worlds demonstrate exciting new capabilities.