Facebook’s metaverse was always intended to be more than another virtual reality application. It would provide users with infinite space and infinite possibilities, to move around, interact, engage, and even earn in a VR world. One of the key use cases the company has factored in is work.  

“By 2030, the new generations of Oculus will allow users to teleport from one place to another without moving from their couch — not only for gaming and entertainment but also for work,” Mark Zuckerberg said in a March podcast. Then, in August, the company introduced a VR collaboration solution called Horizon Workrooms. And now, Facebook has completely rebranded as Meta, with a clear vision for a VR-enabled metaverse.  

The notion of the metaverse contains within it several elements: multiple VR worlds, interactive and near-real digital assets, the ability to move around and teleport without restrictions, and problem-solving in 3D. All of these are extremely conducive to work-related use cases.  

What Is the Metaverse? 

The metaverse is defined as a three-dimensional internet powered by virtual reality and augmented reality. It is persistent (exists regardless of the user’s presence), real-time (users can experience live events), infinite (supports unlimited concurrent users and VR worlds), self-sustaining (users can work for and pay for things in the metaverse), and interoperable (there’s only one metaverse and everything is integrated within it).  

Importantly, this definition of the metaverse exists independent of Facebook (now rebranded as Meta). The term was coined in the 1992 sci-fi novel Snow Crash and there have been several attempts to build the metaverse since then. However, early attempts like Second Life, Roblox, and NeosVR were all limited gaming applications. The new metaverses put forward by Facebook and also Microsoft are geared for work-related use cases – i.e., communication, collaboration, and problem-solving.  

Working in the Metaverse: Key Advantages 

What are the advantages of working in the metaverse? In 2019, this question might have been slightly harder to answer. But now, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, millions around the world were forced to switch to digital-only modes of communication and some kind of a virtual workspace. Working in the metaverse takes this a step further to bring you all the capabilities of the real world, with very little of its challenges or limitations.  

Overcome the challenges of remote work 

This is the biggest advantage of working in the metaverse. When telecommuting, users often complain that they are unable to read body language and communicate effectively. Managers struggle to maintain visibility over team productivity. And, due to the prolonged absence of in-person interactions, there is risk of disengagement. The metaverse creates an immersive virtual workplace where 3D avatars of employees can work together just like in the real world.  

Visualise and solve problems in 3D 

Some tasks and business problems are better tackled visually, but it is simply not possible in the real world. For example, architects might want to design and draw up multiple detailed mock-ups before finalising a direction. However, there are time and cost constraints, and often, errors are overlooked due to the lack of precision. The metaverse gives you a space where you can 3D-model virtually anything, and real-world specifications can be replicated via digital twin technology. This enables smarter problem-solving in industries like construction, architecture, healthcare, life sciences, and more.  

Gain from infinite space and interoperability 

Another benefit of working in the metaverse is there’s no limit to the available space or features you can use. Need another whiteboard? Simply add an extension (or more) to your existing space. Similarly, virtual workplaces in the metaverse can be made interoperable with productivity tools so you can gain from feature-rich collaboration experiences without having to build infrastructure.  

Remove dependence on hardware  

For large companies, working in the metaverse could be an important efficiency driver. In a virtual workplace, employees are equipped with digital whiteboards, digital workstations, etc., and their 3D avatars can meet face-to-face without any complex conferencing equipment. It is possible to create an entire virtual campus inside the metaverse at a fraction of the investment required in the real world – powered only through the cloud.  

How Microsoft and Facebook Are Enabling Work in the Metaverse 

Working in the metaverse isn’t some faraway, futuristic notion. Companies like Microsoft and Facebook have been working for several years to bring their vision for this technology to life, culminating in the following:  

  • Horizon Workrooms – Horizon Workrooms are available for download on Oculus Quest2. Facebook already uses the product internally, and it has recently been rebranded as Meta Horizon Workrooms
  • Mesh for Teams – You can now use Microsoft Mesh to create AI-enabled 3D avatars of yourself for use during meetings, instead of a webcam feed. Full-scale metaverse-ian workplaces on Mesh are set to debut in the first half of 2020

Apart from this, there are several promising XR and VR companies working to create immersive 3D workplaces and collaboration tools – albeit at a slightly more limited scope than a true metaverse. These include MeetinVR, Somnium Space, Glue, and several others.  

Potential Concerns and Opportunities  

The first caveat is probably the core technology required. Working in the metaverse requires a combination of AI, full-body gear and sensors, sophisticated headsets, and powerful cloud connectivity, which might take several years to develop. Second, there are concerns around security, as a persistent metaverse would have to capture and store user data to be able to provide an intuitive experience. Finally, issues like discrimination and sexual harassment in a metaverse-ian workplace must be explored in comprehensive detail before large-scale deployment.  

For now, working in the metaverse is possible in a limited way if you already have the gear and your team is on board. There are users for whom work is the only application of the metaverse, as the disconnect from the real world may not be “worth it” without a direct and correlated outcome. As Stanford professor and VR expert, Jeremy Bailenson said, “I don’t use VR recreationally. It’s not something that you do for fun yet. VR has always been about solving hard problems.” 

Remote work is definitely a hard problem that VR could help solve.  

 

 



from UC Today https://ift.tt/3Dpgb1c