The Metaverse: a three-dimensional digital environment in which to move, share and interact, with no physical limitations. An internet world using digital avatars of themselves is the original definition taken from the novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.
The book describes a parallel universe in which each user interacts with the virtual world through avatars wearing suits, tactile gloves, visors and smart glasses. In this deeply immersive three-dimensional Internet, people can live an incredibly realistic life.
As seen in Stephenson‘s work, within the many existing virtual worlds interaction plays an increasingly central role. Beyond all opinions, doubts and judgements, the Metaverse is foremost a space where people meet and businesses reach potential customers.
Bulgari recently presented its Metaverse project at VivaTech 2022, a spectacular futuristic Rome, the design of which is inspired by the brand’s classics. Heineken, on the other hand, took advantage of curiosity about the subject, with its marketing pointing out the perhaps obvious notion that a good glass of beer can only be enjoyed in the real world.
It is true that the Snow Crash universe doesn’t exist yet. The Augmented and Virtual Reality & Metaverse Observatory at the Politecnico di Milano surveyed 46 virtual worlds last June. They all lack a fundamental requirement: interconnection. On the other hand, it is also true that these spaces are already visited by over 350 million users (il Sole 24 Ore).
ETT has, for many years, been providing support for the digital transformation of foundations, companies, brands, museums and institutions by developing virtual solutions that well match current definitions of the Metaverse.
Step – SmarT Education Platform
To make working in pseudo-real extreme-condition scenarios safe, ETT produced STEP (Smart Education Platform). This technological platform for indoor use has innovative educational content offering a complete training course package, chiefly in the Blue Economy sector.
STEP integrates two interaction methods with training content. Virtual and augmented realities make learning more effective and engaging while guaranteeing full training opportunities in maximum safety.
For further information, see this page
The Divine Comedy VR: inferno, an immersive journey
The Divine Comedy VR: Hell, an immersive journey is a short film in 3D virtual reality, also using the 2D linear technique, accompanied by Francesco Pannofino’s readings of some of the most famous verses of the Divine Comedy.
When wearing the virtual reality headset, the viewer moves and is also totally immersed in one of the masterpieces of world literature.
The Divine Comedy VR is also conceived for innovative educational projects for middle and high schools. Students can, literally, look through Dante’s eyes and become Dante himself, “taking on the character”, and directly experience the descent into Hell.
For further information see the project.
Orientamenti 2020: A Serious Game to find out who you are
For the first virtual edition of Orientamenti, the annual job orientation fair in Genoa, ETT created the Orientamenti videogame, set in a virtual reconstruction of the physical location.
In this game, students took on the role of a young hero exploring the castle of Menor Neittai, which virtually reproduced the four areas around which the event was organised. The object of the game was to get the Talisman of Future Projects and be guided in choices for years to come by interacting with characters and objects.
For further information see this page.
