This book provides a comprehensive exploration of the engineering and scientific principles behind the Metaverse, a 3D digital world designed to replicate and enhance physical reality through some advanced technologies, such as extended reality (xR), artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, 5G/6G, and computer vision. The book delves into the hardware (sensors, headsets, edge/cloud servers) and software (3D scene reconstruction, synchronization, AI processing) components that form the backbone of Metaverse platforms, addressing critical aspects such as security, privacy, and social implications.
This book is organized into three parts and covers some foundational technologies, such as neural rendering and semantic communications, security challenges (involving attack models and countermeasures), and real-world applications in healthcare (such as mixed reality-based stroke rehabilitation and telehealth innovations). By linking virtual and augmented reality to the broader Metaverse ecosystem, this book serves as a crucial resource for engineers, scientists, and researchers in academia or industries working in the fields of robotics, smart cities, and intelligent transportation, offering valuable insights into the development of secure, efficient, and immersive digital 3D internet environments.
Dr. Fei Hu has already published over 10 technical books with CRC publisher. His research focus includes cyber security and networking. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. He obtained his Ph.D. degrees at Tongji University (Shanghai, China) in the field of Signal Processing (in 1999), and at Clarkson University (New York, USA) in Electrical and Computer Engineering (in 2002). He has published over 200 journal/conference papers and books. Dr. Hu's research has been supported by U.S. National Science Foundation, Cisco, Sprint, and other sources.
Mr. Shengting Cao is PhD student is ECE department at UA. He will graduate in 2025. His research focus is Metaverse. He has published multiple IEEE Transaction papers so far. He has created a set of 3D object reconstruction algorithms and tools. He has invented the technology of using a single-belt treadmill to replace dual-belt treadmill when the user is conducting rehabilitation training.
Dr. Xiali (Sharon) Hei is an Alfred and Helen M. Lamson Endowed associate professor in the School of Computing and Informatics at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette since August 15th, 2023. She was an Alfred and Helen M. Lamson Endowed assistant professor in the School of Computing and Informatics at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette from August 2017 to August 15th, 2023. During her sabbatical year of 2023-2024, she visited Dr. Insup Lee at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, she was an assistant professor at Delaware State University from 2015-2017 and an assistant professor at Frostburg State University from 2014-2015. Note that Delaware State University and Frostburg State University are two teaching schools. Sharon received her Ph.D. in computer science from Temple University in 2014, focusing on computer security.
