Desarrollo de un entorno virtual 3d: infraestructura de bienestar estudiantil y la carrera de medicina de la UTMACH

Abstract

This degree project aims to develop a metaverse for Student Welfare and the Medicine program al the Technical University of Machala (UTMACH). This initiative seeks to address the lack of a web portal that showcases the university’s infrastructure, providing a virtual environment that allows the academic community to familiarize itself with the facilities of each faculty. This immersive and interactive virtual environment will enable teachers, administrative staff, and students to explore the Student Welfare and Medicine program infrastructure in an innovative way. For its development, the agile SCRUM methodology was used, facilitating continuous adaptation to changing project requirements through and interactive and incremental approach. The first phase of development includes data collection trough photographic capture of the facilities. These images served as the basis for 3D modeling and design. Subsequently, an avatar was created, and scripts were developed to enable user interaction within the virtual environment. Finally, both the 3D models and the avatar were integrated into the Unity development platform. The research results demonstrate a high level of satisfaction with the metaverse, achieving a 91,2% satisfaction rate according to user evaluations. Based on user experience, navigating the virtual environment and interacting with the NPC (non-playable character) was deemed simple and efficient by 86% of users. Additionally, the orientation within the environment was intuitive, while the design, colors, and lighting of the facilities were appropriate to meet their needs. In conclusion, the project has met the key requirements, successfully developing a metaverse that enhances university community accessibility to the facilities, representing a significant step toward digital transformation in the university context.