THE HUMAN FACTOR IN THE METAVERSE

The notion of a Metaverse – a persistent, online, massive virtual environment with interoperable features that span both digital and real domains – has existed for many years. Today, with efforts very much accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for conferences and international events to go ahead with national and international social distancing well in mind, interest in the Metaverse has exploded on a global level.

While researchers are often concerned about human performance and health and safety issues when developing a new technology, an often-neglected indirect effect of new technologies is their potential social impact.

What will be the psychological and character effects of VE use? How will interaction in the virtual world modify behavior? Will people turn their backs on the real world and become contented zombies wandering around synthetic worlds that fulfill their whims? Will VR users experience traumatic physical or psychological consequences due to a virtual interaction? Will people avoid reality and real social encounters with peers and become addicted to escapism?

To answer these questions, Stereopsia is bringing international experts around the table.