Avatars, as promising digital representations and service assistants of users in Metaverses, can enable drivers and passengers to immerse themselves in 3D virtual services and spaces of UAV-assisted vehicular Metavers...Avatars, as promising digital representations and service assistants of users in Metaverses, can enable drivers and passengers to immerse themselves in 3D virtual services and spaces of UAV-assisted vehicular Metaverses. However, avatar tasks include a multitude of human-to-avatar and avatar-to-avatar interactive applications, e.g., augmented reality navigation,which consumes intensive computing resources. It is inefficient and impractical for vehicles to process avatar tasks locally. Fortunately, migrating avatar tasks to the nearest roadside units(RSU)or unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV) for execution is a promising solution to decrease computation overhead and reduce task processing latency, while the high mobility of vehicles brings challenges for vehicles to independently perform avatar migration decisions depending on current and future vehicle status. To address these challenges, in this paper, we propose a novel avatar task migration system based on multi-agent deep reinforcement learning(MADRL) to execute immersive vehicular avatar tasks dynamically. Specifically, we first formulate the problem of avatar task migration from vehicles to RSUs/UAVs as a partially observable Markov decision process that can be solved by MADRL algorithms. We then design the multi-agent proximal policy optimization(MAPPO) approach as the MADRL algorithm for the avatar task migration problem. To overcome slow convergence resulting from the curse of dimensionality and non-stationary issues caused by shared parameters in MAPPO, we further propose a transformer-based MAPPO approach via sequential decision-making models for the efficient representation of relationships among agents. Finally, to motivate terrestrial or non-terrestrial edge servers(e.g., RSUs or UAVs) to share computation resources and ensure traceability of the sharing records, we apply smart contracts and blockchain technologies to achieve secure sharing management. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms the MAPPO approach by around 2% and effectively reduces approximately 20% of the latency of avatar task execution in UAV-assisted vehicular Metaverses.展开更多
Non-face-to-face psychological counseling systems rely on network technologies to anonymize information regard-ing client identity.However,these systems often face challenges concerning voice data leaks and the subopt...Non-face-to-face psychological counseling systems rely on network technologies to anonymize information regard-ing client identity.However,these systems often face challenges concerning voice data leaks and the suboptimal communication of the client’s non-verbal expressions,such as facial cues,to the counselor.This study proposes a metaverse-based psychological counseling system designed to enhance client identity protection while ensuring efficient information delivery to counselors during non-face-to-face counseling.The proposed systemincorporates a voicemodulation function that instantlymodifies/masks the client’s voice to safeguard their identity.Additionally,it employs real-time client facial expression recognition using an ensemble of decision trees to mirror the client’s non-verbal expressions through their avatar in the metaverse environment.The system is adaptable for use on personal computers and smartphones,offering users the flexibility to access metaverse-based psychological counseling across diverse environments.The performance evaluation of the proposed system confirmed that the voice modulation and real-time facial expression replication consistently achieve an average speed of 48.32 frames per second or higher,even when tested on the least powerful smartphone configurations.Moreover,a total of 550 actual psychological counseling sessions were conducted,and the average satisfaction rating reached 4.46 on a 5-point scale.This indicates that clients experienced improved identity protection compared to conventional non-face-to-face metaverse counseling approaches.Additionally,the counselor successfully addressed the challenge of conveying non-verbal cues from clients who typically struggled with non-face-to-face psychological counseling.The proposed systemholds significant potential for applications in interactive discussions and educational activities in the metaverse.展开更多
This paper explores the transformative impact of virtual worlds, augmented reality (AR), and the metaverse in the healthcare sector. It delves into the ways these technologies are reshaping patient care, medical educa...This paper explores the transformative impact of virtual worlds, augmented reality (AR), and the metaverse in the healthcare sector. It delves into the ways these technologies are reshaping patient care, medical education, and research, while also addressing the challenges and opportunities they present. The paper highlights the potential benefits of these technologies and emphasizes the need for comprehensive regulatory frameworks and ethical guidelines to ensure responsible integration. Finally it outlines their transformative impact and discusses the challenges and opportunities they present for the future of healthcare provision.展开更多
The Metaverse,a three-dimensional(3D)virtual world network that includes social and economic interactions through virtual reality(VR)and augmented reality(AR)devices,has been recognized as a transformative concept in ...The Metaverse,a three-dimensional(3D)virtual world network that includes social and economic interactions through virtual reality(VR)and augmented reality(AR)devices,has been recognized as a transformative concept in a variety of fields,including education.As technology advances at a rapid pace,the potential of the Metaverse to revolutionize teaching and learning has become increasingly prominent.Particularly in English education,the Metaverse offers promising solutions to address the challenges of oral English education during the COVID-19 era.This paper explores the potential of the Metaverse in enhancing oral English education and highlights its future possibilities.Drawing from the realms of AR and VR,this paper also examines teaching approaches and strategies that integrate the Metaverse into oral English instruction.By leveraging the immersive and interactive nature of the Metaverse,educators or students can create engaging learning experiences that foster oral English communication skills.展开更多
This article dissects the challenges faced and the integration strategies for embracing the educational metaverse from existing research,preparing for the new educational trend-the educational metaverse-by controlling...This article dissects the challenges faced and the integration strategies for embracing the educational metaverse from existing research,preparing for the new educational trend-the educational metaverse-by controlling the target direction,technical direction,teacher training direction,and ethical direction.Starting from the origin,it analyzes the reasons for the entry of the metaverse into the educational field and summarizes the three characteristics of the educational metaverse supported by current technical means.Combining the current situation of classroom teaching and the advantages of the educational metaverse,it analyzes the inevitability of the metaverse entering the classroom.Subsequently,it analyzes the four major challenges of the current stage:the pressure of college entrance examinations,the challenge of technical implementation,the limited ability of teachers,and the digital ethical risks brought by the metaverse.It prescribes the right remedy,giving strategies for integrating the educational metaverse into the classroom from the four directions of reducing the burden of college entrance examinations,technology research,teacher ability development,and rule formulation.It is hoped that in the future,while the metaverse lands in the educational field,it can overcome challenges at various levels and achieve breakthroughs at the target level,technical level,teacher training level,and ethical level to truly realize the entry of the educational metaverse into the classroom.展开更多
The realization of an interoperable and scalable virtual platform, currently known as the “metaverse,” is inevitable, but many technological challenges need to be overcome first. With the metaverse still in a nascen...The realization of an interoperable and scalable virtual platform, currently known as the “metaverse,” is inevitable, but many technological challenges need to be overcome first. With the metaverse still in a nascent phase, research currently indicates that building a new 3D social environment capable of interoperable avatars and digital transactions will represent most of the initial investment in time and capital. The return on investment, however, is worth the financial risk for firms like Meta, Google, and Apple. While the current virtual space of the metaverse is worth $6.30 billion, that is expected to grow to $84.09 billion by the end of 2028. But the creation of an entire alternate virtual universe of 3D avatars, objects, and otherworldly cityscapes calls for a new development pipeline and workflow. Existing 3D modeling and digital twin processes, already well-established in industry and gaming, will be ported to support the need to architect and furnish this new digital world. The current development pipeline, however, is cumbersome, expensive and limited in output capacity. This paper proposes a new and innovative immersive development pipeline leveraging the recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) for 3D model creation and optimization. The previous reliance on 3D modeling software to create assets and then import into a game engine can be replaced with nearly instantaneous content creation with AI. While AI art generators like DALL-E 2 and DeepAI have been used for 2D asset creation, when combined with game engine technology, such as Unreal Engine 5 and virtualized geometry systems like Nanite, a new process for creating nearly unlimited content for immersive reality is possible. New processes and workflows, such as those proposed here, will revolutionize content creation and pave the way for Web 3.0, the metaverse and a truly 3D social environment.展开更多
Nanomaterial-based flexible sensors(NMFSs)can be tightly attached to the human skin or integrated with clothing to monitor human physiological information,provide medical data,or explore metaverse spaces.Nanomaterials...Nanomaterial-based flexible sensors(NMFSs)can be tightly attached to the human skin or integrated with clothing to monitor human physiological information,provide medical data,or explore metaverse spaces.Nanomaterials have been widely incorporated into flexible sensors due to their facile processing,material compatibility,and unique properties.This review highlights the recent advancements in NMFSs involving various nanomaterial frameworks such as nanoparticles,nanowires,and nanofilms.Different triggering interaction interfaces between NMFSs and metaverse/virtual reality(VR)applications,e.g.skin-mechanics-triggered,temperature-triggered,magnetically triggered,and neural-triggered interfaces,are discussed.In the context of interfacing physical and virtual worlds,machine learning(ML)has emerged as a promising tool for processing sensor data for controlling avatars in metaverse/VR worlds,and many ML algorithms have been proposed for virtual interaction technologies.This paper discusses the advantages,disadvantages,and prospects of NMFSs in metaverse/VR applications.展开更多
As a subversive concept,the metaverse has recently attracted widespread attention around the world and has set off a wave of enthusiasm in academic,industrial,and investment circles.However,while the metaverse brings ...As a subversive concept,the metaverse has recently attracted widespread attention around the world and has set off a wave of enthusiasm in academic,industrial,and investment circles.However,while the metaverse brings unprecedented opportunities for transformation to human society,it also contains related risks.Metaverse is a digital living space with information infrastructure,interoperability system,content production system,and value settlement system as the underlying structure in which the inner core is to connect real residents through applications and identities.Through social incentives and governance rules,the metaverse reflects the digital migration of human society.This article will conduct an in-depth analysis of the metaverse from the perspective of electronic data forensics.First,from the perspective of Internet development,the background and development process of the metaverse is discussed.By systematically elaborating on the concept and connotation of the metaverse,this paper summarizes the different views of current practitioners,experts,and scholars on the metaverse.Secondly,from the perspective of metaverse security,the social risk and crime risks of the metaverse are discussed.Then the importance of metaverse forensics is raised.Third,from the perspective of blockchain,smart wearable devices,and virtual reality devices,the objects and characteristics of metaverse forensics have been studied in depth.Taking smart wearable devices as an example,this paper gives the relevant experimental process of smart bracelet forensics.Finally,many challenges faced by metaverse forensics are summarized by us which provide readers with some exploratory guidance.展开更多
With the rapid evolution of technology and the increasing complexity of software systems,there is a growing demand for effective educational approaches that empower learners to acquire and apply software engineering s...With the rapid evolution of technology and the increasing complexity of software systems,there is a growing demand for effective educational approaches that empower learners to acquire and apply software engineering skills in practical contexts.This paper presents an intelligent and interactive learning(Meta-SEE)framework for software engineering education that combines the immersive capabilities of the metaverse with the cognitive processes of metacognition,to create an interactive and engaging learning environment.In the Meta-SEE framework,learners are immersed in a virtual world where they can collaboratively engage with concepts and practices of software engineering.Through the integration of metacognitive strategies,learners are empowered to monitor,regulate,and adapt their learning processes.By incorporating metacognition within the metaverse,learners gain a deeper understanding of their own thinking processes and become self-directed learners.In addition,MetaSEE has the potential to revolutionize software engineering education by offering a dynamic,immersive,and personalized learning experience.It allows learners to engage in realistic software development scenarios,explore complex systems,and collaborate with peers and instructors in virtual spaces.展开更多
Background The lack of social activities among the elderly due to physical limitations can result in loneliness and depression. The spread of COVID-19 has made it difficult for the elderly to conduct stable social act...Background The lack of social activities among the elderly due to physical limitations can result in loneliness and depression. The spread of COVID-19 has made it difficult for the elderly to conduct stable social activities, increasing feelings of loneliness. The metaverse is a virtual world that mirrors reality. This allows the elderly to overcome the constraints of reality and perform social activities stably and continuously, providing new ideas for alleviating loneliness. Methods By analyzing their needs, a virtual social center framework for the elderly was proposed in this study. In addition, a prototype system was designed according to this framework. The elderly can socialize in virtual reality with metaverse-related technologies and human–computer interaction tools. Additionally, a test was conducted jointly with the chief physician of the geriatric rehabilitation department of a tertiary hospital. Results The results demonstrated that the mental state of the elderly who had used the virtual social center was significantly better than that of those who had not used it. Conclusions Thus, virtual social centers can help relieve loneliness and depression among the elderly with increasing global epidemics and an aging society. Hence,they have promotional value.展开更多
Metaverse is a virtual world,but it is possible and even becomes a trend that metaverse interacts with the real world along with the sci-tech and social development.Smart library is a main direction of modern library ...Metaverse is a virtual world,but it is possible and even becomes a trend that metaverse interacts with the real world along with the sci-tech and social development.Smart library is a main direction of modern library development,from informatization to digitization and then intelligent-based,modernization of library has been improved qualitatively.Emergence of metaverse brings a brand-new horizon to the generation and application of agricultural information,this paper made primary explorations the requirements and action mechanism of agricultural information on the construction of smart library within the external constraint of metaverse.展开更多
The Metaverse of Dream of the Red Chamber has a natural fit with Unity + Socket.IO, both in virtual space and functional design. Using Unity, you can generate and build the foundation of the Metaverse of Dream of the ...The Metaverse of Dream of the Red Chamber has a natural fit with Unity + Socket.IO, both in virtual space and functional design. Using Unity, you can generate and build the foundation of the Metaverse of Dream of the Red Chamber: virtual reality, including real-time dynamic internal generation and external loading of virtual characters, scenes, and various other elements, and can achieve various controls over these elements without delay. The Metaverse space built by Unity has full immersion and diversity;Socket.IO realizes Internet connection, Unity C# script creates Socket.IO client, Unity + Socket.IO connection realizes interpersonal communication, thus jointly realizing digital identity management in the Metaverse of Dream of the Red Chamber. Including virtual identity registration, Unity to achieve login authentication, digital avatar unique distribution;jointly create a network social space including games, business transactions, friends and entertainment, and provide corresponding safety information management for it, which is enough to reflect the special code of conduct and civilization ecology in the Metaverse. In short, Unity + Socket.IO can build a complete system of the Metaverse of Dream of the Red Chamber from the digital technology level.展开更多
There has been disagreement over the value of purchasing space in the metaverse, but many businesses including Nike, The Wendy’s Company, and McDonald’s have jumped in headfirst. While the metaverse land rush has be...There has been disagreement over the value of purchasing space in the metaverse, but many businesses including Nike, The Wendy’s Company, and McDonald’s have jumped in headfirst. While the metaverse land rush has been called an “illusion” given underdeveloped infrastructure, including inadequate software and servers, and the potential opportunities for economic and legal abuse, the “real estate of the future” shows no signs of slowing. While the current virtual space of the metaverse is worth $6.30 billion, that is expected to grow to $84.09 billion by the end of 2028. But the long-term legal and regulatory considerations of capitalizing on the investment, as well as the manner in which blockchain technology can secure users’ data and digital assets, has yet to be properly investigated. With the metaverse still in a conceptual phase, building a new 3D social environment capable of digital transactions will represent most of the initial investment in time in human capital. Digital twin technologies, already well-established in industry, will be ported to support the need to architect and furnish the new digital world. The return on and viability of investing in the “real estate of the future” raises questions fundamental to the success or failure of the enterprise. As such this paper proposes a novel framing of the issue and looks at the intersection where finance, technology, and law are converging to prevent another Dot-com bubble of the late 1990s in metaverse-based virtual real estate transactions. Furthermore, the paper will argue that these domains are technologically feasible, but the main challenges for commercial users remain in the legal and regulatory arenas. As has been the case with the emergence of online commerce, a legal assessment of the metaverse indicates that courts will look to traditional and established legal principles when addressing issues until the enactment of federal and/or state statutes and accompanying regulations. Lastly, whereas traditional regulation of real estate would involve property law, the current legal framing of ownership of metaverse assets is governed by contract law.展开更多
An investigation and outline of MetaControl and DeControl in Metaverses for control intelligence and knowledge automation are presented.Prescriptive control with prescriptive knowledge and parallel philosophy is propo...An investigation and outline of MetaControl and DeControl in Metaverses for control intelligence and knowledge automation are presented.Prescriptive control with prescriptive knowledge and parallel philosophy is proposed as the starting point for the new control philosophy and technology,especially for computational control of metasystems in cyberphysical-social systems.We argue that circular causality,the generalized feedback mechanism for complex and purposive systems,should be adapted as the fundamental principle for control and management of metasystems with metacomplexity in metaverses.Particularly,an interdisciplinary approach is suggested for MetaControl and DeControl as a new form of intelligent control based on five control metaverses:MetaVerses,MultiVerses,InterVerses,TransVerse,and DeepVerses.展开更多
To tackle the complexity of human and social factors in manufacturing systems, parallel manufacturing for industrial metaverses is proposed as a new paradigm in smart manufacturing for effective and efficient operatio...To tackle the complexity of human and social factors in manufacturing systems, parallel manufacturing for industrial metaverses is proposed as a new paradigm in smart manufacturing for effective and efficient operations of those systems, where Cyber-Physical-Social Systems(CPSSs) and the Internet of Minds(Io M) are regarded as its infrastructures and the "Artificial systems", "Computational experiments"and "Parallel execution"(ACP) method is its methodological foundation for parallel evolution, closed-loop feedback, and collaborative optimization. In parallel manufacturing, social demands are analyzed and extracted from social intelligence for product R&D and production planning, and digital workers and robotic workers perform the majority of the physical and mental work instead of human workers, contributing to the realization of low-cost, high-efficiency and zero-inventory manufacturing. A variety of advanced technologies such as Knowledge Automation(KA), blockchain, crowdsourcing and Decentralized Autonomous Organizations(DAOs) provide powerful support for the construction of parallel manufacturing, which holds the promise of breaking the constraints of resource and capacity, and the limitations of time and space. Finally, the effectiveness of parallel manufacturing is verified by taking the workflow of customized shoes as a case,especially the unmanned production line named Flex Vega.展开更多
With the rapid development of information technologies such as digital twin, extended reality, and blockchain,the hype around "metaverse" is increasing at astronomical speed. However, much attention has been...With the rapid development of information technologies such as digital twin, extended reality, and blockchain,the hype around "metaverse" is increasing at astronomical speed. However, much attention has been paid to its entertainment and social functions. Considering the openness and interoperability of metaverses, the market of quality inspection promises explosive growth. In this paper, taking advantage of metaverses, we first propose the concept of Automated Quality Inspection(Auto QI), which performs integrated inspection covering the entire manufacturing process, including Quality of Materials, Quality of Manufacturing(Qo M), Quality of Products, Quality of Processes(Qo P), Quality of Systems, and Quality of Services(Qo S). Based on the scenarios engineering theory, we discuss how to perform interactions between metaverses and the physical world for virtual design instruction and physical validation feedback. Then we introduce a bottomup inspection device development workflow with productivity tools offered by metaverses, making development more effective and efficient than ever. As the core of quality inspection,we propose Quality Transformers to complete detection task,while federated learning is integrated to regulate data sharing.In summary, we point out the development directions of quality inspection under metaverse tide.展开更多
In the construction of Metaverses,sensors that are referred to as the“bridge of information transmission”,play a key role.The functionality and efficiency of today’s sensors,which operate in a manner similar to phy...In the construction of Metaverses,sensors that are referred to as the“bridge of information transmission”,play a key role.The functionality and efficiency of today’s sensors,which operate in a manner similar to physical sensing,are frequently constrained by their hardware and software.In this research,we proposed the Parallel Sensing framework,which includes background,concept,basic methods and typical application of parallel sensing.In our formulation,sensors are redefined as the integration of real physical sensors and virtual software-defined sensors based on parallel intelligence,in order to boost the performance of the sensors.Each sensor will have a parallel counterpart in the virtual world within the framework of parallel sensing.Digital sensors serve as the brain of sensors and maintain the same properties as physical sensors.Parallel sensing allows physical sensors to operate in discrete time periods to conserve energy,while cloud-based descriptive,predictive,and prescriptive sensors operate continuously to offer compensation data and serve as guardians.To better illustrate parallel sensing concept,we show some example applications of parallel sensing such as parallel vision,parallel point cloud and parallel light fields,both of which are designed by construct virtual sensors to extend small real data to virtual big data and then boost the performance of perception models.Experimental results demonstrate the effective of parallel sensing framework.The interaction between the real and virtual worlds enables sensors to operate actively,allowing them to intelligently adapt to various scenarios and ultimately attain the goal of“Cognitive,Parallel,Crypto,Federated,Social and Ecologic”6S sensing.展开更多
Rapid advancementsin technology and computing power,combined with the convergence of Blockchain,artificial intelligence,Internet of Things,extended reality,gamification,and decentralized finance,have led to recent gro...Rapid advancementsin technology and computing power,combined with the convergence of Blockchain,artificial intelligence,Internet of Things,extended reality,gamification,and decentralized finance,have led to recent growth in interest in the metaverse.Indeed today,there are more than 160 metaverse projects,and Citi estimates it could be a 13 trillion USD industry by 2030.While many have not yet grasped the relevance of the metaverse for industries,the opportunity to leverage the metaverse for health and wellness is substantial.In obesity and non-communicable disease(NCDs),there is potential to deploy the metaverse using gamification and incentives,as well as for education and care.This perspective article explores how the metaverse could be used to prevent and manage obesity and NCDs.展开更多
基金supported in part by NSFC (62102099, U22A2054, 62101594)in part by the Pearl River Talent Recruitment Program (2021QN02S643)+9 种基金Guangzhou Basic Research Program (2023A04J1699)in part by the National Research Foundation, SingaporeInfocomm Media Development Authority under its Future Communications Research Development ProgrammeDSO National Laboratories under the AI Singapore Programme under AISG Award No AISG2-RP-2020-019Energy Research Test-Bed and Industry Partnership Funding Initiative, Energy Grid (EG) 2.0 programmeDesCartes and the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) programmeMOE Tier 1 under Grant RG87/22in part by the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) (SRG-ISTD-2021- 165)in part by the SUTD-ZJU IDEA Grant SUTD-ZJU (VP) 202102in part by the Ministry of Education, Singapore, through its SUTD Kickstarter Initiative (SKI 20210204)。
文摘Avatars, as promising digital representations and service assistants of users in Metaverses, can enable drivers and passengers to immerse themselves in 3D virtual services and spaces of UAV-assisted vehicular Metaverses. However, avatar tasks include a multitude of human-to-avatar and avatar-to-avatar interactive applications, e.g., augmented reality navigation,which consumes intensive computing resources. It is inefficient and impractical for vehicles to process avatar tasks locally. Fortunately, migrating avatar tasks to the nearest roadside units(RSU)or unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV) for execution is a promising solution to decrease computation overhead and reduce task processing latency, while the high mobility of vehicles brings challenges for vehicles to independently perform avatar migration decisions depending on current and future vehicle status. To address these challenges, in this paper, we propose a novel avatar task migration system based on multi-agent deep reinforcement learning(MADRL) to execute immersive vehicular avatar tasks dynamically. Specifically, we first formulate the problem of avatar task migration from vehicles to RSUs/UAVs as a partially observable Markov decision process that can be solved by MADRL algorithms. We then design the multi-agent proximal policy optimization(MAPPO) approach as the MADRL algorithm for the avatar task migration problem. To overcome slow convergence resulting from the curse of dimensionality and non-stationary issues caused by shared parameters in MAPPO, we further propose a transformer-based MAPPO approach via sequential decision-making models for the efficient representation of relationships among agents. Finally, to motivate terrestrial or non-terrestrial edge servers(e.g., RSUs or UAVs) to share computation resources and ensure traceability of the sharing records, we apply smart contracts and blockchain technologies to achieve secure sharing management. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms the MAPPO approach by around 2% and effectively reduces approximately 20% of the latency of avatar task execution in UAV-assisted vehicular Metaverses.
基金supported by“Regional Innovation Strategy(RIS)”through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF)funded by the Ministry of Education(MOE)(2021RIS-004)supported by the Technology Development Program(S3230339)funded by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups(MSS,Korea).
文摘Non-face-to-face psychological counseling systems rely on network technologies to anonymize information regard-ing client identity.However,these systems often face challenges concerning voice data leaks and the suboptimal communication of the client’s non-verbal expressions,such as facial cues,to the counselor.This study proposes a metaverse-based psychological counseling system designed to enhance client identity protection while ensuring efficient information delivery to counselors during non-face-to-face counseling.The proposed systemincorporates a voicemodulation function that instantlymodifies/masks the client’s voice to safeguard their identity.Additionally,it employs real-time client facial expression recognition using an ensemble of decision trees to mirror the client’s non-verbal expressions through their avatar in the metaverse environment.The system is adaptable for use on personal computers and smartphones,offering users the flexibility to access metaverse-based psychological counseling across diverse environments.The performance evaluation of the proposed system confirmed that the voice modulation and real-time facial expression replication consistently achieve an average speed of 48.32 frames per second or higher,even when tested on the least powerful smartphone configurations.Moreover,a total of 550 actual psychological counseling sessions were conducted,and the average satisfaction rating reached 4.46 on a 5-point scale.This indicates that clients experienced improved identity protection compared to conventional non-face-to-face metaverse counseling approaches.Additionally,the counselor successfully addressed the challenge of conveying non-verbal cues from clients who typically struggled with non-face-to-face psychological counseling.The proposed systemholds significant potential for applications in interactive discussions and educational activities in the metaverse.
文摘This paper explores the transformative impact of virtual worlds, augmented reality (AR), and the metaverse in the healthcare sector. It delves into the ways these technologies are reshaping patient care, medical education, and research, while also addressing the challenges and opportunities they present. The paper highlights the potential benefits of these technologies and emphasizes the need for comprehensive regulatory frameworks and ethical guidelines to ensure responsible integration. Finally it outlines their transformative impact and discusses the challenges and opportunities they present for the future of healthcare provision.
文摘The Metaverse,a three-dimensional(3D)virtual world network that includes social and economic interactions through virtual reality(VR)and augmented reality(AR)devices,has been recognized as a transformative concept in a variety of fields,including education.As technology advances at a rapid pace,the potential of the Metaverse to revolutionize teaching and learning has become increasingly prominent.Particularly in English education,the Metaverse offers promising solutions to address the challenges of oral English education during the COVID-19 era.This paper explores the potential of the Metaverse in enhancing oral English education and highlights its future possibilities.Drawing from the realms of AR and VR,this paper also examines teaching approaches and strategies that integrate the Metaverse into oral English instruction.By leveraging the immersive and interactive nature of the Metaverse,educators or students can create engaging learning experiences that foster oral English communication skills.
文摘This article dissects the challenges faced and the integration strategies for embracing the educational metaverse from existing research,preparing for the new educational trend-the educational metaverse-by controlling the target direction,technical direction,teacher training direction,and ethical direction.Starting from the origin,it analyzes the reasons for the entry of the metaverse into the educational field and summarizes the three characteristics of the educational metaverse supported by current technical means.Combining the current situation of classroom teaching and the advantages of the educational metaverse,it analyzes the inevitability of the metaverse entering the classroom.Subsequently,it analyzes the four major challenges of the current stage:the pressure of college entrance examinations,the challenge of technical implementation,the limited ability of teachers,and the digital ethical risks brought by the metaverse.It prescribes the right remedy,giving strategies for integrating the educational metaverse into the classroom from the four directions of reducing the burden of college entrance examinations,technology research,teacher ability development,and rule formulation.It is hoped that in the future,while the metaverse lands in the educational field,it can overcome challenges at various levels and achieve breakthroughs at the target level,technical level,teacher training level,and ethical level to truly realize the entry of the educational metaverse into the classroom.
文摘The realization of an interoperable and scalable virtual platform, currently known as the “metaverse,” is inevitable, but many technological challenges need to be overcome first. With the metaverse still in a nascent phase, research currently indicates that building a new 3D social environment capable of interoperable avatars and digital transactions will represent most of the initial investment in time and capital. The return on investment, however, is worth the financial risk for firms like Meta, Google, and Apple. While the current virtual space of the metaverse is worth $6.30 billion, that is expected to grow to $84.09 billion by the end of 2028. But the creation of an entire alternate virtual universe of 3D avatars, objects, and otherworldly cityscapes calls for a new development pipeline and workflow. Existing 3D modeling and digital twin processes, already well-established in industry and gaming, will be ported to support the need to architect and furnish this new digital world. The current development pipeline, however, is cumbersome, expensive and limited in output capacity. This paper proposes a new and innovative immersive development pipeline leveraging the recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) for 3D model creation and optimization. The previous reliance on 3D modeling software to create assets and then import into a game engine can be replaced with nearly instantaneous content creation with AI. While AI art generators like DALL-E 2 and DeepAI have been used for 2D asset creation, when combined with game engine technology, such as Unreal Engine 5 and virtualized geometry systems like Nanite, a new process for creating nearly unlimited content for immersive reality is possible. New processes and workflows, such as those proposed here, will revolutionize content creation and pave the way for Web 3.0, the metaverse and a truly 3D social environment.
基金financially supported by China Scholarship Council(CSC)under the Grant CSC(No.202107585001)Jilin Provincial Science and Technology Program(Nos.20210101069JC and 20190702002GH)+2 种基金Science and Technology Program of Changchun(No.21ZGM18)‘111’Project of China(No.D17017)the Hong Kong Research Grants Council(Project Nos.11207222 and 11210819)for partially supporting this work。
文摘Nanomaterial-based flexible sensors(NMFSs)can be tightly attached to the human skin or integrated with clothing to monitor human physiological information,provide medical data,or explore metaverse spaces.Nanomaterials have been widely incorporated into flexible sensors due to their facile processing,material compatibility,and unique properties.This review highlights the recent advancements in NMFSs involving various nanomaterial frameworks such as nanoparticles,nanowires,and nanofilms.Different triggering interaction interfaces between NMFSs and metaverse/virtual reality(VR)applications,e.g.skin-mechanics-triggered,temperature-triggered,magnetically triggered,and neural-triggered interfaces,are discussed.In the context of interfacing physical and virtual worlds,machine learning(ML)has emerged as a promising tool for processing sensor data for controlling avatars in metaverse/VR worlds,and many ML algorithms have been proposed for virtual interaction technologies.This paper discusses the advantages,disadvantages,and prospects of NMFSs in metaverse/VR applications.
基金supported by 2021 Jiangsu Police Institute Scientific Research Project(2021SJYZK01)High-Level Introduction of Talent Scientific Research Start-Up Fund of Jiangsu Police Institute(JSPI19GKZL407)+2 种基金Jiangsu Provincial Department of Public Security Science and Technology Project(2021KX012)Open Project of Criminal Inspection Laboratory in Key Laboratories of Sichuan Provincial Universities(2023YB03)Major Project of Basic Science(Natural Science)Research in Higher Education Institutions in Jiangsu Province(2020232001),2023‘Jiangsu Science and Technology Think Tank Youth Talent Plan’.
文摘As a subversive concept,the metaverse has recently attracted widespread attention around the world and has set off a wave of enthusiasm in academic,industrial,and investment circles.However,while the metaverse brings unprecedented opportunities for transformation to human society,it also contains related risks.Metaverse is a digital living space with information infrastructure,interoperability system,content production system,and value settlement system as the underlying structure in which the inner core is to connect real residents through applications and identities.Through social incentives and governance rules,the metaverse reflects the digital migration of human society.This article will conduct an in-depth analysis of the metaverse from the perspective of electronic data forensics.First,from the perspective of Internet development,the background and development process of the metaverse is discussed.By systematically elaborating on the concept and connotation of the metaverse,this paper summarizes the different views of current practitioners,experts,and scholars on the metaverse.Secondly,from the perspective of metaverse security,the social risk and crime risks of the metaverse are discussed.Then the importance of metaverse forensics is raised.Third,from the perspective of blockchain,smart wearable devices,and virtual reality devices,the objects and characteristics of metaverse forensics have been studied in depth.Taking smart wearable devices as an example,this paper gives the relevant experimental process of smart bracelet forensics.Finally,many challenges faced by metaverse forensics are summarized by us which provide readers with some exploratory guidance.
基金partially funded by the 2023 Teaching Quality Engineering Construction Project of Sun Yat-sen University(No.76250-12230036)the 2023 Project of Computer Education Research Association of Chinese Universities(No.CERACU2023R02)。
文摘With the rapid evolution of technology and the increasing complexity of software systems,there is a growing demand for effective educational approaches that empower learners to acquire and apply software engineering skills in practical contexts.This paper presents an intelligent and interactive learning(Meta-SEE)framework for software engineering education that combines the immersive capabilities of the metaverse with the cognitive processes of metacognition,to create an interactive and engaging learning environment.In the Meta-SEE framework,learners are immersed in a virtual world where they can collaboratively engage with concepts and practices of software engineering.Through the integration of metacognitive strategies,learners are empowered to monitor,regulate,and adapt their learning processes.By incorporating metacognition within the metaverse,learners gain a deeper understanding of their own thinking processes and become self-directed learners.In addition,MetaSEE has the potential to revolutionize software engineering education by offering a dynamic,immersive,and personalized learning experience.It allows learners to engage in realistic software development scenarios,explore complex systems,and collaborate with peers and instructors in virtual spaces.
基金Supported by Supported by the″Jie Bang Gua Shuai″Science and Technology Project of the Henan Province (211110110500)the Scientific and Technological Project in Henan Province,China (No. 222102210030)。
文摘Background The lack of social activities among the elderly due to physical limitations can result in loneliness and depression. The spread of COVID-19 has made it difficult for the elderly to conduct stable social activities, increasing feelings of loneliness. The metaverse is a virtual world that mirrors reality. This allows the elderly to overcome the constraints of reality and perform social activities stably and continuously, providing new ideas for alleviating loneliness. Methods By analyzing their needs, a virtual social center framework for the elderly was proposed in this study. In addition, a prototype system was designed according to this framework. The elderly can socialize in virtual reality with metaverse-related technologies and human–computer interaction tools. Additionally, a test was conducted jointly with the chief physician of the geriatric rehabilitation department of a tertiary hospital. Results The results demonstrated that the mental state of the elderly who had used the virtual social center was significantly better than that of those who had not used it. Conclusions Thus, virtual social centers can help relieve loneliness and depression among the elderly with increasing global epidemics and an aging society. Hence,they have promotional value.
基金Sponsored by 2021-2022 Key Education and Teaching Reform Project of Beijing University of Agriculture:Cultivation of College Students Humanity Quality Based on the Smart Library Construction.
文摘Metaverse is a virtual world,but it is possible and even becomes a trend that metaverse interacts with the real world along with the sci-tech and social development.Smart library is a main direction of modern library development,from informatization to digitization and then intelligent-based,modernization of library has been improved qualitatively.Emergence of metaverse brings a brand-new horizon to the generation and application of agricultural information,this paper made primary explorations the requirements and action mechanism of agricultural information on the construction of smart library within the external constraint of metaverse.
文摘The Metaverse of Dream of the Red Chamber has a natural fit with Unity + Socket.IO, both in virtual space and functional design. Using Unity, you can generate and build the foundation of the Metaverse of Dream of the Red Chamber: virtual reality, including real-time dynamic internal generation and external loading of virtual characters, scenes, and various other elements, and can achieve various controls over these elements without delay. The Metaverse space built by Unity has full immersion and diversity;Socket.IO realizes Internet connection, Unity C# script creates Socket.IO client, Unity + Socket.IO connection realizes interpersonal communication, thus jointly realizing digital identity management in the Metaverse of Dream of the Red Chamber. Including virtual identity registration, Unity to achieve login authentication, digital avatar unique distribution;jointly create a network social space including games, business transactions, friends and entertainment, and provide corresponding safety information management for it, which is enough to reflect the special code of conduct and civilization ecology in the Metaverse. In short, Unity + Socket.IO can build a complete system of the Metaverse of Dream of the Red Chamber from the digital technology level.
文摘There has been disagreement over the value of purchasing space in the metaverse, but many businesses including Nike, The Wendy’s Company, and McDonald’s have jumped in headfirst. While the metaverse land rush has been called an “illusion” given underdeveloped infrastructure, including inadequate software and servers, and the potential opportunities for economic and legal abuse, the “real estate of the future” shows no signs of slowing. While the current virtual space of the metaverse is worth $6.30 billion, that is expected to grow to $84.09 billion by the end of 2028. But the long-term legal and regulatory considerations of capitalizing on the investment, as well as the manner in which blockchain technology can secure users’ data and digital assets, has yet to be properly investigated. With the metaverse still in a conceptual phase, building a new 3D social environment capable of digital transactions will represent most of the initial investment in time in human capital. Digital twin technologies, already well-established in industry, will be ported to support the need to architect and furnish the new digital world. The return on and viability of investing in the “real estate of the future” raises questions fundamental to the success or failure of the enterprise. As such this paper proposes a novel framing of the issue and looks at the intersection where finance, technology, and law are converging to prevent another Dot-com bubble of the late 1990s in metaverse-based virtual real estate transactions. Furthermore, the paper will argue that these domains are technologically feasible, but the main challenges for commercial users remain in the legal and regulatory arenas. As has been the case with the emergence of online commerce, a legal assessment of the metaverse indicates that courts will look to traditional and established legal principles when addressing issues until the enactment of federal and/or state statutes and accompanying regulations. Lastly, whereas traditional regulation of real estate would involve property law, the current legal framing of ownership of metaverse assets is governed by contract law.
文摘An investigation and outline of MetaControl and DeControl in Metaverses for control intelligence and knowledge automation are presented.Prescriptive control with prescriptive knowledge and parallel philosophy is proposed as the starting point for the new control philosophy and technology,especially for computational control of metasystems in cyberphysical-social systems.We argue that circular causality,the generalized feedback mechanism for complex and purposive systems,should be adapted as the fundamental principle for control and management of metasystems with metacomplexity in metaverses.Particularly,an interdisciplinary approach is suggested for MetaControl and DeControl as a new form of intelligent control based on five control metaverses:MetaVerses,MultiVerses,InterVerses,TransVerse,and DeepVerses.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(2018AAA0101502)the Science and Technology Project of SGCC(State Grid Corporation of China):Fundamental Theory of Human-in-the-Loop Hybrid-Augmented Intelligence for Power Grid Dispatch and Control。
文摘To tackle the complexity of human and social factors in manufacturing systems, parallel manufacturing for industrial metaverses is proposed as a new paradigm in smart manufacturing for effective and efficient operations of those systems, where Cyber-Physical-Social Systems(CPSSs) and the Internet of Minds(Io M) are regarded as its infrastructures and the "Artificial systems", "Computational experiments"and "Parallel execution"(ACP) method is its methodological foundation for parallel evolution, closed-loop feedback, and collaborative optimization. In parallel manufacturing, social demands are analyzed and extracted from social intelligence for product R&D and production planning, and digital workers and robotic workers perform the majority of the physical and mental work instead of human workers, contributing to the realization of low-cost, high-efficiency and zero-inventory manufacturing. A variety of advanced technologies such as Knowledge Automation(KA), blockchain, crowdsourcing and Decentralized Autonomous Organizations(DAOs) provide powerful support for the construction of parallel manufacturing, which holds the promise of breaking the constraints of resource and capacity, and the limitations of time and space. Finally, the effectiveness of parallel manufacturing is verified by taking the workflow of customized shoes as a case,especially the unmanned production line named Flex Vega.
基金supported by Optima Collaborative Research Project of Defect Detection Algorithm for Automated Optical Inspection±Phase IIthe Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province(2020B0909050001,2020B090921003)the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province(2021402011)。
文摘With the rapid development of information technologies such as digital twin, extended reality, and blockchain,the hype around "metaverse" is increasing at astronomical speed. However, much attention has been paid to its entertainment and social functions. Considering the openness and interoperability of metaverses, the market of quality inspection promises explosive growth. In this paper, taking advantage of metaverses, we first propose the concept of Automated Quality Inspection(Auto QI), which performs integrated inspection covering the entire manufacturing process, including Quality of Materials, Quality of Manufacturing(Qo M), Quality of Products, Quality of Processes(Qo P), Quality of Systems, and Quality of Services(Qo S). Based on the scenarios engineering theory, we discuss how to perform interactions between metaverses and the physical world for virtual design instruction and physical validation feedback. Then we introduce a bottomup inspection device development workflow with productivity tools offered by metaverses, making development more effective and efficient than ever. As the core of quality inspection,we propose Quality Transformers to complete detection task,while federated learning is integrated to regulate data sharing.In summary, we point out the development directions of quality inspection under metaverse tide.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(2018AAA0101502)the Science and Technology Project of SGCC(State Grid Corporation of China):Fundamental Theory of Human-in-the-Loop Hybrid-Augmented Intelligence for Power Grid Dispatch and Control。
文摘In the construction of Metaverses,sensors that are referred to as the“bridge of information transmission”,play a key role.The functionality and efficiency of today’s sensors,which operate in a manner similar to physical sensing,are frequently constrained by their hardware and software.In this research,we proposed the Parallel Sensing framework,which includes background,concept,basic methods and typical application of parallel sensing.In our formulation,sensors are redefined as the integration of real physical sensors and virtual software-defined sensors based on parallel intelligence,in order to boost the performance of the sensors.Each sensor will have a parallel counterpart in the virtual world within the framework of parallel sensing.Digital sensors serve as the brain of sensors and maintain the same properties as physical sensors.Parallel sensing allows physical sensors to operate in discrete time periods to conserve energy,while cloud-based descriptive,predictive,and prescriptive sensors operate continuously to offer compensation data and serve as guardians.To better illustrate parallel sensing concept,we show some example applications of parallel sensing such as parallel vision,parallel point cloud and parallel light fields,both of which are designed by construct virtual sensors to extend small real data to virtual big data and then boost the performance of perception models.Experimental results demonstrate the effective of parallel sensing framework.The interaction between the real and virtual worlds enables sensors to operate actively,allowing them to intelligently adapt to various scenarios and ultimately attain the goal of“Cognitive,Parallel,Crypto,Federated,Social and Ecologic”6S sensing.
文摘Rapid advancementsin technology and computing power,combined with the convergence of Blockchain,artificial intelligence,Internet of Things,extended reality,gamification,and decentralized finance,have led to recent growth in interest in the metaverse.Indeed today,there are more than 160 metaverse projects,and Citi estimates it could be a 13 trillion USD industry by 2030.While many have not yet grasped the relevance of the metaverse for industries,the opportunity to leverage the metaverse for health and wellness is substantial.In obesity and non-communicable disease(NCDs),there is potential to deploy the metaverse using gamification and incentives,as well as for education and care.This perspective article explores how the metaverse could be used to prevent and manage obesity and NCDs.
