Glasgow Uni Unveils $6.9M Government-Backed Metaverse Project - NFTgators

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Quick take:

The University of Glasgow has launched a £5.6 million (~$6.9 million) metaverse platform backed by the UK government.
The “Museums in the Metaverse” allows users to explore various experiences including 3D-scanned collection objects in XR and VR.
Project partners include the learning platform Edify, Historic Environment Scotland, and National Museums Scotland.

The University of Glasgow has unveiled the “Museum in the Metaverse” project, an immersive platform that allows users to explore various experiences including 3D-scanned collection objects in XR and VR.

The Metaverse platform allows both professional and amateur creators to become virtual creators building virtual and mixed-reality environments which can include 3D-scanned objects from collections.

The project is a product of the University of Glasgow’s College of Arts & Humanities and is fully funded by the UK government. Other partners involved in the project include the learning platform Edify, Historic Environment Scotland, and National Museums Scotland.

Commenting on the announcement, Professor Neil McDonnell, based at the University’s Advanced Research Centre (ARC), who is leading the project said the platform can be useful in showcasing over 90% of the objects in collections that can’t be seen as they are in storage.

“Museums in the Metaverse can help liberate these collections and will allow museums the freedom to connect with their audiences in new and exciting ways,” McDonnell added.

The platform allows users to interact with ancient relics in virtual and extended-reality experiences, products can only be viewed behind a glass wall in real life.

According to McDonnell, “Museums in the Metaverse will let anyone create their own virtual museums and tell their own stories with objects from all around the world.”

Chanté St Clair Inglis, Head of Collections Services at National Museums Scotland said the organisation is committed to showcasing its collections both physically and digitally, leveraging the latest technologies.

“[Museums in the Metaverse] offers exciting possibilities for wide engagement with our collections, with XR offering rich opportunities both for new kinds of public engagement as well as potential collaborative research work with others in our sector both in Scotland and internationally.”

Commenting on the UK government’s £5.6 million (~$6.9 million) funding George Freeman MP, Minister of State at the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said: “[the investment] is helping the University of Glasgow to build on its reputation for extended reality research, while in turn boosting opportunities for learners and curators and promoting UK innovation and culture around the world.”

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