MetaOntology: Toward developing an ontology for the metaverse

Abstract

Metaverse is now perceived as a celebrated future version of the internet. In this new anticipated virtual universe, interconnected digital platforms leveraged by augmented, extended, and virtual realities will elevate users' immersive experiences through multidimensional interactions. In particular, users will be offered a broad spectrum of digital activities within a newly immersive setting mediated by technology. This study aims to design a domain ontology (MetaOntology) for the metaverse to provide an explicit specification of relevant state-of-the-art technologies and infrastructure. A four-step methodological approach is followed to construct the designated ontology. Due to the immaturity of the metaverse, MetaOntology is not intended to furnish a complete outlook on the domain, rather it aims to establish a cornerstone so as to facilitate future efforts in building extant versions of this ontology considering the evolvement of relevant technologies.