The Metaverse is a virtual world, one to which we will connect using a range of devices to make us think that we are really inside it - interacting with all its elements. It will be like actually teleporting to a whole new world through virtual reality glasses and other accessories.
We have experienced them for decades in the videogames' industry, where by creating a character you can live adventures through your computer. However, the metaverse is not looking to be just a fantasy world, but perhaps now a kind of an alternative reality in which we can do the same things we do everyday, but without leaving our room.
Facebook and other companies are betting on the creation of a parallel, but completely virtual, universe, accessed via virtual and augmented reality devices, so we can interact with each other 'realistically'.
The key to this metaverse is that we can be fully immersive in it - or at least much more than the current and rather basic virtual reality that exists today. We might initially need to use glasses similar to those currently available, but additionally we will use sensors to capture our physical movements enabling our 'avatar' to have a fully immersive experience.
Devices to enable interpretation of facial expressions will mean that our avatar in the metaverse can recreate us, and other people with whom we are interacting can understand how we feel. Body language will be imperative for these virtual interactions to feel 'real'.
We will continue to analyse how can we can utilise new technologies in our everyday professional lives - might we soon be able to evaluate candidate competencies through their behaviour in the metaverse?
Javier Uruburu
Partner, Spain