Desarrollo de un entorno virtual 3d: infraestructura de las facultades de ciencias empresariales y ciencias sociales de la UTMACH

Abstract

In recent years, the metaverse has gained ground in business, academic, and professional fields due to its potential in commerce, marketing, and global collaboration. The metaverse is a technology that merges the real and digital worlds through a virtual environment, providing a platform where users can interact and participate via virtual entities called avatars [1]. In this context, the need arises to develop a metaverse for the Technical University of Machala (UTMACH) as a digital space where students can explore the campus facilities, offering them a unique experience with the potential to expand and include new functionalities for academic activities. The main objective of this project is to develop the UTMACH metaverse using tools such as Unity3D and Blender to provide students with a digital space where they can navigate the infrastructure of the Faculties of Business Sciences and Social Sciences. To achieve this goal, the SCRUM methodology will be employed due to its flexibility and adaptability in structuring and segmenting the project into smaller, more manageable tasks. The results demonstrated that the metaverse meets expectations regarding usability, interactivity, and familiarity, although there are areas for improvement. The development successfully created detailed 3D models of the university's infrastructure, integrated a chatbot to provide institutional information, and enhanced the immersive experience through interactive mechanics. Student evaluations confirmed the feasibility of this platform as a complementary digital tool for exploration and orientation within the university environment. It is concluded that the developed metaverse enhances students' exploration experience, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the facilities virtually. It is recommended to continue increasing performance and functionality indicators while considering user needs.