The document discusses the evolving nature of virtual worlds and digital personas, emphasizing their impact on social interaction, education, and industry. It highlights the exponential growth of virtual world usage, particularly among younger demographics, and the potential for virtual environments to facilitate collaboration and innovation in various sectors. Additionally, it outlines the features, trends, and expectations surrounding virtual worlds and their integration into everyday life and work environments.

1. Mandy Salomon Senior Researcher Smart Internet Cooperative Research Centre www.smartinternetcrc.com.au [email_address]

2. Thought for the day We cannot, indeed, foresee to what extent the modes of production may be altered, or the productiveness of labour increased, by future extensions of our knowledge of the laws of nature, suggesting new processes of industry of which we have at present no conception. John Stuart Mill, 1848

3. But I don’t have time for my first life let alone my second life....

4. The world is increasingly immersive

5. Who do you want to be ? Image source : micazook.com

6. Where do you want to be ? Virtual London, Twinity http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIrbv1_JLMs

7. How do you want to get there ? Georgia State University: Peach Tree Corridor: Developers, planners and residents can access and navigate the 22-mile strip on a computer “ Georgia Tech Digital Building Lab collaborates with corporate and government entities on building research, ranging from conceptualization and design to fabrication & project management.” <http://www.coa.gatech.edu/imagine/PeachtreeCorridor.html>

8. What tools might help you get there ? ‘ Layar’ , an augmented reality browser combines real-world images with computer-generated images on a screen for iPhone, Android and soon Nokia. Games, guides, retail info, events, ‘floaticons’: 3D objects used to express yourself in the augmented space’ www.layar.com

9. What will you do there ?

10. Community

11. Education and Training: Imperial College students study robotic surgery

12. vGov 5 U.S. Federal Agencies ...with National projects ...have Distributed workforce ...seeking Interoperability and Collaboration Government Singapore iN2015

13. For ‘uncertain times’: Virtual Trade Shows UNISFAIR.COM Q1 2009: 25 trade shows

14. Trending: Acquisition of Virtual Goods

15. Shopping and customisation

16. Avatar , The Zeitgeist Noun 1. Zeitgeist - the spirit of the time; the spirit characteristic of an age or generation flavor , flavour , feel , spirit , smell , feeling , look , tone image source: micazook.com

17. Proliferation of digital personas across the web

18. The Nitty Gritty

19. Today’s online environment The rise of Social Media Creative solutions arising from Open APIs Metadata, that is, data about data Internet-enabled mobile devices Virtual Environments : Simulated Digital Worlds

20. Taxonomy: the boundaries are increasingly diffused the sum is bigger than the parts

21. What is a virtual world ? A technological platform, sold as a software, or delivered as a service, offering: a 3D environment, created by users into which users can move through avatars interacting using multiple channels (chat, voice, gestures, movements...) sharing synchronously a common content.

22. What they are not Web 3D interface no interaction between users Social Networks no 3D interface, asynchronous MMORPG The game owns the Intellectual Property

23. Online Immersion Synchronous ………………………..............Asynchronous ENVIRONMENT visual spatial auditory persistent editable PRESENCE shared expressive customised emotional tactile (touch) active agile identifiable INTERACTION space sounds objects relationships documents media

24. Habbo : Low immersion, high value(160Million Registrations) \ Click to edit Master text styles

25. What are the expectations of virtual world ‘natives’ as they become adult and enter the work place? Registered virtual world accounts 671 million, having grown 92 million in Q3 2009 (KZERO) ives’ as they become adult and enter the work place. (K-Zero) Of these, close to 400 million are in the 10 -15 age range, with Habbo growing by 13 million in three months. However, the largest percentage growth is in the under 5-10 age range, averaging 40% over Q2 and 3 in 2009.

26. virtual world analytics

27. Virtual goods (source KZERO) In US$bn

28. Corporate uses Intranet/Extranet Communication Virtual meetings Collaboration and Design Training and Role Play Serious Games Showroom Co-design V-commerce

29. Tools TOOLS Social networking Collaboration Content creation Metrics/Analytics Multi-media

30. Every organisation needs a champion Parents were invited to the virtual site, to explore the building prior to construction and give feedback Westley Field, Director of Online Learning at MLC Sydney / Managing Director Skoolaborate

31. Microsoft: virtual events about 1/3 the cost of traditional events (slide courtesy of Erica Driver, http://qlikview.com 19 Source: Flickr user G2 Virtual Worlds-Microsoft Launch 2008 Microsoft product launch event in Second Life, April ‘08 150% attendance rate (150  220) — plus another 270 who just dropped in 90% of attendees stayed for entire day Cost of in-world event: $4,000 Now that assets are built, cost of in-world events ~1/3 cost of comparable physical events

32. Summary of virtual worlds features • Bespoke content, (making digital objects to order). • Programmable objects (objects move or behave in particular ways). • Persistent space (site remains intact when you log off, and reconfigures to that point when you come back to it, although modifications may be made by permitted users in the interim.) • Multiple media channels, streamed live from the physical world, or archived. • Physics, like shadows, wind, and other natural elements. • Embodied presence (avatars). • Interaction with other users in real-time via gesture, voice and text chat. • Activities aligned with online game-play and social networking such as building communities, setting goals and acquiring digital goods. • Ability to capture, store and replay action and events in the world. • Collaboration and document tools such as ‘drag and drop’ and importing of web or desktop data.

33. Summary of Trends Branded Worlds P2P trade Gaming becomes respectable Recognition of high level skills and use Kids T’weens and Teens Enterprise, Education, Ehealth Augmented reality via smart devices with location apps Gen A-vatar - protocols, reputation, identity, augmentation, transformation

34. Why not every institution ?

35. What role for Vic roads ? The VicRoads Virtual World Lab Blog: < http://vicroadsvwlab.blogspot.com/ > (thank you)

36. [email_address] VicRoads Virtual World Lab Blog: < http://vicroadsvwlab.blogspot.com/ > thank you