Metaverse in 2022: Events, Achievements, and Projections

The Metaverse, the blockchain-based virtual world, has been making waves in the digital scene for a few years now. While there are many skeptics who believe that it will never take off, it's too early to make predictions. The Metaverse is only getting started. Its biggest potential stems from its promise to change the way we interact with the internet. Virtual currencies, virtual properties, virtual meetings, and virtual entertainment, all leading to a fully immersed virtual life.

In this article, we will take a look at what the Metaverse has been up to since we last mentioned it.

The continuing buzz

The Metaverse isn’t being ignored anywhere. With strong names and a lot of resources behind it, it really can’t be. Europe’s biggest Metaverse conference, Tomorrow Conference, is set to take place in Belgrade. At the conference, participants will be able to learn about the emerging technologies, mainly concerning blockchain and cryptocurrency, as well as better understand the developing trends in Web3, decentralized finance, and augmented reality.

In fact, Serbia seems to be a fertile ground for Metaverse’s promise of a better future. The county’s eminent music festival, Exit, has decided to enter the Metaverse and launch an exclusive NFT collection in collaboration with major music stars. The NFTs in EXIT’s collections are meant for use in the Metaverse and the organization is involved in its development.

Metaverse has become a staple of all digital-focused and business forums. Both Izazov Forum in Belgrade and DigiTalk in Zrenjanin had prominent Metaverse sections.

Metaverse-focused events are happening all over the globe and throughout the year. As the underlying technologies mature, we can expect Metaverse talks to be featured in an increasing number of events.

Trace Network Labs releases Buddy

The software company Trace Network Labs has recently released its first project, Buddy. It allows users to create their own personalized avatars to work, play and socialize in various Metaverses. Buddy avatars are made following standards that support cross-chain movement (movement between various blockchains), allowing owners to enter and interact in different Metaverses.

Meta opens its first store

While this isn’t really a proper “virtual” event, Meta’s physical store, which opened on May 9 at the main campus of the Meta’s Reality Labs unit, is definitely a landmark in the development of the Metaverse. The unit is working on the hardware products the company aims to sell there. This includes Oculus VR headsets, Ray-Ban smart glasses, and Portal video-calling devices.

The store features a floor-to-ceiling screen that will be used to show off games on its VR devices and rooms for testing video calls.

A demo in the interactive space of the Meta Store.Image Credit: Meta

Perceptus can identify and remember physical objects

This software AR platform can understand what’s around you and helps your devices and applications perform tasks proactively. Perceptus is meant to act as a layer above existing AR technologies like Google's ARCore or Apple's ARKit.

The platform relies on a machine learning process that studies different ways it can expect to see designated objects in the real world. It can account for lighting, surface types, and other variables. Perceptus is layered over the target app, allowing it to utilize this new object comprehension. In the end, the developers have to make sure that the app can provide the user with actions to perform using the objects.

You could soon feel pain in the Metaverse

No, this isn’t an episode of the Black Mirror, it’s real (well, virtual) life. Sensory stimulation is a natural evolution of wanting to transfer our lives into a virtual environment. It started with using controllers for gaming and moved to haptic feedback gloves that allow you to “touch” virtual objects. Now, H2L, a Sony-backed startup has developed an armband that uses electrical stimulation to deliver a sensation of physical pain.

Of course, this is just one step. Mimicking scents, temperature, and other sensations will be a true turning point, allowing people to live almost complete virtual lives.

Meta will track its users’ every move

Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta will have highly realistic avatars for its users, but it will need every scrap of data it can get. All Meta gear will track users' every move with customized, purpose-built technologies. To this end, Meta filed a large number of patents for gadgets and technologies that will track facial expressions, gestures, body positions, and eye movements of players in the digital world. This includes a belt that tracks body position, sensor gloves that monitor hand gestures, and VR glasses that will both immerse players into virtual worlds and track eye movements.

A demo in the interactive space of the Meta Store. Image Credit: Meta

Final thoughts

There’s no doubt that the Metaverse is coming. We can see its building blocks being put into place with each passing day. The question is not if but when it will be fully realized. When will we see a fully-fledged Metaverse? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see.

One thing is certain, though – the Metaverse is coming, and it’s going to revolutionize the way we interact with technology and each other. Whether you’re looking forward to it or dreading it, there’s no denying that it’s going to be here soon! So keep your eyes peeled for the latest developments in Metaverse tech and get ready for a whole new world.​