In the near future, we will not use computers, but we will wear them. Technological evolution tends to provide increasingly intuitive computer systems for humans to communicate with machines. Metaverse goes far beyond wearing XR headsets and navigating virtual and three-dimensional environments. It is a new paradigm of human-computer interaction. Through the Metaverse, humans will finally be able to communicate with machines in the same way they interact in the physical world, that is, in addition to seeing, hearing, and speaking, they will be able to feel the weight, smell, and taste of things. However, the Metaverse brings with it major challenges, such as interoperability, scalability, decentralization, multimodal interactions, accessibility, immersion, among others. In this way, this work aims to present Metaverse Engineering, whose objective is to adapt the principles, concepts, and methods of Software Engineering in a way adapted to the inherent characteristics of the Metaverse. Building applications for the Metaverse requires the knowledge of people from different areas, making Metaverse Engineering a multidisciplinary discipline that covers three main dimensions: Engineering, Human-Computer Interaction, and Immersion. Furthermore, some of the major challenges for the next decade are discussed.
Submitted to the SE2030 – Software Engineering in 2030 Workshop (paper in press)