Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.3
2.6
Journals
Electronics
Special Issues
Metaverse and Digital Twins, 2nd Edition
share announcement

Metaverse and Digital Twins, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Computer Science & Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 8566

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yiyu Cai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
Interests: virtual reality; augmented reality; serious games; simulation; computer-aided design; bio- and medical sciences; smart cities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Qi Cao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, Singapore 567739, Singapore
Interests: virtual reality; augmented reality; data analytics; computational intelligence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xiao Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Transmedia School, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art, Guangzhou, China
Interests: digital museum; virtual reality; augmented reality; digital media
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xiaoqun Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Computer Science and Engineering, Beijing Technology and Business Univeristy, Beijing 100048, China
Interests: computer graphics; digital geometry processing; virtual/augmented reality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ingrid Winkler

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Management and Industrial Technology, SENAI CIMATEC University Center, Salvador 41650-010, Brazil
2. Institute for Science, Innovation and Technology in Industry 4.0/INCITE INDUSTRIA 4.0, Salvador 41650-010, Brazil
Interests: virtual reality; augmented reality; human–computer interaction; industrial metaverse

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Evolving from VR, AR, and MR, Metaverse is going to penetrate virtually everything and be present everywhere from home to school to the office. This is a timely Special Issue devoted to Metaverse and Digital Twins focusing on fundamental research and application development. Papers published in this Special Issue will discuss and share the outcomes of fundamental research, novel use cases, and the applications of Metaverse and Digital Twins. These include algorithms, methodologies, and techniques related to Metaverse and Digital Twins. Papers on the design and development of Metaverse and Digital Twins systems for various applications will be of interest to this Special Issue as well. For this Special Issue, prospective authors are invited to submit their research findings including state-of-the-art reviews, novel ideas, theoretical frameworks, practical analyses, and innovative applications of Metaverse and Digital Twins in relevant fields. Overall, this Special Issue aims to stimulate future interdisciplinary research and the development of Metaverse and Digital Twins. All submitted papers must be original and must not have been submitted for consideration in other journals or conferences.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the following:

  1. General Topic of Metaverse and Digital Twins
    1. Frameworks of Metaverse and Digital Twins
    2. Metaverse and Digital Twins in real-time systems
    3. Modelling and simulation of Metaverse and Digital Twins
  2. Science and Technology for VR/AR and Digital Twins
    1. AI solutions for Metaverse and Digital Twins
    2. Cloud/edge computing for VR/AR and Digital Twins
    3. Hardware and software for VR/AR and Digital Twins
    4. VR/AR and Digital Twins in IoT and smart cities
  3. Metaverse and Digital Twins for Engineering
    1. Metaverse and Digital Twins for Industry 4.0
    2. Metaverse and Digital Twins for smart manufacturing
    3. Metaverse and Digital Twins for construction and building
    4. Metaverse and Digital Twins for processing, maintenance, and optimization
  4. Metaverse and Digital Twins for Cultural Heritage
    1. Metaverse and Digital Twins for the conservation of cultural heritage
    2. Metaverse and Digital Twins for the exhibition of cultural heritage
    3. Metaverse and Digital Twins for cultural industries
  5. Metaverse and Digital Twins for Art
    1. Metaverse and Digital Twins for fine art
    2. Metaverse and Digital Twins for media art
    3. Metaverse and Digital Twins for folk art
    4. Metaverse and Digital Twins for art design
    5. Metaverse and Digital Twins for art exhibition

Dr. Yiyu Cai
Dr. Qi Cao
Dr. Xiao Zhang
Dr. Xiaoqun Wu
Dr. Ingrid Winkler
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Electronics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality
  • digital twins
  • metaverse
  • Industry 4.0
  • internet of things
  • smart cities
  • cultural heritage
  • art

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review, Other

21 pages, 49723 KiB  
Article
Sounds of History: A Digital Twin Approach to Musical Heritage Preservation in Virtual Museums
by Changman Zou, Sang-Yong Rhee, Lin He, Dayang Chen and Xiaofei Yang
Electronics 2024, 13(12), 2388; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13122388 - 18 Jun 2024
Viewed by 264
Abstract
Musical cultural heritage, as an important component of cultural heritage, possesses significant cultural value and inheritance significance. With the development of society and the passage of time, these precious traditional musical cultural heritages inevitably face the dilemma of gradual depletion or even disappearance. [...] Read more.
Musical cultural heritage, as an important component of cultural heritage, possesses significant cultural value and inheritance significance. With the development of society and the passage of time, these precious traditional musical cultural heritages inevitably face the dilemma of gradual depletion or even disappearance. In the digital age, effectively protecting and inheriting these musical cultural heritages has become an urgent problem to be addressed. Therefore, this paper proposes an application method based on digital twin technology, exploring how to protect and inherit musical cultural heritages through digital twin technology. By leveraging digital twin technology, a virtual museum dedicated to showcasing the richness and historical connotations of music cultures is created, preserving and simulating the soundscapes of historical music eras. Through the integration of audio archives, 3D modeling, and interactive displays, users can immerse themselves in the experience of historical music in the digital space. This paper evaluates the feasibility and cultural preservation value of this digital music history museum through the creation of music digital twin technology instances and user survey feedback and discusses the prospects of digital twins in the field of musical cultural heritage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metaverse and Digital Twins, 2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

29 pages, 16860 KiB  
Article
Digital Silk Roads: Leveraging the Metaverse for Cultural Tourism within the Belt and Road Initiative Framework
by Bashar Dayoub, Peifeng Yang, Sarah Omran, Qiuyi Zhang and Alaa Dayoub
Electronics 2024, 13(12), 2306; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13122306 - 13 Jun 2024
Viewed by 728
Abstract
The advent of the Metaverse, a convergence of virtual and physical realities, presents unprecedented opportunities for promoting cultural tourism along the historic Silk Roads within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework. However, this emerging technology’s potential remains largely unexplored in the context [...] Read more.
The advent of the Metaverse, a convergence of virtual and physical realities, presents unprecedented opportunities for promoting cultural tourism along the historic Silk Roads within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework. However, this emerging technology’s potential remains largely unexplored in the context of cultural heritage preservation and its promotion. The aim of this study is to address this gap by empirically examining how the Metaverse can be harnessed to improve tourists’ experiences, support sustainable tourism development, and promote cultural exchange along the Silk Roads. In this study, we employed a mixed-methods approach grounded in attribution theory, using both surveys and semi-structured interviews with Silk Road tourists who had been exposed to Metaverse applications. To investigate the relationships between Metaverse features, tourists’ attributions, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions, we used structural equation modeling and thematic analysis. The findings revealed that perceived immersion, avatar identification, and cultural authenticity significantly influenced tourists’ internal, stable, and controllable attributions. Interviews further highlighted the Metaverse’s potential to promote accessibility, interpretation, and engagement with Silk Road heritage, while also raising sociocultural and ethical considerations. This paper also showcases the development of Metaverse digital twin prototypes for several iconic Silk Road cities to demonstrate the potential for participatory virtual environments to promote cultural heritage preservation, accessibility, and sustainable tourism. The study’s findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of Metaverse tourism and the application of attribution theory, offering practical insight for the responsible and effective harnessing of this transformative technology. This research provides actionable recommendations for policymakers, destination managers, and technology providers to optimize the Metaverse’s potential for cultural tourism along the Silk Roads. This has great potential in promoting the BRI’s connectivity and cooperation objectives. This paper lays the foundation for future research and responsible innovation at the intersection of emerging technologies, cultural heritage, and sustainable tourism development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metaverse and Digital Twins, 2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 2975 KiB  
Article
A Study of the Key Factors Influencing Young Users’ Continued Use of the Digital Twin-Enhanced Metaverse Museum
by Ronghui Wu, Lin Gao, Hyemin Lee, Junping Xu and Younghwan Pan
Electronics 2024, 13(12), 2303; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13122303 - 12 Jun 2024
Viewed by 759
Abstract
This research investigates the key factors influencing young users’ continuous use of digital twin-enhanced metaverse museums. Attracting young users to use the metaverse museum for a more extended period consistently contributes to increasing the frequency of visits and content usage and promoting its [...] Read more.
This research investigates the key factors influencing young users’ continuous use of digital twin-enhanced metaverse museums. Attracting young users to use the metaverse museum for a more extended period consistently contributes to increasing the frequency of visits and content usage and promoting its sustainable development and innovation. However, there is a lack of research on the key factors influencing young users’ continuous use of digital twin-enhanced metaverse museums, which makes the theoretical basis for the in-depth design of user motivation for metaverse museums insufficient. This study constructed a model covering four dimensions—hedonic, utilitarian, social, and technological—based on communication’s uses and gratification theory (UGT). It was validated in the Metaverse Digital Twin Museum (MDTM). Using Spatial.io’s IES Goya Museum as the experimental platform, the research team conducted Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 4.0 software through experiments and surveys with 307 participants aged 18 to 30. Quantitative analyses revealed that MDTM’s hedonic gratification (hope), utilitarian gratification (information and self-presentation), social gratification (social interaction and social presence), and technological gratification (immersion) significantly influenced young users’ continued intention. The findings reveal that these six key factors can be the focus of MDTM’s future development to enhance user experience. This study fills the gap in applying UGT in the field of metaverse museums, provides metaverse museum managers with references to the key factors that can prolong users’ continued intention to use, and points out the key factors that need further attention in future research and practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metaverse and Digital Twins, 2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

0 pages, 2414 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Mediating Role of Different Aspects of Learning Motivation between Metaverse Learning Experiences and Gamification
by Wei Yang, Meichen Fang, Junping Xu, Xiao Zhang and Younghwan Pan
Electronics 2024, 13(7), 1297; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13071297 - 30 Mar 2024
Viewed by 835
Abstract
In recent years, research and applications related to the metaverse have garnered widespread attention in the field of online education. However, enhancing user experiences in metaverse learning remains a challenging issue. This study aims to explore how gamification enhances the metaverse learning experience [...] Read more.
In recent years, research and applications related to the metaverse have garnered widespread attention in the field of online education. However, enhancing user experiences in metaverse learning remains a challenging issue. This study aims to explore how gamification enhances the metaverse learning experience by boosting learning motivation. In the first phase of the research, the relationship between gamification, learning motivation, and user learning satisfaction was examined. The results indicated higher user satisfaction with gamified metaverse learning experiences, with intrinsic and external regulations serving as mediating factors between gamification and learning satisfaction. In the second phase of the study, the five elements of gamification (challenge, reward, feedback, PBL, social interaction) were further validated for their role in enhancing learning motivation and, consequently, improving learning satisfaction. Notably, the rewarding element emerged as the most significant factor. These research findings hold practical significance for providers of metaverse learning experiences and the application of gamification in metaverse learning. They provide valuable insights for future research and practical implementation in this evolving field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metaverse and Digital Twins, 2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 18504 KiB  
Article
Hazardous and Toxic Material Decontamination Facility Training in Virtual Reality
by Jeannie S. A. Lee, Teck Jun Tan, David Kuan Peng Teng, Yih Yng Ng and Kan Chen
Electronics 2024, 13(2), 465; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13020465 - 22 Jan 2024
Viewed by 882
Abstract
Patient decontamination is the act of removing or neutralising hazardous substances from an affected individual. To ensure adequate emergency preparedness, regulations require hospitals to train personnel in decontamination procedures regularly. To supplement in-person training, a virtual reality (VR) system is being developed for [...] Read more.
Patient decontamination is the act of removing or neutralising hazardous substances from an affected individual. To ensure adequate emergency preparedness, regulations require hospitals to train personnel in decontamination procedures regularly. To supplement in-person training, a virtual reality (VR) system is being developed for the training of hospital staff members in the mass decontamination of hazardous and toxic materials (HAZMAT) and/or radioactively contaminated casualties. As a demonstration of the concept, a primary VR prototype is designed to help users familiarize themselves with a chemical scanner tool, intended for examining victims for residual chemical hazards. This initial prototype showcases the benefits of using VR to create training simulations, complementing existing decontamination training methods in a secure and cost-effective manner. The proposed approach features a modularized user-centric design, a novel scanning simulation, and a high-realism virtual environment and workflow to enhance training effectiveness. A pilot user study and assessment suggest that new users were able to achieve a significant level of competency with VR, compared to users who underwent traditional training. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metaverse and Digital Twins, 2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

17 pages, 14597 KiB  
Review
Entering the Next Dimension: A Review of 3D User Interfaces for Virtual Reality
by Adriel Yeo, Benjamin W. J. Kwok, Angelene Joshna, Kan Chen and Jeannie S. A. Lee
Electronics 2024, 13(3), 600; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13030600 - 1 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1803
Abstract
In the last decade, the use of virtual reality (VR) technologies has been increasing, as head-mounted display devices, such as the Meta Quest series, have become commercially accessible to everyday consumers. There are plenty of software applications developed for VR, ranging from games [...] Read more.
In the last decade, the use of virtual reality (VR) technologies has been increasing, as head-mounted display devices, such as the Meta Quest series, have become commercially accessible to everyday consumers. There are plenty of software applications developed for VR, ranging from games to serious training. Despite the fast-growing emergence of novel and natural gesture-based interface components, traditional windows, icons, menus, and pointer user interfaces still remain popular in these implementations. Therefore, navigating and interacting within 3-dimensional environments can still be challenging in virtual reality. This body of work will serve as a reference to the literature survey on 3-dimensional user interfaces and their implementations, and categorize them to reiterate a set of design recommendations for implementing 3-dimensional user interfaces in virtual reality. While questions revolve around the need for a 3-dimensional user interface if a 2-dimensional user interface suffices, we cannot ignore the capabilities and benefits offered when utilising 3-dimensional space. Unlike other work, this work proposes a novel metaphor-guided quadrant model to delineate the 3-dimensional user interface problem in an end-to-end manner. To achieve this, over 30 unique articles selected using a meta-analyses methodology were reviewed. The result highlights the dimensional semantics of the inputs and dimensional outcomes of the virtual targets. Notable reiterated design recommendations would match devices to interaction and then to the tasks in 3-dimensional environments, reducing the degrees of freedom, imposing constraints when possible, and not implementing one single best interaction technique. The results of this survey will be beneficial for virtual reality simulation designers or researchers attempting to determine the appropriate model when developing user interfaces for virtual reality content. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metaverse and Digital Twins, 2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

35 pages, 1458 KiB  
Systematic Review
Cardiac Healthcare Digital Twins Supported by Artificial Intelligence-Based Algorithms and Extended Reality—A Systematic Review
by Zofia Rudnicka, Klaudia Proniewska, Mark Perkins and Agnieszka Pregowska
Electronics 2024, 13(5), 866; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13050866 - 23 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2384
Abstract
Recently, significant efforts have been made to create Health Digital Twins (HDTs), Digital Twins for clinical applications. Heart modeling is one of the fastest-growing fields, which favors the effective application of HDTs. The clinical application of HDTs will be increasingly widespread in the [...] Read more.
Recently, significant efforts have been made to create Health Digital Twins (HDTs), Digital Twins for clinical applications. Heart modeling is one of the fastest-growing fields, which favors the effective application of HDTs. The clinical application of HDTs will be increasingly widespread in the future of healthcare services and has huge potential to form part of mainstream medicine. However, it requires the development of both models and algorithms for the analysis of medical data, and advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based algorithms have already revolutionized image segmentation processes. Precise segmentation of lesions may contribute to an efficient diagnostics process and a more effective selection of targeted therapy. In this systematic review, a brief overview of recent achievements in HDT technologies in the field of cardiology, including interventional cardiology, was conducted. HDTs were studied taking into account the application of Extended Reality (XR) and AI, as well as data security, technical risks, and ethics-related issues. Special emphasis was put on automatic segmentation issues. In this study, 253 literature sources were taken into account. It appears that improvements in data processing will focus on automatic segmentation of medical imaging in addition to three-dimensional (3D) pictures to reconstruct the anatomy of the heart and torso that can be displayed in XR-based devices. This will contribute to the development of effective heart diagnostics. The combination of AI, XR, and an HDT-based solution will help to avoid technical errors and serve as a universal methodology in the development of personalized cardiology. Additionally, we describe potential applications, limitations, and further research directions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metaverse and Digital Twins, 2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-7
Back to TopTop