Search for Articles
Influence of the Metaverse on Digital Life
This special issue aims to serve as a comprehensive platform for researchers from engineering, life science, social science, information science, and related interdisciplinary fields to present their latest findings, technological advancements, and critical perspectives on the profound and multifaceted impact of the metaverse on digital life.
The global experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly accelerated changes in our lifestyles, fostering a growing momentum toward the active utilization of online digital spaces collectively referred to as the “Metaverse”. Built upon foundational technologies such as immersive and realistic presentation techniques (typified by Virtual Reality) and high-speed networks,large-scale community spaces within the metaverse are increasingly providing opportunities for connection across geographical and national boundaries in the real world to many people. Furthermore, the near-complete digitalization of reality, exemplified by Digital Twin technology, has significantly facilitated realistic simulations and analyses.
The applications of the metaverse now encompass a wide array of fields including, but not limited to, design, education and training, visualization, collaborative work, social interaction, healthcare, and scientific research. This rapid expansion and integration into various aspects of our lives present novel challenges and opportunities across diverse academic disciplines.
-
Special Issue Information Sciences Psychology and Education Sociology
- Masaya Nakahara
- Yoshinori Tsukada
- Yoshimasa Umehara
- Yutaka Tada
- Yasunori Kozuki
- Yukari Ando
- Takumu Kuhara
- Marina Kobayashi
In recent years, Japan has experienced frequent water-related disasters, including earthquake-induced tsunamis and flooding caused by heavy rainfall, increasing the importance of disaster preparedness measures. However, participation in disaster drills remains low, indicating that many citizens do not regard disaster preparedness as a personally relevant issue. In addition, conventional drills often require participants to follow predetermined routes and therefore make it difficult to experience unexpected situations, such as blocked routes or collective behavior during panic. Although disaster simulators using virtual reality (VR) have advanced, few studies have focused on indoor flooding while also considering the influence of other evacuees’ incorrect evacuation behavior. This study therefore developed a simulator that enables users to experience vertical evacuation during indoor flooding in school facilities, which are often designated as evacuation sites. By placing non-player characters (NPCs) that exhibit incorrect evacuation behavior, the simulator makes it possible to examine how the behavior of others may affect participants’ evacuation decisions, subjective difficulty, and sense of urgency. An empirical evaluation clarified the simulator’s potential value for disaster preparedness education and awareness raising, as well as issues requiring further verification.