Individuals can use the Metaverse for leisure, entertainment, socializing, as a marketplace to buy items and for education, among other purposes. Currently, technology giants including Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, Roblox, Snap and Unity, among others, are building the infrastructure of Metaverse. At the time of writing many commentators are envisaging that the Metaverse’s virtual environments will be replicating the real world. For instance, the Metaverse’s virtual reality (VR) environment can be used to deliver lectures to students located in remote locations. Course instructors can utilize its immersive 3D capabilities in synchronous and asynchronous learning environments. They can interact with their students’ avatars in real time to provide immediate feedback. In addition, they may avail themselves of the Metaverse virtual settings to catapult their students in learning scenarios that are constrained by the limits of reality, or by their own imagination, to enable them to learn in a practical, yet safe environment. Table 1 features a clear (and comprehensible) definition of some of the most popular terms related to the ‘Metaverse’.
Table 1. Key terms related to the adoption of the Metaverse
| Keyword | Definition |
| Avatar | An avatar represents a human figure with a fictitious, animated character in electronic games as well as in the internet’s websites including in social media and in the Metaverse. They may usually appear to be similar in their physical features and expressions as their real-world counterparts. However, online users may want to customize their avatars to disguise themselves by creating very imaginative characters. |
| Digital twin | The digital twin refers to a virtual representation of a real-world product, system, or process that spans its lifecycle. It can be considered as a digital counterpart. A digital twin can be utilized for practical purposes including for monitoring, testing of simulations, maintenance et cetera. Its underlying objective is to generate useful insights on how to improve real life objects and their systems. It is intended to mimic the lifecycle of a physical entity it represents (from its inception up to its disposal). However, the digital twin could exist before the existence of a physical entity. The initial stages of a digital twin (in the creation phase) enable the intended entity’s entire lifecycle to be simulated and tested. Hence, the development of digital twins involves continuous improvements in product designs, operational processes and engineering activities, as they are acquiring new capabilities through trial-and-error phases, simulations and machine learning. The rationale of digital twins is to increase the efficiency of products and systems, to enhance their performance outcomes. |
| Extended reality (XR) | XR refers to an umbrella term that incorporates augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) that mirror the physical world or a digital twin. It refers to the combination of real and virtual environments that can comprise different objects and systems. Each of them will have their own roles, features and attributes. A multisensory XR system conveys signals to the human beings’ nervous systems through visual, auditory, olfactory and haptic cues that are very similar to real life feelings and experiences (Yu et al., 2023). Such technologies could be designed to support their users’ well-being. They may involve digital therapeutics that can affect the individuals’ perceptions, state of mind and behaviors. |
| Mixed reality (MR) | MR is an inter-reality system comprising a physical reality as well as 3D digital worlds, where real and virtual objects could co-exist and interact in real time. MR integrates AR and VR technologies to provide holographic representations of objects in a virtuality continuum (Yoo et al., 2022). It is being used for different applications including for educational purposes, to deliver experiential learning. Students can benefit from natural and intuitive 3D representations based on the latest advancements in input systems, sensors, processing power, display technologies, graphical processing, and cloud computing are creating elaborate experiences with mixed realities. |
| Non-fungible tokens | Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are a form of cryptocurrency where data is digitally stored in a blockchain. NFTs are considered as a unique modality of digital non-interchangeable (i.e. non-fungible) assets, that are authenticated and certified to a specific owner. NFTs may represent electronic content including the video games’ audiovisual material, collectibles, avatars, et cetera, that can be acquired, sold or traded. The blockchain technology ensures that the digital assets cannot be replicated in any way. However, owners of NFTs can trade and sell their NFTs. The blockchain allows prospective buyers to confirm the provenance of the virtual content and to clearly track and establish the ownership of the tokens. Hence, they can monetize them with other customers through the Metaverse. |
| Virtual reality | While AR uses the existing real-world environment and incorporates virtual information in it, virtual reality (VR) will completely immerse its users in a simulated environment comprising sensory modalities including auditory and video feedback as well as haptic sensations. VR relies on pose tracking and on 3D near-eye displays to give them an immersive feel of a virtual world. It enables users to experience sights and sounds that are similar or totally different from the real world. Individuals can use VR helmets and headsets like Meta Quest, Play Station VR, HTC Vive, or HP reverb, among others, that provide a small screen in front of the eyes, that will place them in a virtual environment. A person using virtual reality equipment may experience a synthetic world by moving around, and by interacting with its virtual objects that may be present in specially designed 3D rooms or even in outdoor environments. For example, medical students can use VR to practice how to perform heart surgeries. |
| Web 3.0 | Web 3.0 represents the evolution of the web into a decentralized network. Many commentators are anticipating that online users will be in a position to access their own data, including documents, applications and multimedia, in a secure, open-source environment, that will be facilitated by Blockchain’s distributed ledger technology. They envisage that online users will probably rely on the services of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAO), that will be entrusted to provide a secure digital ledger that tracks their customers’ digital interactions across the internet, via a network of openly available smart contracts stored in a decentralized Blockchain. Therefore, smart contracts could provide increased security, scalability and privacy (e.g. as online users can protect their intellectual properties through non-fungible tokens). |
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