Here comes the Metaverse
met·a·verse. /ˈmedəˌvərs/. noun: COMPUTING a virtual-reality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users.
Virtual reality, Augmented reality, 360 video/photography, gaming, it can all be part of the Metaverse. Think of wearing a VR headset like Oculus, or scrolling your mouse around a 3D environment–all part of what’s called “The Metaverse.” How big might this become? This post was written in 2022. Let’s see how well it ages in say, 2025?
Major Companies are Investing in Metaverse
Facebook has recently changed it’s corporate name to Meta, which includes the Facebook platform. The world’s largest social media platform sees this coming. They have owned Oculus, the VR headset tech company for several years now. They had a reason to acquire them. With average home internet speeds drastically increasing, and the deployment of 5G for wireless, the bandwidth is there to provide for a much more immersive online experience. Two dimensions will be replaced with full 3D environments.
Metaverse feels like deja vu….
I find many similarities between today’s view of “the Metaverse” with another once up & coming technology. TebWeb was originally created back in the mid 1990’s just as homes were starting to get connected “online.” At that time, “TebWeb: Designs for the World Wide Web” created websites for local businesses. I remember walking around town “pounding the pavement” as the expression goes–working to sell the next big thing. It wasn’t always easy to sell as I recall.
“What on Earth would I need a website for? By the way, what is a website?”
–Many business owners circa 1996.
We all know where THAT headed! Fast forward 25 years, and we have the Metaverse. Another early player poised to be a big part of tomorrow’s Metaverse is helping people become a part of it now. Matterport has developed amazing technology to scan and “digitally duplicate” buildings into what they call a digital twin.
The Next Big Thing…..Is Already Here……
In my career, I always seemed to gravitate toward newer technology and absorb it like a sponge. I like to work with something new–and push it. “Let’s see what we can do with this……” I was early with 3D computer video animation. The first in my area to start flying drones. I bought my first 360 camera the first year they came out, and even patented a lighting process for that medium. As owner of TebWeb Innovations, I went another step further and purchased a Matterport scanner/camera. I was intrigued by the technology they were developing.
Matterport doesn’t just take 360 photos. It also collects “spatial data.” In other words, when it scans and creates an image, it “knows” where that image is in 3D space. Once a scan of a space is complete, the software crunches that data, and you end up not only with a walk through virtual tour, but so much more. You also have a complete floor plan. As our example above shows, you can zoom out in virtual space and see entire room layouts at a glance. They call it the “dollhouse view.”
Since spatial data is captured with their camera/scanner, you also get the ability to use a virtual tape measure to accurately measure between any points, in any image. And that includes the entire floor plan.
Digital Twins and Dollhouses…..
The entirety of this process is what is referred to as a “digital twin” of a real space. These digitized versions of real places are now ready to be part of the MetaVerse. Imagine taking a virtual walk through a town’s streets, then walking into a building, and looking around that. All through a VR headset or a phone app or web browser. This will be the new way people will be looking at content on the internet–in the not so distant future. The GIF image to the left shows a finished captured image, and what is its “3D Mesh” counterpart that is the data that makes up the image.
It’s All About The Research……..
We’ve compiled a few links for you, to help you understand the Metaverse and its implications…..in more depth than we can provide by ourselves here:
- Facebook is now “Meta.”
- WIRED: Public Blockchains Are the New National Economies of the Metaverse
- XR Today: Why is The Metaverse Important?
- Seeking Alpha: Matterport-Bridging The Gap Between Reality And The Metaverse
- Technology Magazine: Levelling Up The Metaverse
Play Around Our Tours Yourself…..
Below are two tours we have created. Have fun touring “The Doylestown Historical Society” in virtual space:
And this one, albeit a shorter tour–is our own office in Doylestown. Please try out the measuring tool to experiment with measuring spaces:
We Are Ready To Help You Into The Metaverse……
At TebWeb Innovations, we have already geared up for this near future. We have a Matterport camera/scanner, and produce our virtual tours through their system. Our virtual tours are “Metaverse ready.” So as the “digitized towns” start developing–we can make you ready to be an immediate part of it. And the tours can be used now on any PC or mobile browser to uniquely showcase a building–real estate, boutique inns, event spaces, museums. All can now be ready for that next big thing you’ve been hearing about.
Ready? Find out more on our Virtual Tour Page, and contact us using the form below. See you in the Metaverse!
You must be logged in to post a comment.