When reality meets virtuality, it forms a new world: the Metaverse. The word is formed with the combination of ‘Meta’ and ‘Universe’. With the term, we anticipate “the door to a foretold future." In simpler phrases, it’s a door that adjoins reality to a virtual world. We will explore this topic in more depth as we will move further.
What Is “Metaverse”?
Before the 2020s, we were roughly aware of the term, but let’s dive in deep for a better conception. The term “Metaverse” was first introduced in the 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash. It is referred to as a shared virtual reality that people can access using a variety of devices, including but not limited to augmented reality headsets, virtual reality headsets, and mobile devices. It is also a term used to interpret the virtual world in which characters in certain video games exist. It is not only about interactions in gaming, social platforms, and e-commerce but a sequence of continuous momentum of digital experience that remains available for the users in the near future, enabling people to immerse themselves in a virtualized environment.
The Seven Layers of Metaverse
It consists of seven crucial layers that indicate the stages of this technology’s economy and procures a systematic strategy for sketching its architecture. Although there are numerous ways to debate the ideas of this term as a space significance era, this protocol can pertain to various cases. Listed are these seven layers:
Layer 1: (User) Experience
This layer is concerned with the experience of the user. It includes all the aspects that make up the user interface and experience, such as the design, graphics, sound, and so on. The goal of this layer is to provide a seamless and intuitive experience to the user. A hassle-free and comfortable experience whether it’s regarding a game, social interaction, movies, concerts or any human activities. It creates an exclusive realistic experience in real-time.
Layer 2: Discovery
This layer is responsible for the discovery of new content and experiences. It includes all the mechanisms that help users find the content they are looking for, such as search engines, recommender systems, and so on. The goal of this layer is to help users find the content they are looking for. These platforms can be divided into two parts: inbound and outbound.
Layer 3: Creator Economy
This layer is involved with the creation of new content and experiences. It refers to the area of designing tools and applications by the creators as well as developers. It includes all the mechanisms that allow users to create new content, such as social media, blogs, and so on. The goal of this layer is to allow users to create new content and experiences and to collectively build the worlds of the Metaverse. Although the whole process is not easy, Web3 gives the procedure a new way of developing with ease.
Layer 4: Spatial Computing
This layer is concerned with the representation of content in a spatial manner. The term spatial computing deals with the technological solution that comes with a combined virtual and augmented reality, to affiliate with a high level of authenticity. It includes all the mechanisms that allow content to be represented in a three-dimensional space, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and so on. The goal of this layer is to allow users to interact with content in a more natural way as if they were dealing with physical objects in the real world.
Layer 5: Decentralization
This layer is about distributing the power to create and manage content among a large number of users, rather than concentrating it in the hands of a few central authorities. In this case, the technology would be open, decentralized, distributed and managed by DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization). The most important application of this principle is the decentralized web, which is based on the idea of giving users control over their data and giving them the ability to share it with others without the need for a central server. The famously known Decentraland, which operates on the Ethereum blockchain is the perfect example of a decentralized metaverse.
Layer 6: Human Interface
This layer is about the idea that humans should be able to interact with content in a more natural way, without the need for complex interfaces. The most important application of this principle is natural language processing, which is about teaching computers to understand human language in all its forms. To explain in simple terms the human-computer interaction (HCI). This concludes VR headsets, haptic technologies and smart glasses, which will assist users to interact with the digital world.
Layer 7: Infrastructure
This layer is about the need for a robust and scalable infrastructure that can support the other layers. It revolves around the whole sort of technologies that can create the impressions of reality. It includes all the necessary components such as servers, storage, networking, and various devices like microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, tiny but lasting batteries, graphics processing units and cloud architecture.
The Technologies of Metaverse
To enhance and create the experience in this technology more enveloping, the companies are employing various technologies like blockchain, AR (augmented reality)-VR (virtual reality), 3D Reconstruction, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of things (IoT) to affiliate the 3D world’s strength. Let’s conduct a discussion of these technologies in detail:
Blockchain
The use of blockchain can provide a secure and decentralized infrastructure for this technology. Blockchain can be used to create digital assets and experiences that can be bought, sold, or traded on a marketplace of the mentioned technology.
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)
AR and VR can be used to create immersive experiences in this innovation. AR can be used to superimpose digital objects and experiences onto the real world, while VR can be used to create completely immersive digital worlds.
3D Reconstruction
3D reconstruction can be used to create realistic and accurate 3D models of people, places, and things. This technology can be used to create avatar models, environments, and objects that can be used in this innovation.
Artificial Intelligence
AI can be used to create realistic and lifelike avatars that can interact with users in the metaverse. AI can also be used to create intelligent agents that can help users navigate the metaverse and find the information or experiences they are looking for.
The Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things can be used to connect real-world objects to the mentioned innovation. This technology can be used to create smart devices and objects that can interact with users in this invention.
Companies Employing Metaverse
There are numerous companies that are already developing their business to create more products and services for consumers of the Metaverse.
Past the Hype
This innovation is a hot topic in the tech community, everyone is so enthusiastic to witness the outcome and new invention with the help of the metaverse. Tech companies seem to create the hype behind the curtains for this technology but indeed this buildup is understandable if we can judge what it is! It seems impossible to connect two worlds at the same time. However, it is now possible all because of the creation of this invention. This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
