April 8, 2022
The Technology Behind the Metaverse
Allison Lawrence
The term Metaverse was first used in the science fiction book Snow Crash to refer to a virtual world. Since then, futuristic predictions of how virtual reality technology will impact the future has become the focus in many books and movies from Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One to the movie The Matrix. But what exactly is the Metaverse? The Metaverse is a network of 3D worlds that can be used for socializing, commerce, and work that is being is considered to be Web 3.0. While a basic version of this can be said to have already existed for several years now, with the video game Fortnite allowing players to meet and interact in a 2D world, big changes are being predicted for the future.
In 2019, Meta, formally known as Facebook, announced Horizon Worlds, a social VR world. It promised to be a more immersive virtual reality experience than ever seen before. In 2020, it opened on a beta platform to select users. One of the big benefits to Horizon is that in addition to having virtual worlds for multiplayer gaming, it has building blocks so that any user can build VR worlds and games. It was released to all users with a Quest VR headset in US and Canada in December of 2021 and already it has over 10,000 different worlds. However, Meta has said that while a VR headset is necessary to truly take advantage of the incredible immersive capabilities, in the future it will also be able to be accessed through Meta’s other platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Some of the advancements that have been made to ensure Horizon’s success is that it is a synchronous and fully live, functioning economy that has a wide range of applications from working to gaming to socializing.
To power such a powerful tool, technology is having to be adapted and advanced to fit with the needs of the meta verse.
Blockchain
The Metaverse is filled with virtual products and experiences, such as digital clothes or concerts, that users can purchase. However, to buy and trade these assets, cryptocurrencies must be used. This is what makes block chain so important. Blockchain is crucial in the security and protection of ownership of a person’s virtual assets in the Metaverse. This is because blockchains are unhackable, immutable, and allow for fast transfer of information and transacting in commerce.
3D reconstruction
3D reconstruction is the recreation of real world places and things in the 3D world. This can have many applications, allowing people to visit a place that is otherwise too far away or even to virtually go house hunting.
Artificial Intelligence
Meta has improved artificial intelligence technology and developed self-supervised learning. They are creating a unified model which is capable to understand multiple modalities at once. In the Metaverse, AI has many roles. The avatars require AI to create a quality and realistic render that is capable of displaying facial expressions and emotions to make them as dynamic and human-like as possible. AI is also capable of language processing in order to promote multilingual accessibility. This makes it possible for two people to be able to hold a conversation in each of their native languages but be able to understand what the other is saying in real time.
Augmented and Virtual Reality
AR and VR are crucial to make the Metaverse an immersive experience and to allow players to enter the worlds. AR is used to overlay virtual visuals into the real world and only requires a smart device with a camera. An example of this is Pokemon Go. Virtual Reality, on the other hand, requires a headset and gloves and completely immersive you into a virtual, three-dimensional world.
Internet of Things
IoT connects the physical and digital world, enabling data to be sent through sensors. This is crucial for the Metaverse, where a big part of it is to collect from the real world and bring it into the 3D world. IoT also helps to improve the digital reconstructions of the physical world.
While a version of the Metaverse has already arrived, it will still take some time for it to become mainstream. One challenge that must be overcome is privacy concerns. In order to enter the Metaverse, large amounts of private information is collected and stored. Biometric information, such a voice and facial expressions, can all be collected in addition to how a person responds in certain situations. There are also health concerns. Currently, Meta requires all users of Horizon Worlds to be 18 or older. However, it is possible for children to lie about their ages or use an adult’s account. One of the reasons it is not safe for children is due to inappropriate content and psychological risks like addiction.
Regardless of these challenges, the Metaverse is here to stay. It is capable of transforming education, the workplace, the economy, and how people socialize. It will not be long until virtual reality and the Metaverse become integrated into everyday life.