Socially Beneficial Metaverse: Framework, Technologies, Applications, and Challenges

In recent years, the maturation of emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality, Digital twins, and Blockchain has accelerated the realization of the metaverse. As a virtual world independent of the real world, the metaverse will provide users with a variety of virtual activities that bring great convenience to society. In addition, the metaverse can facilitate digital twins, which offers transformative possibilities for the industry. Thus, the metaverse has attracted the attention of the industry, and a huge amount of capital is about to be invested. However, the development of the metaverse is still in its infancy and little research has been undertaken so far. We describe the development of the metaverse. Next, we introduce the architecture of the socially beneficial metaverse (SB-Metaverse) and we focus on the technologies that support the operation of SB-Metaverse. In addition, we also present the applications of SB-Metaverse. Finally, we discuss several challenges faced by SB-Metaverse which must be addressed in the future.Comment: 28 pages, 6 figures, 3 table

The Future of the Internet III

Presents survey results on technology experts' predictions on the Internet's social, political, and economic impact as of 2020, including its effects on integrity and tolerance, intellectual property law, and the division between personal and work lives

The Future of Video

Executive Summary A range of technological innovations (e.g. smart phones and digital cameras), infrastructural advances (e.g. broadband and 3G/4G wireless networks) and platform developments (e.g. YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Amazon, and Netflix) are collectively transforming the way video is produced, distributed, consumed, archived – and importantly, monetised. Changes have been observed well beyond the mainstream TV and film industries, and these changes are increasingly reflected in the way businesses communicate internally with employees and externally with customers and partners, and the way we communicate with one another both at work and in our daily lives. In September 2015, Facebook CEO and Founder Mark Zuckerberg claimed that he expected our society to enter ‘the golden age of video’ in the next 5 years1. Video has become a cornerstone of Facebook’s business strategy. The implications are profound. The rapid development of video is leading to a fundamental shift not only in business and the economy, but also in our culture and society. Further advances in affordable virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) may transform the way we interact and share experiences with one another. Internet guru Clay Shirky argued, ‘[w]hen we change the way we communicate, we change society.’ As video transforms the way we communicate, we are less constrained from established rules about communication, relationships, and the way we do business with each other. Organisations need to extend their focus from using video for marketing and staff training to redesigning their operations and business processes, which will help lower costs, foster collaboration, reduce environmental impact and create competitive advantages. This report focuses on the business use of video, in the context of wider economic, social and cultural changes in the digital age. The emerging opportunities and risks call for a holistic, strategic approach to the management of video in organisations, rather than being left to technologists or to the users on an ad hoc basis. Those who manage the transition effectively will reap the rewards and avoid potential pitfalls; those that do not will risk being left behind

Information Outlook, October 2003

Volume 7, Issue 10https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_io_2003/1009/thumbnail.jp

VIRTUAL REALITY AND BLOGGING IN TOURISM: APPROACHED TOWARDS CREATING BETTER TOURIST EXPERIENCE

Virtual reality in tourism (virtual tourism) and blogging are highly valuable for visitors and travellers since they allow them to undertake a scouting trip before embarking on their adventure, avoid being hassled and avoid crowds while learning more about the location they are visiting or have already been. This paper provides an overview and analysis of the relationship between virtual tourism, blogging, and making the image of tourist destinations through promotion virtually and via blogs. According to the study\u27s findings, virtual tourism cannot replace the actual experience, but it can assist in recreating it if the user has previously visited the location, bringing out new nuances in their experience, or giving them a taste of the destination ahead of time if they have not yet visited. Also, when it comes to digital marketing for tourism, blogging is the frosting on the cake because it is utilized for promotion and communication throughout the pre-travel period, focusing on behavioural factors

Information and communication technologies for public use and interactive-multimedia city kiosks

Thesis (Master)--Izmir Institute of Technology, Industrial Design, Izmir, 2004Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 103)Text in English; Abstract: Turkish and Englishix, 106 leavesThis thesis provides framework for consideration of the potential of information andcommunication technologies for public events and performances for the developing usage of new products, particularly information public kiosks. In the theoretical framework, the concepts and terms of information and communication technology are generally introduced along with the identification of number of major factors such as elements, diversity, necessity and evolution. Moreover, the importance of ICT technologies in urban settings and human behavior in response to this type of technology are investigated through the history of ICT. The concept of the usage of information and communication technology by actual people is particularly emphasized. Not only the utilization of information and communication technology in public space is described but also effective usage of ICT in the public space and information access provided by public products are identified.Figures of ICT systems and related products, their roots in design differences and new tools and products that are common examples of ICT, particularly the use of the information city kiosk, are presented and discussed. Design principles of the public information kiosk, which play a prominent role in the public use of ICT, are established. The analysis of design factors and human-product relations based on user profile, material choices, form, function and location are discussed. Finally, the thesis includes a conclusion that argues that the information city kiosks and their increased public use will designate the new images of the cities

ACUTA Journal of Telecommunications in Higher Education

In This Issue President\u27s Message Business Relationship Management: Does Your organization Need It? Predict Your organization\u27s ICT Future by Making lt Happen Safeguarding Campus Networks in an loT World What the Year 2020 Holds tor the Digital Campus Collaborating for Success The Campus of the Future: 2020 and Beyond The lnternet of Things, Higher Education, and lT: How Do We Fit ln? 201 6 institutional! Excellence Awar

IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

Immersive virtual reality is any computer-generated environment capable of fooling the user’s senses with a feeling of presence (being there). Two different types of hardware are usually used to access immersive virtual reality: Head Mounted Displays (HMD) or Cave Automated Virtual Environment (CAVE). Due to its ability to generate any kind of environment, either real or imaginary, immersive virtual reality can be used as a tool to deliver experiential learning, as described by Kolb (1984) in his experiential learning circle model. Such model identifies four different steps that, as part of a circle, describe the process of learning by experiencing something, these steps are: (1) concrete experience, (2) observations and reflections, (3) formulation of abstract concepts and generalization, (4) testing implications of concepts in new situations. Immersive virtual reality has been out for decades, but in spite of the big buzz around it, a large adoption of the technology has not occurred yet. One of the main barriers to adoptions is the high cost of gear needed. However, recent development in technology are pushing prices down. For instance, Google Cardboard offers a very inexpensive way to experience virtual reality through smartphones. Moreover, the price of HMD and the powerful computers needed to run virtual reality software are expected to fall as it already happened with desktop computers before. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), as introduced by Davis (1989), is an attempt to understand the factors behind the adoption of new technologies. In particular, this model introduces the two key concepts of (1) perceived usefulness and (2) perceived ease of use. Looking at these, the manuscript attempts to bring some light in the current state of the adoption. The findings of this study have both theoretical and managerial implications, useful both to schools and vendors. The main finding of this study is that more research is needed to understand how people learn in immersive virtual reality, and how to develop software capable of delivering experiential learning. A tighter collaboration between schools, students, manufacturers, software developers seems to be the most viable way to go

Exploring Campus through Web-Based Immersive Adventures Using Virtual Reality Photography: A Low-Cost Virtual Tour Experience

This study aims to assess the incorporation of virtual reality (VR) photography into the web-based immersive application “virtual interactive campus tour (VICT).” This application offers users an immersive experience, allowing them to virtually explore university campuses and access information about the facilities and services available. The VICT application offers a cost-effective, attractive, and sustainable alternative for universities to display their resources and interact with potential students. Through black box testing, we conducted user acceptance testing (UAT) and functionality testing, confirming the application’s readiness for deployment and its capability to meet institutional and end-user requirements. This study also examined the potential for universities to use VR to meet the expectations of prospective students. The application is compatible with both desktop and mobile devices. The results indicated that the overall average validity score was 0.88, suggesting that the measure is valid. The validation results were thoroughly tested and reliable. This study emphasizes the potential of immersive web-based tours in higher education and aims to bridge the divide between virtual exploration and physical visits. By offering an immersive virtual campus experience, this innovative tool has the potential to revolutionize university marketing strategies, increase student engagement, and transform campus visit approaches

Towards Immersive Humanitarian Visualizations

This paper introduces immersive humanitarian visualization as a promising research area in information visualization. Humanitarian visualizations are data visualizations designed to promote human welfare. This paper explains why immersive display technologies taken broadly (e.g, virtual reality, augmented reality, ambient displays and physical representations) open up a range of opportunities for humanitarian visualization. In particular, immersive displays offer ways to make remote and hidden human suffering more salient. They also offer ways to communicate quantitative facts together with qualitative information and visceral experiences, in order to provide a holistic understanding of humanitarian issues that could support more informed humanitarian decisions. But despite some promising preliminary work, immersive humanitarian visualization has not taken off as a research topic yet. The goal of this paper is to encourage, motivate, and inspire future research in this area