Metaverse
I hope everyone must be familiar with this term now since this is the "new buzz" tech word gaining traction these days after Facebook changed its name to Meta, and working on creating VR/AR tools to help build apps for Metaverse. Microsoft and Cisco too announced their plans to bring Metaverse to their apps.
The Metaverse is a virtual shared space. The word metaverse combines the prefix "meta" (meaning "beyond") with "universe" and is typically used to describe the concept of a future iteration of the internet, made up of persistent, shared, 3D virtual spaces linked into a perceived virtual universe.
The digital identity used in Metaverse is "Avatar". The word "Avatar" commonly used as a virtual or digital identity of any user comes from Hinduism, where it stands for the "descent" of a deity into terrestrial form. The term was first used by a video game developer Richard Garriott in 1985 and still being used today.
Who can forget the movie Ready Player One - The quote from the movie "People come to the OASIS for all the things they can do, but they stay because of all the things they can be", is so real now. The OASIS was the get go place for everyone in the movie.
When I hear Metaverse, I cannot help but visualize, myself in an immersive space similar to the movie Avatar or working together with my colleagues just like Iron man does in his movies or what Tom Cruise did in his movie Minority Report. The fiction in the movies are becoming the reality now, though not in perfect form to start with but we will reach there someday!
I started my career as a Cisco Telepresence support engineer, where I learnt how Cisco Telepresence rooms brings an immersive experience to user. The room lights, wall colour, furniture all was placed to give a feel that the other person connected over a video call is present in the same room. The experience of video call at that moment to be honest was awesome until I saw this video of live holographic video conferencing where former CEO of Cisco John Chambers described the future.
Microsoft Mesh | Here can be anywhere
Microsoft Mesh is a mixed reality platform built to provide a collaborative experience enabling a feeling of the physical presence of users. The use of HoloPortation and Avatars allows users to believe as if they are present in a digital world - Metaverse and still able to see and meet others like they are in the same room.
The three terms defined in the Microsoft portal - Feel Presence, Experience Together & Connect from anywhere says all about how user interaction and experience are going to change from UCaaS based 2D world to VR/AR-based 3D space.
With Microsoft Mesh-enabled applications, designers or engineers living on opposite coasts who work with 3D physical models could find themselves in a shared virtual space to collaborate and iterate on holographic models, regardless of their physical location.
Microsoft Mesh, a new mixed reality platform, will allow geographically distributed teams to meet and collaborate in shared mixed reality sessions where participants appear as digital representations of themselves. Image by Microsoft.
With hybrid work model, many users tend to not use their video for collaboration due to various reasons, some might want to multitask, others might be at comfort of home not in their best attires for meetings. With Mesh enabled meetings and immersive space, all users working from Office or home can get engaged in discussions the most collaborative way without turning on their camera.
Microsoft's Metaverse comprises of following technological layers and each layer is crucial, similar to layers of OSI model. Artificial Intelligence together with data and logic provided in user-interfacing apps using mixed reality will let users connect to the virtual world.
Microsoft Mesh will be available for Microsoft Teams using PC and phones, HoloLens 2, VR headsets.
Mesh for Microsoft Teams -
Mesh for Teams will be in preview in the first half of 2022. It would be rolled out with pre-built immersive spaces allowing users to interact however the option to create their own immersive spaces will be present with organizations equipped with knowledge workers. Similar to immersive spaces, self-expressive avatars can also be created.
It would be good to see how Microsoft Mesh for Teams will use AI to mimic the facial expressions of users in avatars and express their feelings on Teams.
HoloLens -
Microsoft Mesh app for HoloLens 2 enables a feeling of presence for users in different physical locations. Users can interact as if they are face to face and work on 3D content that is persistent and spatially available.
In my point go view though similar features are already provided by existing AR/VR platforms such as Librestream however the collaboration in those platforms would not be as persistent and available in 3D as on Microsoft Mesh.
Microsoft Mesh app for HoloLens 2 is already available for preview. It allows users to join remote collaborative sessions, customize expressive avatars, import 3D content from OneDrive and Ink & annotate content.
The Mesh app with HoloLens can be useful in industries like manufacturing, healthcare, and education. Several platforms like MEDIVIS, GIGXR are already providing solutions for the healthcare industry through extended reality learning applications for medical schools and empower surgeons with holographic navigation to transform procedural safety.
AltspaceVR -
AltspaceVR is a platform providing virtual spaces for user interaction. Together with Microsoft Mesh, it provides mixed-reality platform that enables a collaborative experience with the feeling of presence for users. The platform provides spaces for events, town halls, concerts, and tech talks.
Can’t wait to do a campfire with friends and colleagues in this Delhi winter.
References
Microsoft (2021). HoloLens2. Retrieved from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/hololens/hardware
Roach, J. (2021). Mesh for Microsoft Teams aims to make collaboration in the ‘metaverse’ personal and fun. Microsoft Innovation Stories. Retrieved from https://news.microsoft.com/innovation-stories/mesh-for-microsoft-teams/
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