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Top 7 Technologies that Power the Metaverse

Neal Stephenson, the man behind the novel ‘snow concept,’ introduced the concept of Metaverse through the novel. We all can communicate with each other through social media, make video calls and audio calls, shop, watch movies etc. but have you ever wondered if one day we could meet each other, explore, game and perform business activities without going outdoors? Neal Stephenson envisioned an online Universe where people could meet and interact with each other using avatars. Metaverse is basically a 3d digital world where people can create avatars and play games, socialise, work at a virtual office, shop at virtual stores, and much more. Facebook, Microsoft and others have already implemented the idea of a metaverse. For example, suppose you are a regular Facebook user. In that case, you may have already found and enjoyed the option of watching videos on YouTube and being on a video call with your friends. There is cut-throat competition among tech companies in incorporating innovative technologies which empower the 3D world’s development. A few of such technologies and their progress are detailed below-

Artificial intelligence

Artificial Intelligence, also known as AI, simply means the invention of intelligent machines that perform tasks assigned to them. AI is applied in most of the gadgets that we use today. For example, face recognition, talkback, google assistant, Alexa etc., make our work easier by performing the tasks given to them. Chatbots also use AI to understand queries and resolve them efficiently. AI assistants like Siri, google assistant make our work easier by typing msgs, making calls, scheduling appointments, meetings and alarms. It is not the replacement of humans. Instead, it enhances human contributions efficiently. 

• AI empowers Metaverse to enhance human lives, efficiently improving work in many industries. AI can be applied to creating reality-based avatars. One can choose the face, hair colour, clothing etc., suitable to their characters. 
• Metaverse uses AI in data learning. The objective behind this is AI can learn and process data effectively and efficiently. It generates outputs as same as that of humans with no human involvement. For example, AI’s used in developing emails, scripts etc., using the data given to them. 
• Digital humans are built using AI technology which can be applied to the non-playing characters (NPC). These NPCs exist in most online games. They respond to the task assigned to them by the human player and react accordingly. 
• AI helps in language processing which plays a crucial role in Metaverse. AI allows people to interact with each other by translating the language into English. It uses the input given by the user, converts it to English, and generates an output requiring much less time. 

Internet of things

IoT refers to the numerous physical objects around us which are now connected to the internet. Computer chips and wireless networks help collect and share data among these objects. Once the device is connected to the internet, the unique identifier enables the devices to share information and remotely control things. For example, one can turn on a ceiling fan without even moving from his place. This only requires a smartphone app to be connected to an IoT device. IoT can smoothly connect to real-life devices and create an action. IoT is still under development and needs many improvements as it is in its early stages of development.

Brain-computer interfaces

Shortly known as BCI, the Brain-computer interface is the latest technique to interact with your computer. It reads the electrical signals from your brain and translates them into a command that a computer can understand. This advanced technology allows you to control everything just by thinking. Specific wearable devices, for example, headsets, need to be worn by the user to use BCI. These headsets read our brain’s activity through several sensors that monitor electric signals when you think something. These signals are sent to the computer, which interprets the data and translates it into commands. BCI offers faster task completion even more efficiently, right at the moment you think. This is beneficial even for those with disabilities as it eases their everyday tasks with advanced technology.

3D modelling and reconstruction

3d modelling is creating a 3d model of an object, whereas reconstruction refers to assembling the 3d representation from a 2d model. 3d modelling and reconstruction power metaverse in many ways, like creating virtual models of real-world objects and places and designing and representing objects in detail. It helps convert the physical world to virtual reality. It can be used for various purposes, such as 3d printing, gaming and computer graphics. 3d modelling and reconstruction help the metaverse by creating realistic scenes and objects in the virtual world.

Spatial and edge computing

Spatial edge computing is an evolution of cloud computing that relies on high-speed wireless technology to process closer to its source. It is a world of connected devices, data and users. This technology is essential as it enables applications to function seamlessly without slowing down or crashing due to the long distances between the devices and servers. This allows real-time communication between all things in our physical world. Edge computing devices like smart speakers watch, and smartphones collect and process data connecting the physical world. 

Blockchain and cryptocurrency

Blockchain is the latest technology that is used to store and transfer data. It helps in business, trade and communication. It is a decentralized ledger of transactions stored in computers. It prevents hackers from stealing or tampering with data stored in the databases. The technology has been used since 2008 but has gained popularity in the mainstream world. The Crypto market has been growing widely over the past few years. The cryptocurrency helps buy virtual lands or invest gold as NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Blockchain technology helps to establish and secure the ownership of these lands. 

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

Augmented reality uses digital characters and can be easily accessible on any smartphone or digital device with a camera. Using AR, people can view their surroundings with digital visuals. Whereas VR is another level of simulation of an alternative reality. This helps the players visualize an imaginary visual or place using special equipment like headsets, sensors or gloves. Players may listen, communicate and feel with the help of VR. This is interesting and can be developed well soon, empowering the metaverse.