As the Metaverse is iteratively being defined, its potential to unleash the next wave of digital disruption and create real-life value becomes increasingly clear. With distinctive features of immersive experience, simultaneous interactivity, and user agency, the Metaverse has the capability to transform all walks of life. However, the enabling technologies of the Metaverse, i.e., digital twin, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and extended reality, are known to be energy-hungry, therefore raising concerns about the sustainability of its large-scale deployment and development. This article proposes Green Metaverse Networking for the first time to optimize energy efficiencies of all network components for Metaverse sustainable development. We first analyze energy consumption, efficiency, and sustainability of energy-intensive technologies in the Metaverse. Next, focusing on computation and networking, we present major advancements related to energy efficiency and their integration into the Metaverse. A case study of energy conservation by incorporating semantic communication and stochastic resource allocation in the Metaverse is presented. Finally, we outline the critical challenges of Metaverse sustainable development, thereby indicating potential directions of future research towards the green Metaverse.
翻译:随着元宇宙不断被定义,其释放下一波数字颠覆和创造现实生活价值的潜力变得日益明显。元宇宙具有沉浸式体验、同时互动和用户代理等独特特征,具有改变各行各业的能力。然而,元宇宙的启用技术,即数字孪生、人工智能、区块链和扩展现实,被认为是耗能的,因此引发了对其大规模部署和开发可持续性的担忧。本文首次提出了绿色元宇宙网络,以优化元宇宙可持续发展的所有网络组件的能源效率。我们首先分析元宇宙中耗能技术的能源消耗、效率和可持续性。接下来,着重考虑计算和网络,介绍相关的能源效率主要进展及其整合到元宇宙中。我们提出了在元宇宙中通过引入语义通信和随机资源分配实现节能的案例研究。最后,我们总结了元宇宙可持续发展面临的重要挑战,进而指出了未来研究的潜在方向,致力于打造绿色元宇宙。