What is the Metaverse?

Definitions of the metaverse abound, and David has written on 10 Axioms for the Metaverse, but essentially it it refers to the immersive, social space created either as a virtual reality experience, or as a mixed reality one (i.e. where the virtual is overlaid onto the physical). Ideally the Metaverse should be an interconnected multiverse of different spaces, just as the World Wide Web consists of a wide variety of different website. Like the web the enabling software should be open-source and anyone should be able to set up a server. And unlike much of the web it should be easy to move your identity and your digital assets between the different microverses. We tend to use a capitalised Metaverse when talking about this future ideal, and a lowercase metaverse when talking about smaller, unconnected and often single purpose virtual spaces. Second Life and OpenSim are probably still the best examples of proto-Metaverses, but worlds such as Frame that work purely in the browser (even when using an HMD) are of significant interest. And talking about HMD, we are firm believers that the Metaverse is more about what you do in it, and particularly the social connections and immersive experiences, than whether you are accessing it via an HMD (e.g. Quest), desktop or mobile.

WHAT CAN YOU USE IT FOR?

The diagram below lists some of the main areas in which there are proven use cases for the metaverse, and for metaversal technologies. For more information on these check out David's book on The Metaverse: A Critical Introduction. If you have an interest in the use of the metaverse and virtual reality for training and learning then also download a free copy of Pedagogy for Virtual Reality Training and Education, an eBook that David co-wrote and produced for UK MOD. For more on the learning and education aspects also check out The Metaverse for Learning and Education, and in 2025 David has a book out The Military Metaverse, looking at the application of the metaverse in the military. David is also exploring the junction between wargaming, virtual reality and mixed reality.

Here are images of just some of the metaverse projects that David has led.

Immersive Visual Analytics

One use of the metaverse that David has a keen interest in is how you can use it to display, explore and analyse data in an immersive, social, 3D space. The gallery below shows just a few of the visualisations that David has worked on, many using the Datascape tool that was developed by Daden, and you can also download a white paper that David has written on Immersive Visual Analytics. UK MOD even uploaded one of our older presentations on Social Data Visualisation in Virtual Worlds & Immersive Cyber Analysis to Slideshare - which includes results of a study we did comparing immersive and non-immersive 3D visualisation.

Metaverse Services

David offers the following services for businesses and organisations trying to get to grips with the Metaverse:

• Introductory talks, seminars and workshops to understand what the Metaverse is all about, and its potential (and challenges) for your organisation;
• A customer-friend on metaverse related projects;
• Helping to scope, establish, advise and monitor metaverse build projects.

Metaverse Resources

For more on the Metaverse, check out any of David's writings or publications:

• The Metaverse Series website, including information on - The Metaverse: A Critical Introduction, The Metaverse for Learning and Education, and The Military Metaverse (due 2025).
• David's postings on Medium on metaverse thoughts and issues
• David's papers on metaverse and virtual human topics indexed by ResearchGate
• David's white paper on Immersive Visual Analytics