# A Metaverse Platform for Preserving and Promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage
## 1 Introduction  
The metaverse concept has evolved significantly since its first mention in [PERSON]'s 1992 science fiction novel _Snow Crash_, in which it was portrayed as a Virtual Reality-based successor to the Internet [1]. It has been shaped by decades of technological developments and is now being driven by the rapid development of Extended Reality (XR) technologies. Nowadays, the metaverse defines a virtual, immersive, collective, and shared space that results from the convergence of physical reality, virtual elements, and the Internet. Users within the metaverse are represented by avatars and can interact with one another and with 3D digital objects, experiencing life in ways they could not in the physical world [2]. The fast growth of these technologies as well as additional crucial elements, like appropriate bandwidth, interoperability standards, and the integration of AI, blockchain, and cryptocurrencies, are moving the metaverse even further forward [3]. These technologies not only supply the infrastructure required to construct realistic virtual worlds, but they also make these places interactive, safe, and commercially feasible. The metaverse is also enabling the employment of a truly human-centered approach, fostering human augmentation by providing users with new ways to interact with and experience digital settings. The expression \"Augmented Humans\" [4] refers to the adoption of methods and technology that enhance physical, cognitive, or sensory skills beyond what is common for humans. This paradigm shift is transforming various aspects of daily life and industries, such as education [5] and healthcare [6], by providing immersive learning environments, virtual training simulations, and new forms of entertainment. Indeed, XR technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR), act as gateways to the metaverse notion, making it more feasible and accessible by allowing the creation of detailed, immersive, and, most importantly, interactive virtual environments. VR offers experiences comparable to jumping into another world, allowing one to explore and interact with these environments by immersing users in fully digital environments, which will eventually be designed on the basis of the actual world [7]. AR, on the other hand, superimposes digital content on the real environment, enhancing users' perception of reality with additional features and virtual objects in order to provide \"augmented\" information for better comprehension of the surrounding space [8]. The seamless integration of digital aspects into the physical environment encourages new forms of interaction and engagement, blurring the boundaries between the virtual and the real. MR goes a step further in this sense, seamlessly integrating the virtual and physical worlds, allowing digital objects to interact with real-world environments and vice versa [9]. The result is an immersive experience where users can simultaneously modify and interact with physical and digital elements. Together, these XR technologies establish a foundation for the metaverse by enabling the creation of complex, interactive virtual environments that users can live in and explore. Developing XR environments for cultural heritage involves overcoming technical hurdles in several areas. Challenges include acquiring and preserving high-quality content through advanced imaging technologies, like photogrammetry and LiDAR scanning, and performing adequate data processing and optimization crucial to ensure visually appealing and performant XR models [10], achieved through mesh reconstruction and polygon reduction. Interactivity and immersion are enhanced by incorporating features like realistic physics simulations and dynamic lighting effects. Considering the variety of visualization devices, cross-platform compatibility is essential for guaranteeing full accessibility, as well as intuitive UI/UX design, which will eventually include gesture-based controls and spatial audio cues, aiming to facilitate easy navigation and engagement.