Walk With Woolly Mammoths In The MetaVerse As Scientist Recreate Ice Age With Augmented Reality – Science

Won’t be long when you would stumble across a giant furry friend from the early Pliocene era! Scientists are in the works to revive the Woolly Mammoth in the Metaverse! Would you be stomping on virtual Pliocene ice too? Maybe! Here’s what we know about the ambitious project.

Researchers at the La Brea Tar Pits and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and University of Southern California (USC) are collaborating to give life to the now extinct exotic animals of the Ice Age in Augmented Reality. The researchers have produced scientifically accurate virtual models of the Pliocene (Ice Age) animals which was recently published in Palaeontologia Electronica journal. The whole project is a work of Paleoart. Paleoart refers to original artwork in sketch, paint or any medium that tries to accurately depict prehistoric life without any semblance of fiction. It’s a complex art form that requires more than just creative imagination. It involves tons of scientific, archeological and paleontological and domain specific knowledge, research and yes data!

Image: Scientifically accurate VR model of the Columbian Mammoth / La Brea Tar Pits

The researchers have designed 13 novel paleoarts digitally. These are animated virtual characters that are built on low poly models. Low poly models essentially negates the need of higher rendering and expensive game engine thus making the art viable for mobile devices too. Thus the 3D models are optimised for seamless AR in smartphones. You can check out some of these virtual models at https://sketchfab.com/NHMLA/collections.

Elaborating on the essence of the project, William Swartout, CTO at the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies said that “Paleoart enables us to recreate scientifically accurate facsimiles of the past in the Metaverse, without going all aboard with the details.” (Paraphrased).

Now you will stumble across the giant woolly friend, roaming around in the Metaverse along with bear sized Ice Age Sloths, Mastodons and more!

Petition to recreate Scrat too in the Metaverse.