Mole burrowing into all available virtual worlds

Jan 15 2009 by Chris Knox, The Journal

Millions of people are opting out of their normal everyday lives and are logging on to one of the hundreds of virtual worlds on the internet. Christopher Knox looks at a new application being developed in the North East which allows businesses greater access to what has become a booming industry.

FOR a number of people the words virtual world instantly conjure up images of unsociable geeks losing themselves within the magical realms of orcs and goblins.

However, businesses around the globe are waking up to the practical possibilities of virtual worlds, which can help them provide everything from corporate training to company presentations.

Examples include IT giant IBM, which has placed its entire head office on to virtual world Second Life so that it can conduct international meetings from one web address, and the US military which has adapted its own virtual surroundings to train soldiers.

Virtual worlds can also used for everything from sales and marketing to product development, where inventions can be assessed by the online public first before they are launched for real.

There are more than 350 of these simulated realities in existence, which allow users to inhabit and interact via avatars.

The population of virtual worlds is well over 300 million people, and is expected to break one billion by 2025, with people spending an average of almost 22 hours per week within the digital surroundings.

Until now, those business that have become intrigued by the mysteries of virtual worlds have been unable to see for themselves how other companies are benefiting.

However, a new online database developed by a team at Teesside University is about to go online and will give firms the chance to peek over the virtual fence and get an idea of how virtual worlds can work for them.

The Meta-Mole, which is to be launched as a free-to-use resource by the end of the month, will allow for the sharing and comparing of information and provides access to the latest technical and specialist features in 27 virtual worlds currently, with others still in development.

The site has been created by the Centre for Design in the Digital Economy at the University of Teesside (D-LAB), which is building on previous work by the university’s previous Virtual Reality (VR) Centre which, for over a decade, was one of the world’s most highly-resourced facilities of its kind.

Philip McClenaghan, deputy director of D-LAB, said: “We were analysing virtual world platforms and realised that there doesn’t appear to be a comprehensive service offering to list and compare key data for major 2D and 3D environments.

“This surprised us, considering the current popularity of virtual worlds. We intend to fill the gap with Meta-Mole.”

D-LAB, which is part of the university’s Institute of Digital Innovation, has a team of 11 working to upgrade the database to include all the 350 virtual worlds that it has identified.

The team is now considering becoming a university spin-out business if the technology takes off and is looking at ways of generating an income stream through registration fees and advertising space.

Dan Riley, a Metaverse Architect at D-LAB, said: “The Meta-Mole seeks to increase the uptake and success rates of virtual world ventures by providing a searchable directory of available platforms, easily definable according to the needs of the user.”

One firm in the North East which is benefiting from virtual world technology is Cleveland-based health and safety consultancy Laidler Associates Consulting Service Ltd.

The Billingham-based firm, which employs 20 staff and has a turnover of £2.1m, worked with Teesside University four years ago to develop software that allows manufacturing businesses to safely train their staff on a virtual production line, as well as brush up on new EU health and safety legislation.

This year saw the firm develop the software further to allow them to host it within the virtual world of Second Life, allowing firms to access the training wherever they are in the world.

Laidler marketing manager Chris Norris said: “The machines we train on are highly dangerous and do not allow for mistakes.

“Using virtual reality software, we can help people to learn from their mistakes without us having to be over-cautious with them.

“Also, having the software on Second Life means we can have up to 20 people in the session at once, wherever they are around the world. The new D-LAB database is a great idea and will allow companies to find out how virtual world software can help them.”