This dissertation explores the realm of high-accuracy localization through the utilization of ranging-based techniques, encompassing a spectrum of signals ranging from low-frequency ultrasound acoustic signals to more intricate high-frequency signals like Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) IEEE 802.11az, 5G New Radio (NR), and 6G. Moreover, another contribution is the conception of a novel timing mechanism and synchronization protocol grounded in tunable quantum photonic oscillators. In general, our primary focus is to facilitate precise indoor localization, where conventional GPS signals are notably absent. To showcase the significance of this innovation, we present two vital use cases at the forefront: drone localization and metaverse user positioning. In the context of indoor drone localization, the spectrum of applications ranges from recreational enthusiasts to critical missions requiring pinpoint accuracy. At the hobbyist level, drones can autonomously navigate intricate indoor courses, enriching the recreational experience. As a finer illustration of a hobbyist application, consider the case of ``follow me drones". These specialized drones are tailored for indoor photography and videography, demanding an exceptionally accurate autonomous flight capability. This precision is essential to ensure the drone can consistently track and capture its designated subject, even as it moves within the confined indoor environment. Moving on from hobby use cases, the technology extends its profound impact to more crucial scenarios, such as search and rescue operations within confined spaces. The ability of drones to localize with high precision enhances their autonomy, allowing them to maneuver seamlessly, even in environments where human intervention proves challenging. Furthermore, the technology holds the potential to revolutionize the metaverse. Within the metaverse, where augmented and virtual realities converge, the importance of high-accuracy localization is amplified. Immersive experiences like Augmented/Virtual/Mixed Reality (AR/VR/MR) gaming rely heavily on precise user positioning to create seamless interactions between digital and physical environments. In entertainment, this innovation sparks innovation in narrative design, enhancing user engagement by aligning virtual elements with real-world surroundings. Beyond entertainment, applications extend to areas like telemedicine, enabling remote medical procedures with virtual guidance that matches physical reality. In light of all these examples, the imperative for an advanced high-accuracy localization system has become increasingly pronounced. The core objective of this dissertation is to address this pressing need by engineering systems endowed with exceptional precision in localization. Among the array of potential techniques suitable for GPS-absent scenarios, we have elected to focus on ranging-based methods. Specifically, our methodologies are built upon the fundamental principles of time of arrival, time difference of arrival, and time of flight measurements. In essence, each of our devised systems harnesses the capabilities of beacons such as ultrasound acoustic sensors, 5G femtocells, or Wi-Fi access points, which function as the pivotal positioning nodes. Through the application of trilateration techniques, based on the calculated distances between these positioning nodes and the integrated sensors on the drone or metaverse user side, we facilitate robust three-dimensional localization. This strategic approach empowers us to realize our ambition of creating localization systems that not only compensate for the absence of GPS signals but also deliver unparalleled accuracy and reliability in complex and dynamic indoor environments. A significant challenge that we confronted during our research pertained to the disparity in z-axis localization performance compared to that of the x-y plane. This nuanced yet pivotal concern often remains overlooked in much of the prevailing state-of-the-art literature, which predominantly emphasizes two-dimensional localization methodologies. Given the demanding context of our work, where drones and metaverse users navigate dynamically across all three dimensions, the imperative for three-dimensional localization became evident. To address this, we embarked on a comprehensive analysis, encompassing mathematical derivations of error bounds for our proposed localization systems. Our investigations unveiled that localization errors trace their origins to two distinct sources: errors induced by ranging-based factors and errors stemming from geometric considerations. The former category is chiefly influenced by factors encompassing the quality of measurement devices, channel quality in which the signal communication between the sensor on the user and the positioning nodes takes place, environmental noise, multipath interference, and more. In contrast, the latter category, involving geometry-induced errors, arises primarily from the spatial configuration of the positioning nodes relative to the user. Throughout our journey, we dedicated efforts to mitigate both sources of error, ensuring the robustness of our system against diverse error origins. Our approach entails a two-fold strategy for each proposed localization system. Firstly, we introduce innovative techniques such as Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) and Frequency-Hopping Code Division Multiple Access (FH-CDMA) and incorporate devices such as Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) and photonic oscillators to fortify the system against errors stemming from ranging-related factors. Secondly, we devised novel evolutionary-based optimization algorithms, adept at addressing the complex NP-Hard challenge of optimal positioning node placement. This strategic placement mitigates the impact of geometry-induced errors on localization accuracy across the entire environmental space. By meticulously addressing both these sources of error, our localization systems stand as a testament to comprehensive robustness and accuracy. Our methodologies not only extend the frontiers of three-dimensional localization but also equip the systems to navigate the intricacies of indoor environments with precision and reliability, effectively fulfilling the evolving demands of drone navigation and metaverse user interaction. / Doctor of Philosophy / In this dissertation, we first explore some promising substitutes for the Global Positioning System (GPS) for the autonomous navigation of drones and metaverse user positioning in indoor spaces. Then, we will make the scope of research more comprehensive and try to explore substitutes to GPS for autonomous navigation of drones in general, both in indoor environments and outdoors. For the first part, we make our small indoor GPS. Similar to GPS, in our system, a receiver onboard the drone or the metaverse user can receive signals from our small semi-satellites in the room, and with that, it can localize itself. The idea is very similar to how the well-known GPS works, with some modifications. Unlike the GPS, we are using acoustic ultrasound signals or some RF signal based on 5G or Wi-Fi for transmission. Also, we have more freedom compared to GPS because, in GPS, they have to transmit signals from far ahead distances, whereas, in our scenario, it is just a room in which we put all of our semi-satellite transmitters. Moreover, we can put them anywhere we want in the room. This is, in fact important, because the positions of these semi-satellites have a huge effect on the accuracy of our system. Also, we can decide how many of them we need to cover every point in the room and not have any blind spots. We propose our novel techniques for finding the optimal placement to improve localization accuracy. In GPS, they propose a technique that is suitable for the case of those satellites and their distance to the targets. Similarly, we offer our novel techniques to have a robust transmission against noise and other factors and guarantee a localization scheme with high accuracy. All being said, our proposed system for indoor localization of drones and metaverse users in three dimensions has considered all the possible sources of error and proposed solutions to conquer them; hence a robust system with high accuracy in three-dimensional space.

Introduction: Ever since the transition to digital ways of working startedspreading across organizations and industries in the late 1970s, remoteworking has been a topic of interest. With the development of information andcommunications technology, virtual realities are now receiving more attentionwith a broader view of potential application areas. The application of virtualrealities is expanding. Hence, the concept of Metaverse has received a greatdeal of attention. Metaverse is a virtual reality idea where people create avatarsthat exist in a three-dimensional virtual world. While the use of virtual realitiesis expanding on new ways of working, users’ attitudes toward thesetechnological developments are important to consider as it can either increasethe benefits of working from home or highlight the negative aspects evenmore. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the attitudes towards the useof virtual realities for remote working in the case of employees withinorganizations in Sweden. The aim is to further provide an understanding as towhat organizations need to consider following the increased use of virtualrealities. Research Questions: What are the attitudes of employees towards the use ofvirtual realities for remote working? How can organizations adapt to theimplementation of virtual realities for remote working to continuously ensurea positive work environment for its employees?  Methodology: In order to reach the purpose of this study and answer theresearch questions, a qualitative research approach was deemed appropriatefor this study to understand the “what” and “how” aspects of the use of virtualrealities for remote work. Semi-structured interviews were chosen as the datacollection method where the respondents were employees within organizationsin Sweden. Conclusion: The key takeaways are that attitudes toward virtual realities forremote working are complex. The main themes discussed around remoteworking were control and freedom to decide over one’s work and the loss ofcomradery with colleagues and social isolation. New technology, such asMetaverse, has to ensure it continues providing employees with control overtheir work but solves the issues of social isolation while still not eliminatingphysical interactions between colleagues completely. Management has todeeply consider the needs of the individual employee before implementingnew technology, gathering an understanding of what is expected and neededby their specific employees to better ensure successful implementation.

The Metaverse constitutes a unique and radical business field that decision-makers try to make sense of and make decisions in without knowing what it will become, or even if it will exist in the near future. This situation lays the foundation for investigating sensemaking and decision making in a present-day, fast-moving, and highly uncertain environment. This thesis investigates howdecision-makers have gone about making sense of the Metaverse and how those learnings are used when making decisions therein. A qualitative case study was conducted through field observations and semi-structured interviews with eight influential tech leaders. Our findings indicate that sensemaking is an integral part of decision-making and is performed through enacting, bracketing and retaining experiences through interacting with others. Furthermore, when making decisions in the Metaverse, our respondents pointed towards initially learning, experimenting, and tweaking decisions to make more thought through and goal-oriented choices as they become more knowledgeable. We conclude that decision-makers gain more knowledge and make better decisions by initially engaging in an effectuation approach to strategy. As a result, the study contributes knowledge to the literature on sensemaking and decision making under uncertainty, how decision-makers act regarding the Metaverse, and why some might be better at navigating a business in uncertainty.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-22T17:26:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 luc mertins.pdf: 2775714 bytes, checksum: 47026d2266864071d5f4551ef153a2fb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-03-25 / This paper presents a model for the extension of the real world through 3D Virtual Worlds system that ensures semantic integration and the ability to infer new information, using a common platform aggregating the Knowledge Base, reasoners for operate it open standards and interfaces for connections to the most diverse systems. It's motivation stems from the increasing use of 3D Virtual Worlds systems, 3D games that mix with the approach of social networks, and the lack of these systems in relation to the ability to semantically understand what happens to their avatars and users. This lack of semantics goes against the intended for the Internet evolution and considered beneficial by this author. This motivated this work to understand these technologies and build a prototype that adds to the 3D virtual world the ability to notify its users with information that is not manually provided to the Knowledge Base, but inferred from it, using data from the most elementary level / Este trabalho apresenta um modelo para a extensão do Mundo Real através de sistemas de Mundos Virtuais 3D que garante a integração semântica e a capacidade de inferir novas informações, utilizando-se de uma plataforma comum que agrega a Base de Conhecimento, raciocinadores capacitados a operá-la e interfaces de padrões abertos para conexões com os mais diversos sistemas. Sua motivação origina-se no uso crescente dos sistemas de Mundos Virtuais 3D, que mesclam jogos 3D com a abordagem das redes sociais, e na carência destes sistemas em relação à capacidade de compreender semanticamente o que ocorre com seus avatares e usuários. Esta ausência de capacidade semântica vai na contramão da evolução pretendida para a Internet e considerada benéfica por este autor, o quê motivou este trabalho a compreender estas tecnologias e construir um protótipo que agrega ao Mundo Virtual 3D a capacidade de notificar seus usuários com informações que não foram manualmente fornecidas a Base de Conhecimento, mas inferidas da mesma, através de dados de nível mais elementar

A presente dissertação teve por objetivo construir uma proposta de formação continuada, na modalidade a distância, para docentes da educação superior no Metaverso Second Life. Desta forma, buscou investigar como o Metaverso Second Life poderia contribuir para a construção desta proposta. Primeiramente, realizou-se uma revisão de literatura sobre as temáticas a fim de identificar publicações na área e a situação atual em que se encontra a pesquisa. A partir disso, construiu-se o referencial teórico, abrangendo as temáticas da docência na educação superior e, sobre o Metaverso Second Life. Logo, para o desenvolvimento dessa pesquisa, optou-se pela metodologia de estudo de caso, por compreender que o mesmo é flexível, pois enfatiza a exploração e a descrição considerando o contexto em que os fatos ocorrem. Para isso, a investigação caracterizou-se pela implementação de três etapas, a saber: a realização de observações de atividades no Metaverso Second Life, entrevistas com os sujeitos da pesquisa e os resultados obtidos a partir do desenvolvimento de um curso piloto. Além disso, foi construído um Objeto de Aprendizagem, denominado EduVirtua, com o intuito de reunir subsídios sobre os temas e favorecer apoio pedagógico ao contexto do curso piloto e da proposta de formação docente. Com o apoio do Objeto de Aprendizagem EduVirtua, realizou-se um curso piloto, intitulado Capacitação Docente: o Uso dos Mundos Digitais Virtuais no contexto da Educação Superior. Este teve como público docentes em exercício na educação superior, Pós-Graduação ou vinculados a programas de Pós- Graduação Lato Sensu e/ou Stricto Sensu. Neste curso piloto teve-se o propósito de discutir sobre a preparação didático-pedagógica para atuar na educação superior e identificar possibilidades educacionais a partir da utilização do Metaverso Second Life, configurando-se assim, como um estudo de caso. Os dados foram analisados tendo como base a metodologia de Análise de Conteúdo, o que possibilitou a definição de três categorias de análise, a saber: (I) Preparação didático-pedagógica para o exercício na educação superior; (II) Metaverso Second Life; e (III) Estratégias didático-pedagógicas. Por fim, o resultado das análises das categorias apontaram para a importância da preparação didático-pedagógica do docente, independente da área de atuação. Além disso, foram elucidadas as dificuldades iniciais de uso do Metaverso Second Life, principalmente pela questão técnica. Contudo, ressaltou-se que as possibilidades educacionais são inúmeras e significativas para o processo de formação continuada. Por sua vez, as estratégias didático-pedagógicas apresentamse como potencializadoras para a prática pedagógica. Logo, foi possibilitada a construção da proposta de formação docente, pois acredita-se que para a efetivação da mesma tornou-se necessário explorar a tecnologia de maneira a conhecê-la com profundidade para compreender como utilizá-la educacionalmente. / This present dissertation had as the main goal to build a proposal of continuing education in a distance mode for higher education teachers in the Second Life Metaverse. So, it was sought to investigate how the Second Life Metaverse can contribute for the construction of this proposal. First, it was held a literature review of the themes to identify publications in this field and the research current situation. From this it was built the theoretical that covers the teachers’ themes in the higher education and about the Second Life Metaverse. For this research development it was opted for the methodology of study case because it is flexible and emphasizes the exploration and the description taking into account the context where the events occur. In this matter the research was characterized for the implementation of three steps: the realization of activities’ observation in the Second Life Metaverse, interviews with the research subjects, and the results obtained by the development of a pilot course. In addition, it was built a learning object called EduVirtua, in order to gather input on issues and facilitate educational support to the context of the proposed pilot course and teacher training. With the support of the learning object EduVirtua a pilot course entitled “Teacher Training: The Use of Digital Virtual Worlds in the context of higher education” was held. This targeted practicing teachers in higher education, graduate or linked to graduated programs Lato Sensu Graduate and / or proper. In this pilot course the objective was to discuss about the didacticpedagogic preparation to function in the higher education and identify educational opportunities from the use of Second Life Metaverse, becoming so a case study. The data was analyzed based on the methodology of content analysis, which enabled the definition of three analysis categories: (I) Preparation didactic and pedagogic for the exercise in Higher Education; (II) Second Life Metaverse; and (III) Didactic- Pedagogic strategies. Finally, the test results of the categories pointed to the importance of the didactic-pedagogic preparation of teachers, regardless of the area. Moreover, it was elucidated the initial difficulties of using Second Life Metaverse, manly by the technical matter. However, it was stressed that the educational possibilities are numerous and significant to the process of continuing education. In turn, the didactic-pedagogic strategies present themselves as empowering pedagogical practice. It was therefore made possible the construction of the proposed teacher training because it is believed that for its execution it became necessary to exploit the technology in order to know it in depth and understand how to use it educationally.

A presente dissertação teve por objetivo construir uma proposta de formação continuada, na modalidade a distância, para docentes da educação superior no Metaverso Second Life. Desta forma, buscou investigar como o Metaverso Second Life poderia contribuir para a construção desta proposta. Primeiramente, realizou-se uma revisão de literatura sobre as temáticas a fim de identificar publicações na área e a situação atual em que se encontra a pesquisa. A partir disso, construiu-se o referencial teórico, abrangendo as temáticas da docência na educação superior e, sobre o Metaverso Second Life. Logo, para o desenvolvimento dessa pesquisa, optou-se pela metodologia de estudo de caso, por compreender que o mesmo é flexível, pois enfatiza a exploração e a descrição considerando o contexto em que os fatos ocorrem. Para isso, a investigação caracterizou-se pela implementação de três etapas, a saber: a realização de observações de atividades no Metaverso Second Life, entrevistas com os sujeitos da pesquisa e os resultados obtidos a partir do desenvolvimento de um curso piloto. Além disso, foi construído um Objeto de Aprendizagem, denominado EduVirtua, com o intuito de reunir subsídios sobre os temas e favorecer apoio pedagógico ao contexto do curso piloto e da proposta de formação docente. Com o apoio do Objeto de Aprendizagem EduVirtua, realizou-se um curso piloto, intitulado Capacitação Docente: o Uso dos Mundos Digitais Virtuais no contexto da Educação Superior. Este teve como público docentes em exercício na educação superior, Pós-Graduação ou vinculados a programas de Pós- Graduação Lato Sensu e/ou Stricto Sensu. Neste curso piloto teve-se o propósito de discutir sobre a preparação didático-pedagógica para atuar na educação superior e identificar possibilidades educacionais a partir da utilização do Metaverso Second Life, configurando-se assim, como um estudo de caso. Os dados foram analisados tendo como base a metodologia de Análise de Conteúdo, o que possibilitou a definição de três categorias de análise, a saber: (I) Preparação didático-pedagógica para o exercício na educação superior; (II) Metaverso Second Life; e (III) Estratégias didático-pedagógicas. Por fim, o resultado das análises das categorias apontaram para a importância da preparação didático-pedagógica do docente, independente da área de atuação. Além disso, foram elucidadas as dificuldades iniciais de uso do Metaverso Second Life, principalmente pela questão técnica. Contudo, ressaltou-se que as possibilidades educacionais são inúmeras e significativas para o processo de formação continuada. Por sua vez, as estratégias didático-pedagógicas apresentamse como potencializadoras para a prática pedagógica. Logo, foi possibilitada a construção da proposta de formação docente, pois acredita-se que para a efetivação da mesma tornou-se necessário explorar a tecnologia de maneira a conhecê-la com profundidade para compreender como utilizá-la educacionalmente. / This present dissertation had as the main goal to build a proposal of continuing education in a distance mode for higher education teachers in the Second Life Metaverse. So, it was sought to investigate how the Second Life Metaverse can contribute for the construction of this proposal. First, it was held a literature review of the themes to identify publications in this field and the research current situation. From this it was built the theoretical that covers the teachers’ themes in the higher education and about the Second Life Metaverse. For this research development it was opted for the methodology of study case because it is flexible and emphasizes the exploration and the description taking into account the context where the events occur. In this matter the research was characterized for the implementation of three steps: the realization of activities’ observation in the Second Life Metaverse, interviews with the research subjects, and the results obtained by the development of a pilot course. In addition, it was built a learning object called EduVirtua, in order to gather input on issues and facilitate educational support to the context of the proposed pilot course and teacher training. With the support of the learning object EduVirtua a pilot course entitled “Teacher Training: The Use of Digital Virtual Worlds in the context of higher education” was held. This targeted practicing teachers in higher education, graduate or linked to graduated programs Lato Sensu Graduate and / or proper. In this pilot course the objective was to discuss about the didacticpedagogic preparation to function in the higher education and identify educational opportunities from the use of Second Life Metaverse, becoming so a case study. The data was analyzed based on the methodology of content analysis, which enabled the definition of three analysis categories: (I) Preparation didactic and pedagogic for the exercise in Higher Education; (II) Second Life Metaverse; and (III) Didactic- Pedagogic strategies. Finally, the test results of the categories pointed to the importance of the didactic-pedagogic preparation of teachers, regardless of the area. Moreover, it was elucidated the initial difficulties of using Second Life Metaverse, manly by the technical matter. However, it was stressed that the educational possibilities are numerous and significant to the process of continuing education. In turn, the didactic-pedagogic strategies present themselves as empowering pedagogical practice. It was therefore made possible the construction of the proposed teacher training because it is believed that for its execution it became necessary to exploit the technology in order to know it in depth and understand how to use it educationally.

A presente dissertação teve por objetivo construir uma proposta de formação continuada, na modalidade a distância, para docentes da educação superior no Metaverso Second Life. Desta forma, buscou investigar como o Metaverso Second Life poderia contribuir para a construção desta proposta. Primeiramente, realizou-se uma revisão de literatura sobre as temáticas a fim de identificar publicações na área e a situação atual em que se encontra a pesquisa. A partir disso, construiu-se o referencial teórico, abrangendo as temáticas da docência na educação superior e, sobre o Metaverso Second Life. Logo, para o desenvolvimento dessa pesquisa, optou-se pela metodologia de estudo de caso, por compreender que o mesmo é flexível, pois enfatiza a exploração e a descrição considerando o contexto em que os fatos ocorrem. Para isso, a investigação caracterizou-se pela implementação de três etapas, a saber: a realização de observações de atividades no Metaverso Second Life, entrevistas com os sujeitos da pesquisa e os resultados obtidos a partir do desenvolvimento de um curso piloto. Além disso, foi construído um Objeto de Aprendizagem, denominado EduVirtua, com o intuito de reunir subsídios sobre os temas e favorecer apoio pedagógico ao contexto do curso piloto e da proposta de formação docente. Com o apoio do Objeto de Aprendizagem EduVirtua, realizou-se um curso piloto, intitulado Capacitação Docente: o Uso dos Mundos Digitais Virtuais no contexto da Educação Superior. Este teve como público docentes em exercício na educação superior, Pós-Graduação ou vinculados a programas de Pós- Graduação Lato Sensu e/ou Stricto Sensu. Neste curso piloto teve-se o propósito de discutir sobre a preparação didático-pedagógica para atuar na educação superior e identificar possibilidades educacionais a partir da utilização do Metaverso Second Life, configurando-se assim, como um estudo de caso. Os dados foram analisados tendo como base a metodologia de Análise de Conteúdo, o que possibilitou a definição de três categorias de análise, a saber: (I) Preparação didático-pedagógica para o exercício na educação superior; (II) Metaverso Second Life; e (III) Estratégias didático-pedagógicas. Por fim, o resultado das análises das categorias apontaram para a importância da preparação didático-pedagógica do docente, independente da área de atuação. Além disso, foram elucidadas as dificuldades iniciais de uso do Metaverso Second Life, principalmente pela questão técnica. Contudo, ressaltou-se que as possibilidades educacionais são inúmeras e significativas para o processo de formação continuada. Por sua vez, as estratégias didático-pedagógicas apresentamse como potencializadoras para a prática pedagógica. Logo, foi possibilitada a construção da proposta de formação docente, pois acredita-se que para a efetivação da mesma tornou-se necessário explorar a tecnologia de maneira a conhecê-la com profundidade para compreender como utilizá-la educacionalmente. / This present dissertation had as the main goal to build a proposal of continuing education in a distance mode for higher education teachers in the Second Life Metaverse. So, it was sought to investigate how the Second Life Metaverse can contribute for the construction of this proposal. First, it was held a literature review of the themes to identify publications in this field and the research current situation. From this it was built the theoretical that covers the teachers’ themes in the higher education and about the Second Life Metaverse. For this research development it was opted for the methodology of study case because it is flexible and emphasizes the exploration and the description taking into account the context where the events occur. In this matter the research was characterized for the implementation of three steps: the realization of activities’ observation in the Second Life Metaverse, interviews with the research subjects, and the results obtained by the development of a pilot course. In addition, it was built a learning object called EduVirtua, in order to gather input on issues and facilitate educational support to the context of the proposed pilot course and teacher training. With the support of the learning object EduVirtua a pilot course entitled “Teacher Training: The Use of Digital Virtual Worlds in the context of higher education” was held. This targeted practicing teachers in higher education, graduate or linked to graduated programs Lato Sensu Graduate and / or proper. In this pilot course the objective was to discuss about the didacticpedagogic preparation to function in the higher education and identify educational opportunities from the use of Second Life Metaverse, becoming so a case study. The data was analyzed based on the methodology of content analysis, which enabled the definition of three analysis categories: (I) Preparation didactic and pedagogic for the exercise in Higher Education; (II) Second Life Metaverse; and (III) Didactic- Pedagogic strategies. Finally, the test results of the categories pointed to the importance of the didactic-pedagogic preparation of teachers, regardless of the area. Moreover, it was elucidated the initial difficulties of using Second Life Metaverse, manly by the technical matter. However, it was stressed that the educational possibilities are numerous and significant to the process of continuing education. In turn, the didactic-pedagogic strategies present themselves as empowering pedagogical practice. It was therefore made possible the construction of the proposed teacher training because it is believed that for its execution it became necessary to exploit the technology in order to know it in depth and understand how to use it educationally.

Recent technological advances are radically changing the industrial landscape and driving a digital transformation of industry. This transformation presents several challenges for industrial companies, notably the urgent need to bridge a widening skill gap. In order to address the skill gaps, industrial companies are exploring the potential of the Metaverse as a tool for workforce training.  The Metaverse is a unique, 3D multi-user environment, blending physical and digital elements, thereby facilitating interaction between objects and individuals. Given these features, it possesses the capacity to facilitate immersive learning within industrial firms, offering realistic and interactive training experiences. However, there is a lack of research and understanding regarding the application of the Metaverse for workforce training in these contexts.  Thus, the objective of this study is to explore how the Metaverse can be used by industrial companies and identify the driving factors behind its adoption. To fulfill this purpose, an exploratory qualitative study was conducted, employing semi-structured in-depth interviews that are analyzed thematically.  The study’s primary contribution is a practice-oriented framework detailing the interplay between technology, management, and people; explaining how they combine to support immersive learning. The framework offers unique insights and practical implications for industrial practitioners. Critically, the study emphasizes the importance of effective change management for aligning these three elements, emphasizing that successful implementation goes beyond mere adoption of technology. The study finds that the Metaverse is best viewed as a complement to traditional physical training in industrial companies, identifying specific practical use-cases where the Metaverse can be utilized effectively.

The metaverse has seen increased usages in its capabilities as an educational tool by immersing users in virtual scenarios. This technology is inaccessible for user groups that require higher degrees of accessibility and personalization, as most metaverse implementations do not adjust to the user’s needs. One such group are individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), rendering them unable to use immersive learning to foster skills that enable independent living. To solve this issue, this thesis aims to employ design science to produce an artefact that answers the research question: ”How can machine learning-based adaptations to 3D-environments be integrated into existing virtual reality platforms in order to increase accessibility for users with ASD?”. By the use of literature studies along with personas supplied from a research project, four different user profiles were established to represent users with ASD. Requirements for the artefact to be produced were then established by exploring possible stakeholders affected by the artefact. Employing data generative techniques, a neural network was trained to predict how the virtual environment should be augmented given the user’s specific characteristics. This neural network was then integrated into a virtual environment set up via Unity, by use of participatory modelling. The resulting artefact was then evaluated against the established requirements, via an experiment that mirrors a typical morning routine meant to increase the person’s skills in independent living. The results of this evaluation found that the artefact could handle known user profiles with a high accuracy (87.7%). The artefact also proved effective in approximating what kind of aide should be presented for the unknown user profiles (8/10 cases). The use of modern development tooling also proved satisfactory in aiding developers to use the artefact to create accessible environments with ease. The artefact’s use of neural networks proved an effective way to model complex user groups, though further ethnographic studies and non-synthetic data is needed to validate this capability.

No description available.