Where the metaverse and virtual avatars come to life
Shot by Jiang Xiaowei. Edited by Jiang Xiaowei. Subtitles by Jiang Xiaowei.
Fancy a virtual avatar, an exclusive 3D-printed NFT and an immersive metaverse tour?
Shanghai's new innovation landmark – Zhangjiang Science Hall – has it all.
Located close to AIsland, short for Artificial Intelligence Island, the hall will take on a metaverse vibe during the upcoming World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2022, China's top AI conference.
Metaverse is a popular yet still somewhat vague term to many. Simply put, it is a virtual-reality world where people can interact with a digital environment.
A man and his virtual avatar
During WAIC 2022, which takes place September 1 to 3, several metaverse applications will be on display.
You can create your own virtual avatar – a person's digital representative in the metaverse.
Twenty-seven cameras will capture 28 facial expressions to create a digital face. After three to four days of post-production, a virtual avatar comes to life who can smile, cry and scream.
Another highlight is making NFTs (non-fungible tokens) – known as the digital equivalent of real-world items – based on chairs printed by the most-advanced metaverse 3D printing machine in order to make NFTs accessible to everyone.
Additionally, robotic barista, retailer and patrol staff will be available to offer services.
A metaverse tour around Zhangjiang Science Hall will be available.
