Crafting the techno-functional blocks for Metaverse - A review and research agenda

The "Metaverse," a term popularized by Neal Stephenson's novel Snow Crash, has been discussed in the science fiction community for decades, but technological advancements have only recently made it a reality. The Metaverse is an all-encompassing, interconnected virtual environment where users can freely communicate with one another and digital content. This article examines how various technologies, primarily Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), have contributed to the development of the Metaverse (AR). These innovations have revolutionized the way we interact with digital media by enabling us to have genuine, realistic experiences. In addition, we examine the Metaverse technologies that make it possible to construct a fully realized, functional virtual world. Among these are recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI), cryptocurrencies, spatial and peripheral computing, and other fields. Our research investigates the advantages and disadvantages of these technologies, as well as how they may influence the future of the Metaverse. Furthermore, the article explores the darker aspects of the Metaverse, particularly the emergence of the "dark verse," which underscores the potential for organized illicit activities within the Internet due to insufficient oversight and governance of the Metaverse.