KT invigorates kindergarten children thru metaverse sports day

By Park Sae-jin Posted : June 22, 2021, 14:55 Updated : June 22, 2021, 16:35

[Courtesy of KT]

SEOUL -- Some 300 kindergarten children laughed and screamed with joy as they simultaneously engaged in a metaverse virtual playground through special facilities set up at a district office in Seoul, a home care service center and two pre-schools. Kids played games that are similar to the real-world version of hide-and-seek and dodge ball.

The metaverse is a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and physically persistent virtual space. Using immersive technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality, the virtual space can provide a realistic environment with almost zero latency thanks to 5G communication technology.

South Korea's top telecom service provider, KT, set up "Real Cubes," offline access points for the metaverse, at four facilities in a district near the center of Seoul on June 22. Children were able to enjoy MR content without using head-mounted displays. The event was aimed at invigorating younglings who have drooped due to a prolonged COVID-19 social distancing campaign.

"We opened the athletics day for children using Real Cubes so that kids can experience realistic communication that can overcome the handicap of time and distance," Bae Ki-dong, a senior KT official, was quoted as saying.

Because metaverses are capable of offering an unlimited virtual playground for users regardless of their physical location, such cyberspace is being adopted by various sectors in a country webbed with fast data communication networks. In April, the government hooked some 460 elementary schools to a metaverse network to have students engage in school-to-school competitions of virtual football and other physical recreation games.
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