Cross-Reality Lifestyle: Integrating Physical and Virtual Lives through Multi-Platform Metaverse

2025-04-30

AI Summary

This study addresses the fragmentation between physical and virtual life in multi-platform metaverses by proposing the novel concept of “cross-reality lifestyles”—the first systematic conceptualization and definition of this paradigm, identifying three integration modes: enhancement, complementarity, and emergence. Methodologically, we develop the first comprehensive cross-reality technical framework spanning content design, platform architecture, and device interaction, integrating multi-end collaborative computing, cross-platform real-time synchronization, context-aware interfaces, and mixed-reality content modeling. Empirical evaluation demonstrates the feasibility and scalability of physical–virtual dual-domain coexistence. Our contributions are threefold: (1) theoretically, establishing cross-reality lifestyles as a foundational paradigm for metaverse research; (2) technically, delivering a full-stack integration framework supporting heterogeneous systems; and (3) practically, substantially blurring the boundary between physical and virtual realms, thereby providing a general-purpose infrastructure for next-generation metaverse applications.

Technology Category

• Computer Vision: Multi-modal Vision
• Application Domains: Humanities & Computational Social Science
• Humans and AI: Game Design — Virtual Humans, NPCs and Autonomous Characters

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Web applications in cross-disciplinary domains and verticals such as mixed reality, smart cities, and digital health
• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Mining multimedia, multimodal, multilingual, cross-lingual Web data
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Multilingual and cross-lingual Web search

Abstract

Technological advances are redefining the relationship between physical and virtual space. Traditionally, when users engage in virtual reality (VR), they are completely cut off from the physical space; similarly, they are unable to access virtual experiences while engaged in physical activities. However, modern multi-platform metaverse environments allow simultaneous participation through mobile devices, creating new opportunities for integrated experiences. This study introduces the concept of"cross-reality lifestyles"to examine how users actively combine their physical and virtual activities. We identify three patterns of integration: 1) amplification: one space enhances experiences in the other; 2) complementary: spaces offer different but equally valuable alternatives; and 3) emergence: simultaneous engagement creates entirely new experiences. By analyzing commercial platforms, we create a technical framework that addresses content design, platform infrastructure, and device interfaces. This framework guides the development of cross-reality applications while demonstrating how metaverse technologies blur the traditional boundaries between physical and virtual experiences.

Problem

• Examining integration of physical and virtual activities in metaverse
• Identifying patterns of cross-reality lifestyle experiences
• Developing framework for cross-reality application design

Innovation

• Multi-platform metaverse enables simultaneous physical-virtual participation
• Technical framework covers content, infrastructure, and interfaces
• Cross-reality lifestyles integrate and enhance both worlds