XR and Metaverse Software Platforms
Lorenzo Cappannari, Antony Vitillo · 2022
The evolution of spatial computing is driving the adoption of a new three-dimensional (3D) software ecosystem known as the metaverse, a new paradigm that willrequireawholenewsetofsoftwareplatforms. Theauthorsgroupthemunderfive categories: (1) enabling platforms: core platforms enabling the rest of the Extended Realities (XR) software ecosystem, including operating systems, digital stores, realtime engines and frameworks, world tracking and mapping, and cloud rendering; content platforms: allowing the acquisition, creation, and management of all 3D content populating the metaverse, such as digital twins or virtual environments; human-centered platforms: a very specific type of content related to human representations and virtual beings; (4) utility platforms: focus on tools that allow populating the metaverse with applications and utility-related use cases, such as new search engines and new low-code application platforms; and (5) application platforms: focus on specific vertical application field, mainly covered in other sections of this book. The authors do highlight potential future development within each category, and suggest a prioritization of investments on the following platforms: (a) Web real-time engines, (b) augmented reality-cloud platforms, (c) low-code/no-code platforms, (d) virtual beings, and (e) massive networking services.