Mental health in the virtual world:Challenges and opportunities in the metaverse era

Current rates of mental illness are worrisome.Mental illness mainly affects females and younger age groups.The use of the internet to deliver mental health care has been growing since 2020 and includes the implementation of novel mental health treatments using virtual reality,augmented reality,and artificial intelligence.A new three dimensional digital environment,known as the metaverse,has emerged as the next version of the Internet.Artificial intelligence,augmented reality,and virtual reality will create fully immersive,experiential,and interactive online environments in the metaverse.People will use a unique avatar to do anything they do in their“real”lives,including seeking and receiving mental health care.In this opinion review,we reflect on how the metaverse could reshape how we deliver mental health treatment,its opportunities,and its challenges.

UAV-Assisted Dynamic Avatar Task Migration for Vehicular Metaverse Services: A Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach

Avatars, as promising digital representations and service assistants of users in Metaverses, can enable drivers and passengers to immerse themselves in 3D virtual services and spaces of UAV-assisted vehicular Metaverses. However, avatar tasks include a multitude of human-to-avatar and avatar-to-avatar interactive applications, e.g., augmented reality navigation,which consumes intensive computing resources. It is inefficient and impractical for vehicles to process avatar tasks locally. Fortunately, migrating avatar tasks to the nearest roadside units(RSU)or unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV) for execution is a promising solution to decrease computation overhead and reduce task processing latency, while the high mobility of vehicles brings challenges for vehicles to independently perform avatar migration decisions depending on current and future vehicle status. To address these challenges, in this paper, we propose a novel avatar task migration system based on multi-agent deep reinforcement learning(MADRL) to execute immersive vehicular avatar tasks dynamically. Specifically, we first formulate the problem of avatar task migration from vehicles to RSUs/UAVs as a partially observable Markov decision process that can be solved by MADRL algorithms. We then design the multi-agent proximal policy optimization(MAPPO) approach as the MADRL algorithm for the avatar task migration problem. To overcome slow convergence resulting from the curse of dimensionality and non-stationary issues caused by shared parameters in MAPPO, we further propose a transformer-based MAPPO approach via sequential decision-making models for the efficient representation of relationships among agents. Finally, to motivate terrestrial or non-terrestrial edge servers(e.g., RSUs or UAVs) to share computation resources and ensure traceability of the sharing records, we apply smart contracts and blockchain technologies to achieve secure sharing management. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms the MAPPO approach by around 2% and effectively reduces approximately 20% of the latency of avatar task execution in UAV-assisted vehicular Metaverses.

MV-Honeypot:Security Threat Analysis by Deploying Avatar as a Honeypot in COTS Metaverse Platforms

Nowadays,theuse of Avatars that are unique digital depictions has increased by users to access Metaverse—a virtual reality environment—through multiple devices and for various purposes.Therefore,the Avatar and Metaverse are being developed with a new theory,application,and design,necessitating the association of more personal data and devices of targeted users every day.This Avatar and Metaverse technology explosion raises privacy and security concerns,leading to cyber attacks.MV-Honeypot,or Metaverse-Honeypot,as a commercial off-the-shelf solution that can counter these cyber attack-causing vulnerabilities,should be developed.To fill this gap,we study user’s engagements with Avatars in Metaverse,analyze possible security vulnerabilities,and create a model named Simplified Avatar Relationship Association with Non-linear Gradient(SARANG)that draws the full diagram of infrastructure components and data flow through accessing Metaverse in this paper.We also determine the most significant threat for each component’s cyberattacks that will affect user data and Avatars.As a result,the commercial off-the-shelf(COTS)of the MV-Honeypot must be established.

Enhancing Identity Protection in Metaverse-Based Psychological Counseling System

Non-face-to-face psychological counseling systems rely on network technologies to anonymize information regard-ing client identity.However,these systems often face challenges concerning voice data leaks and the suboptimal communication of the client’s non-verbal expressions,such as facial cues,to the counselor.This study proposes a metaverse-based psychological counseling system designed to enhance client identity protection while ensuring efficient information delivery to counselors during non-face-to-face counseling.The proposed systemincorporates a voicemodulation function that instantlymodifies/masks the client’s voice to safeguard their identity.Additionally,it employs real-time client facial expression recognition using an ensemble of decision trees to mirror the client’s non-verbal expressions through their avatar in the metaverse environment.The system is adaptable for use on personal computers and smartphones,offering users the flexibility to access metaverse-based psychological counseling across diverse environments.The performance evaluation of the proposed system confirmed that the voice modulation and real-time facial expression replication consistently achieve an average speed of 48.32 frames per second or higher,even when tested on the least powerful smartphone configurations.Moreover,a total of 550 actual psychological counseling sessions were conducted,and the average satisfaction rating reached 4.46 on a 5-point scale.This indicates that clients experienced improved identity protection compared to conventional non-face-to-face metaverse counseling approaches.Additionally,the counselor successfully addressed the challenge of conveying non-verbal cues from clients who typically struggled with non-face-to-face psychological counseling.The proposed systemholds significant potential for applications in interactive discussions and educational activities in the metaverse.

Exploring the intersection of the medical metaverse and healthcare ethics:future considerations and caveats

The medical metaverse and digital twin are set to revolutionise healthcare.Like all emerging technologies their benefits must be weighed against their ethical and social,impacts.If we consider the advances of medical technology as an expression of our values,such as the pursuit of knowledge,cures and healing,an ethical study allows us to align our values and steer the technology towards an agreed goal.However,to appreciate the long-term consequents of a technology,those consequences must be considered in the context of a society already shaped by that technology.This paper identifies the technologies currently shaping society and considers the ethical,and social consequences of the medical metaverse and digital twin in that future society.

Multimodal emotion recognition in the metaverse era:New needs and transformation in mental health work

This editorial comments on an article recently published by López del Hoyo et al.The metaverse,hailed as"the successor to the mobile Internet",is undoubtedly one of the most fashionable terms in recent years.Although metaverse development is a complex and multifaceted evolutionary process influenced by many factors,it is almost certain that it will significantly impact our lives,including mental health services.Like any other technological advancements,the metaverse era presents a double-edged sword for mental health work,which must clearly understand the needs and transformations of its target audience.In this editorial,our primary focus is to contemplate potential new needs and transformation in mental health work during the metaverse era from the pers-pective of multimodal emotion recognition.

Therapeutic effect of the metaverse on mental health

López del Hoyo et al collections reported the meta verse based on the virtual reality,augmented reality and artificial intelligence could be used in the therapy of mental health,although there were still some challenges.This manuscript reported that the meta verse is a prospective method to improve the prognosis of mental health problems.

Social prescribing in the metaverse:a new frontier for primary care practice

The advent of immersive technologies such as the metaverse,extended reality,artificial intelligence,and blockchain offers novel possibilities to transform healthcare services.These innovations coincide with clinicians'aspirations to deliver more comprehensive,patient-centered care tailored to individuals singular needs and preferences.Integration of these emerging tools may confer opportunities for providers to engage patients through new modalities and expand their role.However,responsible implementation necessitates deliberation of ethical implications and steadfast adherence to foundational principles of compassion and interpersonal connection underpinning the profession.While the metaverse introduces new channels for social prescribing,this perspective advocates that its ultimate purpose should be strengthening,not supplanting,human relationships.We propose an ethical framework centered on respect for patients'dignity to guide integration of metaverse platforms into medical practice.This framework serves both to harness their potential benefits and mitigate risks of dehumanization or uncompassionate care.Our analysis maps the developing topology of metaverse-enabled care while upholding moral imperatives for medicine to promote healing relationships and human flourishing.

MetaOracle:A High-Throughput Decentralized Oracle for Web 3.0-Empowered Metaverse

Recent rapid advancements in communication technology have brought forth the era of Web 3.0,representing a substantial transformation in the Internet landscape.This shift has led to the emergence of various decentralized metaverse applications that leverage blockchain as their underlying technology to enable users to exchange value directly from point to point.However,blockchains are blind to the real world,and smart contracts cannot directly access data from the external world.To address this limitation,the technology of oracles has been introduced to provide real-world data for smart contracts and other blockchain applications.In this paper,we focus on mitigating the risks associated with oracles providing corrupt or incorrect data.We propose a novel Web 3.0 architecture for the Metaverse based on the multiidentifier network(MIN),and its decentralized blockchain oracle model called Meta Oracle.The experimental results show that the proposed scheme can achieve minor time investment in return for significantly more reliable data and increased throughput.

Mental health in the virtual world:Are we ready for the metaverse era?

The advent of the metaverse,including virtual reality,augmented reality,andartificial intelligence,is an undeniable issue that health care scientists need toupdate.It influences all fields of knowledge,interpersonal relationships,andhealth.Regarding mental health since the post-coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic,it is necessary to consider and understand the potential,possibilities,weaknesses,and consequences arising from and provided by this new scenario.Due tothe increasing need for mental health monitoring and care,mental health treatmentsrequire in-depth training and preparation to achieve the maximum use of themetaverse advantages and possibilities.Currently,very little is known about theeffectiveness of remote mental health treatment,but it is certainly suggested thataccessibility and the characteristics associated with the use of metaverse technologiesmay represent new horizons for accessibility and approach tools,as long asmore studies are carried out and more evidence is collected to develop accurateguidelines,safe training,solve ethical concerns,and overcome limitations.

“Metaverse”之“Meta”新解:新生活图景与资本宣言

对metaverse(汉语译为“元宇宙”)一词前缀“meta”的解释,有“本原”“之外”“之后”“超越”几种,但其实都不合适。对“meta”并不能做单纯语义学的解释,因为它是资本的主动选择。表面上看,“meta”是在说metaverse包含万物无所不联,实际上是通过美化metaverse的形象,宣传metaverse提供的新生活方式,吸引大众进入metaverse世界。资本这样做的目的,一为掩盖资本在实在世界造成的消极影响和它当前在实在世界中的不利处境,二为利用metaverse为资本的增值扩张开辟一条更具隐秘性、诱惑性的新道路。因而,“meta”(汉语译为“元”)在这里应该有两重寓意:从功能来看是新生活图景的预告,从因由来看是资本进军新世界的宣言。

Metaverse技术与高速公路运营管理的融合创新分析

近年来所出现的Metaverse技术,为包括高速公路运营管理在内的交通发展创新,提供了许多新的技术支撑。本文根据Metaverse技术的本质属性,就其与高速公路智能化运营管理的深度融合创新展开探讨,所形成的具体结论,对提升高速公路运营管理的绩效,有直接的促进作用。

Hierarchical Federated Learning Architectures for the Metaverse

In the context of edge computing environments in general and the metaverse in particular,federated learning(FL)has emerged as a distributed machine learning paradigm that allows multiple users to collaborate on training a shared machine learning model locally,eliminating the need for uploading raw data to a central server.It is perhaps the only training paradigm that preserves the privacy of user data,which is essential for computing environments as personal as the metaverse.However,the original FL architecture proposed is not scalable to a large number of user devices in the metaverse community.To mitigate this problem,hierarchical federated learning(HFL)has been introduced as a general distributed learning paradigm,inspiring a number of research works.In this paper,we present several types of HFL architectures,with a special focus on the three-layer client-edge-cloud HFL architecture,which is most pertinent to the metaverse due to its delay-sensitive nature.We also examine works that take advantage of the natural layered organization of three-layer client-edge-cloud HFL to tackle some of the most challenging problems in FL within the metaverse.Finally,we outline some future research directions of HFL in the metaverse.

Revolutionizing Healthcare—The Integration of Virtual Worlds, AR, and Metaverse Technology

This paper explores the transformative impact of virtual worlds, augmented reality (AR), and the metaverse in the healthcare sector. It delves into the ways these technologies are reshaping patient care, medical education, and research, while also addressing the challenges and opportunities they present. The paper highlights the potential benefits of these technologies and emphasizes the need for comprehensive regulatory frameworks and ethical guidelines to ensure responsible integration. Finally it outlines their transformative impact and discusses the challenges and opportunities they present for the future of healthcare provision.

The Potential of Metaverse in Speaking Skills of English Education

The Metaverse,a three-dimensional(3D)virtual world network that includes social and economic interactions through virtual reality(VR)and augmented reality(AR)devices,has been recognized as a transformative concept in a variety of fields,including education.As technology advances at a rapid pace,the potential of the Metaverse to revolutionize teaching and learning has become increasingly prominent.Particularly in English education,the Metaverse offers promising solutions to address the challenges of oral English education during the COVID-19 era.This paper explores the potential of the Metaverse in enhancing oral English education and highlights its future possibilities.Drawing from the realms of AR and VR,this paper also examines teaching approaches and strategies that integrate the Metaverse into oral English instruction.By leveraging the immersive and interactive nature of the Metaverse,educators or students can create engaging learning experiences that foster oral English communication skills.

“元宇宙”的误译及其理论幻觉——对metaverse错译为“元宇宙”的再探讨

国内关于“元宇宙”的译名和研究,充斥着望文生义、捕风捉影的炒作,以种种妄断制造理论烟幕。但metaverse的“虚拟空间”的含义根本无法推翻,渲染“元宇宙”是“人造世界”或“平行社会”,无一不在演绎沉浸式体验,最终由误译产生的理论幻觉也不攻自破。

论Meta、Metaverse的误译及其新译弥特、弥特宇宙

从本体论、认识论、方法论和价值论视角看,Meta指代的是在后事物和在后对象超越在前事物和在前对象,从在前事物和在前对象基础上涌现出新形式与新性质的过程与结果,而中文的“元”则指代万事万物的始基,同时具有基础性、肇始性、全能性、鸿蒙性、潜能性、整体性、变易性、内驱性八大特征,Meta和“元”的指代是矛盾的,因此将Meta译为“元”是对两者的双重误解,将Metaverse译为“元宇宙”是一场误会。将Meta译为“弥特”,可用以指代Meta所指代的含义;应将Meta-译为“弥特×”,将Metaverse译为“弥特宇宙”,将宇宙奇点——真正的元宇宙译为Yuaniverse。

Can the Educational Metaverse Enter the Real Classroom?-From the Perspective of Frontline Teachers

This article dissects the challenges faced and the integration strategies for embracing the educational metaverse from existing research,preparing for the new educational trend-the educational metaverse-by controlling the target direction,technical direction,teacher training direction,and ethical direction.Starting from the origin,it analyzes the reasons for the entry of the metaverse into the educational field and summarizes the three characteristics of the educational metaverse supported by current technical means.Combining the current situation of classroom teaching and the advantages of the educational metaverse,it analyzes the inevitability of the metaverse entering the classroom.Subsequently,it analyzes the four major challenges of the current stage:the pressure of college entrance examinations,the challenge of technical implementation,the limited ability of teachers,and the digital ethical risks brought by the metaverse.It prescribes the right remedy,giving strategies for integrating the educational metaverse into the classroom from the four directions of reducing the burden of college entrance examinations,technology research,teacher ability development,and rule formulation.It is hoped that in the future,while the metaverse lands in the educational field,it can overcome challenges at various levels and achieve breakthroughs at the target level,technical level,teacher training level,and ethical level to truly realize the entry of the educational metaverse into the classroom.

Nanomaterial-based flexible sensors for metaverse and virtual reality applications

Nanomaterial-based flexible sensors(NMFSs)can be tightly attached to the human skin or integrated with clothing to monitor human physiological information,provide medical data,or explore metaverse spaces.Nanomaterials have been widely incorporated into flexible sensors due to their facile processing,material compatibility,and unique properties.This review highlights the recent advancements in NMFSs involving various nanomaterial frameworks such as nanoparticles,nanowires,and nanofilms.Different triggering interaction interfaces between NMFSs and metaverse/virtual reality(VR)applications,e.g.skin-mechanics-triggered,temperature-triggered,magnetically triggered,and neural-triggered interfaces,are discussed.In the context of interfacing physical and virtual worlds,machine learning(ML)has emerged as a promising tool for processing sensor data for controlling avatars in metaverse/VR worlds,and many ML algorithms have been proposed for virtual interaction technologies.This paper discusses the advantages,disadvantages,and prospects of NMFSs in metaverse/VR applications.

A Proposed Meta-Reality Immersive Development Pipeline: Generative AI Models and Extended Reality (XR) Content for the Metaverse

The realization of an interoperable and scalable virtual platform, currently known as the “metaverse,” is inevitable, but many technological challenges need to be overcome first. With the metaverse still in a nascent phase, research currently indicates that building a new 3D social environment capable of interoperable avatars and digital transactions will represent most of the initial investment in time and capital. The return on investment, however, is worth the financial risk for firms like Meta, Google, and Apple. While the current virtual space of the metaverse is worth $6.30 billion, that is expected to grow to $84.09 billion by the end of 2028. But the creation of an entire alternate virtual universe of 3D avatars, objects, and otherworldly cityscapes calls for a new development pipeline and workflow. Existing 3D modeling and digital twin processes, already well-established in industry and gaming, will be ported to support the need to architect and furnish this new digital world. The current development pipeline, however, is cumbersome, expensive and limited in output capacity. This paper proposes a new and innovative immersive development pipeline leveraging the recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) for 3D model creation and optimization. The previous reliance on 3D modeling software to create assets and then import into a game engine can be replaced with nearly instantaneous content creation with AI. While AI art generators like DALL-E 2 and DeepAI have been used for 2D asset creation, when combined with game engine technology, such as Unreal Engine 5 and virtualized geometry systems like Nanite, a new process for creating nearly unlimited content for immersive reality is possible. New processes and workflows, such as those proposed here, will revolutionize content creation and pave the way for Web 3.0, the metaverse and a truly 3D social environment.