Implementing Immersive Worlds for Metaverse-Based Participatory Design through Photogrammetry and Blockchain

This paper explores participatory design methods for the interconnection of digital recording techniques, like digital photogrammetry and Gaussian splatting, with emerging domains such as the metaverse and blockchain technology. The focus lies in community engagement and the economic growth of urban and rural areas through blockchain integration, utilizing low-cost digitalization methods to create Web3 environments mirroring real settlements. Through a case study of an Italian village, the potential of participatory design and community-led development strategies in revitalizing neglected areas are explored, and the use of low-cost drone-based photogrammetry and Gaussian splatting in digitization are compared, highlighting their advantages and drawbacks considering the aim of this work, i.e., the creation of an interactive metaverse space. Ultimately, the study underscores the transformative role of digital technologies in reshaping design processes and fostering community development through a workflow, stressing collaborative decision-making and blockchain-driven economy, manufacturing, and maintenance through self-ownership models and performance-based smart contracts

Metamorphosis: A digital approach to transforming communities through photogrammetry and metaverse

This research employs a digital strategy to counter rural population decline and urban migration by integrating drone photogrammetry, metaverse, and blockchain technology. The focus is creating detailed 3D models of the settlements, which are subsequently optimized for metaverse platforms such as Voxels and Mona. Voxels facilitates participatory design, utilizing voxel parcels and Rhino-Grasshopper to involve all the stakeholders for renovation design work. Mona transforms parameterized projects into an immersive virtual experience, fuelled by blockchain technology, providing non-fungible token (NFT) marketplaces and economic transitions. These virtual and real realms serve purposes such as decision-making, cultural preservation, economy generation, and virtual tourism, fostering rural revival, virtual economy, and digital representation of real-world environments