The Metaverse digital environments: A scoping review of the techniques, technologies, and applications

Abstract

The “metaverse” has gained immense attention as the next internet frontier, holding significant economic implications, especially for the IT sector. To establish the groundwork for immersive metaverse spaces, our comprehensive scoping review uncovers the current techniques and technologies in metaverse development. This study investigates post-COVID-19 metaverse techniques, technologies, and applications, spanning from January 2020 to December 2022. Findings reveal potential metaverse applications across 11 industries, with education, manufacturing, healthcare, and real estate being notable. We identified 12 major technologies and four key development techniques that have gained prominence in the metaverse landscape. Notably, “Extended Reality (XR)”, “Artificial Intelligence (AI)”, and “Decentralized Technologies” were the three most frequently mentioned technologies, appearing in 73%, 40%, and 30% of the reviewed articles, respectively. Furthermore, “VR space convergence” and “fundamental technology” emerged as primary enablers in 73% and 43% of the selected articles, with “object connection” and “communication computing infrastructure” playing supportive roles. Integrating these technologies is vital for holistic metaverse development. Our report serves as a catalyst for discussions among stakeholders, promoting further research and the transformative potential of the metaverse. It highlights the need for advancing understanding and technological evolution in this emerging digital realm.

Keywords

• Metaverse
• Virtual environments (VE)
• Extended Reality (VR/AR/MR)
• AI
• Techniques
• Technologies