Metaverse Engineer Job Kit

CAREERS

withSTEM JOB KIT ™

Metaverse

Engineer Find your career in the next generation of the web

CAN HELP BUILD THE FUTURE Fascinated by AI and virtual reality?

Want to work on the frontline of information technology creation in the future?

Metaverse engineers engage with new technologies spanning various domains of the metaverse, including research science, ecosystem management, augmented reality, machine learning, spatial computing and blockchain.

CRICOS Provider 00002J | FSE58353

Macquarie offers a range of information technology degrees and majors in areas such as cybersecurity, games design, artificial intelligence, data science, app development and software technology.

You’ll benefit from state-of-the-art facilities – such as our new 14-lab computing precinct with cybersecurity, networking and gaming labs, and VR space – and you’ll hone your skills under the guidance of experts dedicated to preparing you for the technology of tomorrow.

FIND OUT MORE AND APPLY TODAY.

Lecturer to Professor with the School of Computing, Macquarie University

FOREWORD

Go anywhere

Company Director and Computer Consultant

cover how interactive Enter the metaverse, and dis today and tomorrow technologies can help people

T

it will always be a great career because it’s always evolving”

Deborah Richards, Profes sor with the School of Computing, Macquari e University

Check out CareerswithSTEM.com for more insights, information, inspiration and advice about metaverse engineering careers!

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Master of Applied Science (Information Studies) Bachelor of Business (Computing & Management Information Systems)

qualification. I completed a Bachelor of Business by distance education while working full-time and car ing for my first two children , then did a Master and then a PhD in AI. I’ve had about 20 years of industry experience an d, before coming to Macqu arie University, I had my ow n IT company. With IT it’s rea lly true that you can start anyw here, and go anywhere. And metavers e engineering is a really exciting and em erging career area to explore.

We’ve used VR to help bor der security personnel better recognise suspiciou s behaviour through facial expressions, or to tra in physiotherapists to develop empathy for dem entia patients. And we programmed an empathet ic virtual character for The Children’s Hospital at Westmead: Dr Evie to discuss recommended tre atments with patients who were on the waiting list to see a specialist for incontinence. This led to a significant increase in people following their tre atment and getting better.

There are so many ways that working in metaverse engineering can help society. You’ll have to keep learning bu t it will be a rewarding and challenging career bec ause it’s always evolving.

PhD in AI

deborah richards professor, school of computing, macquarie university

ICT Professional (various industries)

SUPPLIED/ SHUTTERSTOCK

erse originated in he concept of the metav cribes a world sci-fi in the 1990s and des of everyday rt pa where the internet is a such as gy olo hn life, facilitated by tec lity rea d nte virtual reality (VR), augme Things, or IoT. (AR), and the Internet of w we will ho s It’s a term that define (and, ure fut use the web in the ng it). usi y ead alr increasingly, are is AR of le mp exa One cool t to map Minecraft Earth, a projec t. But the world with Minecraf re than the metaverse is much mo es enc games and fun experi way online — it can change the the h wit ct you see and intera it more into virtual world and bring The our physical daily lives. e development ers tav me of ns applicatio rt of healthcare, are really broad — it’s pa ing, real estate, tourism, education, gam uction and many str marketing, finance, con n a fascinating career other industries. It’s bee journey for me. earcher and My path to becoming a res al one. I come from a academic isn’t a tradition ound and left home as low socioeconomic backgr (NSW Higher School C soon as I finished the HS f, I started working sel my Certificate). To support puter bureau. That was in the bank, then in a com . I didn’t start studying the start of my IT career when I realised I’d IT until my mid-twenties the bottom without a have to start each job at

METAVERSE ENGINEER

DEEP DIVE

E S R E V A T E M INTO THE

Change the way we connect, game, work and play with a career that’s literally out of this world

W

the next generation elcome to the metaverse, e is based around a of the web! The metavers t are changing the group of technologies tha d y. A world-within-a-worl way we live, work and pla cal ysi ph have and the where the digital tools we h way we interact with eac the nge objects we use cha es, gam to ly app that can other, irl and online, and more. d an ion cat edu healthcare, lude inc e ers tav me the Jobs in , sts data scientists and analy d an VR blockchain engineers, es AR developers, gam The global A I soft w e market is forecast ar programmers, and AI to in ng specialists worki grow to $300 bi ll io n ng. rni machine lea n by tha re 20 mo e 26 lud *. inc Careers SOURCE: WWW.IDC.COM/GET of the DOC.JSP just technical roles. One of s ect asp t tan por im most AR designing useful VR and

W hat’s it worth?

Skills breakdown • Programming • 3D modelling and design • Mobile development •M aths, particularly trigonometry, but also matrix transformations • Unity3D or Unreal Engine • Mobile development

WORDS: HEATHER CATCHPOLE. PICS: SHUTTERSTOCK

•U nderstanding of user experience/comfort • Rendering pipelines •M edia and games development • Lens optics • Audio • Networking

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

worlds is ensuring that the user can interact with an interface (an interface is how a user interacts wit h the digital world, like wh en you tap on your phon e screen). We’ll need specia lists who build communities and mana ge projects, plus design experts and people with research skills to help us understand how to build technology into our world .

We’ll also need people wh o understand laws and ethics, to make sure we build it fairly, and people with different perspectives and from different backgrounds, to make sur e we build it in a way that’s accessible and inc lusive of everyone.

What’s it like working in metaverse engineering?

Jump into some real-life projects to find out.

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Jargon buster

AR Augmented reality overlays digital information like graphics or text onto you r view of the real world.

Blockchain A linked record of tran sactions (like

a purchase), which can’t be hac ked.

Machine lea

rning A system where software learns to recognise patterns, make predictions, and make decisions based on the data it’s trained on.

Metaverse A virtual universe that ’s a digital

parallel to our own world. It’s a place where people can immerse themselves, inte ract, and engage with

others in a shared virtual spa ce. It’s like stepping into a fully interactive and intercon nected digital realm.

Natural Lang

uage Processing Siri and Google Assistant are two exa mples of programs that learned how to break down, ana lyse and synthesise speech using natural languag e processing.

NFT, or non-fungible token

An asset such as a rare piece of art, a valuable item in a game or even a piece of virtual ‘land’ with a unique blockchain token assigned to it. It’s like having a one-of-a-kind digital collectible that no one else can duplicate.

Smart co

ntracts Self-executing digital agreements that automatical ly enforce the terms and conditions written within them. They use blockchain technology to ens ure trust, security, and transparency in transaction s.

VR Virtual reality immerses you in a simulated, computer-generated environ ment that you can explore and interact with, mak ing you feel as if you’re physically present in a different reality.

XR

Extended reality includes aug mented, virtual and mixed reality technologies.

What’s it worth XR Developer $55K – $116K Average: $72,000 Machine Learning Engineer $59K – $143K Average: $78,615 Project Manager, Information Technology (IT) $69K – $152K Average $112,337

Mind-blowing metaverse projects Virtual travel

AR Ancient Visit the Nile in a virtual world, or chat to Parthenon.

Greek philosophers while gazing at the

Immersive health

AI in a A visit to the doctor might be a chat to an or if you far, too is visit virtual surgery if a physical ple. exam for h, healt need help with mental

Games

games, Fortnite is one of the best known metaverse Billie Eilish, with in-world concerts from the likes of buying ds and media and even supermarket bran 1.5 million the to virtual space and items to connect + players. The storm is coming…

Software Developer $53K – $106K Average $72,912 Business intelligence developer $64K – $129K Average $96,758 Robotics engineer $51K – $133K Average $80,675 Senior Software Engineer / Developer / Programmer $84K – $149K Average $115,553 SOURCE: PAYSCALE.COM.AU/GLASSDOOR AUSTRALIA

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METAVERSE ENGINEER

REAL PEOPLE

Bachelor of Computer Science ty (Honours), Macquarie Universi

Research Assistant

Research Programmer

Senior Research Assistant

Unity Developer, VR Lab, Macquarie University

GAME ON!

Crafting immersive realities: Meredith Porte’s journey into the virtual realm

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fun may be exciting, but for abbling in virtual worlds for day’s work. As a unit y Meredith Por te, it’s all in a ver sity’s Virtual developer at Macquarie Uni in creating ises cial spe h Reality Lab, Meredit projects. ch ear res for ions games and simulat phics was Her pas sion for computer gra puter Com of r helo Bac her ing ignited dur “I . rie Uni really Science degree at Macqua things, so enjoy artistic and creative e design was computer graphics and gam says. “Once she ” ver y interesting to me, to pur sue it.” ted wan I studied it, I knew I during her nce erie exp ed Meredith gain olar ship sch mer sum on ing studies by tak quarie Mac at one ng udi incl es, opportuniti res to the earch group Univer sity’s VR Lab, home Simulations of Reality), VISOR (Vir tual and Interactive ween the computing and a research collaboration bet enjoyed the work so much She s. psychology department earch assistant at the VR Lab that she scored a job as a res after graduating.

Meredith Porte unity developer, vr lab Hospital, she’s done a bit of everything.

Her collaboration with other disciplines has even included ancient history — such as designing a virtual ancient Greek villa to enhance the learning experience of history students.

As the sole developer on som e projects, Meredith says it’s a continu ous learning experience.

With new sof tware and har dware constantly emerging, she embraces the opportunity to stay at the forefront of tec hno logy advancements. Another big positive is the great feedba ck she receives, noting that it’s ver y rewarding knowing her wor k is making a difference.

“I really like solving puz zles ”, she says. “One of the coo l projects that stands out is a lifeguard training project I worked on where I made a virtual swi mming pool environment. We put lifeguards in VR headsets and stood them on the edge of the virtual pool to spot swimmers in trouble.”

If designing games and sim ulations sounds like a dream career to you, Meredith sug gests a great starting poin t is get ting familiar with popular game engines like Unity. Her ultimate ambition? To develop her ver y own game.

— Danielle Lucas

VR The art of creatingearch projects to life

ging res Meredith’s role involves brin ions. innovative games and simulat through the development of ared infr an ort securit y project and From contributing to an airp ual virt a g atin mme early on, to cre tracking 3D- drawing progra n’s ldre Chi ead stm rs project at We therapist for a sleep disorde

i really like solving puzzles, arti and creative things” stic

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S E M A G … a f o e f li e A day in th

R E E N I G N E T N E M DEVELOP reer thusiast to game-changing ca Beyond play: From gaming en

I was playing these games thinking ‘i could do better than this’”

oliver smith

MQU / SHUTTERSTOCK

O

liver Smith always thought video games were pretty cool, and now they’re his d job. The games design an rks at wo eer gin en development mes User Ga s ty’ rsi ive Un Macquarie with researchers Research Lab, working s not doing that, using VR, and when he’ ts video game he’s teaching uni studen theory and design. was playing “When I was younger, I ‘you know what, ing nk thi d these games an so I decided to I cou ld do better at this’, study it,” he says. skills you Oliver says there are key ign and des e need to succeed in gam ow how to kn to development. “You need lls and be ski ial soc ve problem-solve, to ha many projects able to network, because involve teamwork.” ich is creating Encounter designing, wh in a video game, the monsters or enemies Oliver one day. would be a dream gig for s, un leashing lm Epic quests, thrilling rea at he teaches! wh ing imagination… he is liv – Danielle Lucas Certificate IV and Diploma in it (Games Development), TAFE NSW

1pm

other role, I spend my afternoons in my ment engineer elop dev ing gam a working as Games and research assistant at the Research Lab at Macquarie.

Here’s a typical day: 9am I usually teach in the mornings, so I get to Macquarie Uni at least an hour before classes start. I’ll have some brekkie, grab a coffee and then go over my notes for what I’ll be teaching that day.

10am Tutoring a class on video game design. I’m a bit old school and like to use PowerPoint slides, and if it’s a design class we might even be looking at board games.

12pm I’ll hang around for a bit afterwards to answer any questions, or sometimes I go straight to another class.

2pm

king on involves The project I’m currently wor researcher can a re designing a platform whe ressions when exp al look at participants’ faci k that data. trac n the and they’re in a game, the Meta from ices dev VR of We use a range Quest Pro to the Vive.

4 – 6pm

on I’ll finish up a task I’m working or r hou an nd spe ht mig n and the ds. car task my g agin man so

8pm

rock climbing or After work I’ll sometimes go I also really enjoy gly, to the gym. Not surprisin re time. It spa my in playing video games going on and it t’s wha with keeps me in touch lyse games, helps to actually be able to ana well. which is something I teach as

Bachelor of It (majoring in Games Development), Macquarie University Research Assistant and Games Development Engineer, Games Research Lab, Macquarie University

Casual Academic / University Course Tutor and Lead Tutor, Macquarie University

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METAVERSE ENGINEER

Get the job!

Want to experience the world of metaverse engineering? Take these next steps

Electives checklist ✔ Digita l technologi es ✔ ICT ✔ Maths ✔ Law, commerce or ethics

Skill up Get a head start by teaching yourself some basic programming such as s Python, Rust and C#. Google’

e app is an Grasshopper learning to cod Python, or of easy way to get the basics like The ls nne check out YouTube cha machine art, , ript asc Coding Train (Jav Crash 101 t Rus or e) learning and mor study also can You rs. inne beg Course for in Roblox, 3D modeling tools and design ld wor the community owned virtual Decentraland and Meta.

take study further

on deep learning platforms, disease mapping, inter-team chat too ls, machine learning platforms, natural lang uage generation, proactive healthc are management, robotic process automation , social media monitoring, speech recognition and virtual agents. bit.ly/majAIMQU

Do a Master of IT in AI at Macquarie University. Get indu stry

20TH CENTURY STUDIOS

Enrol in the Major in Artific ial Intelligence (AI) with a Bache lor of Information Technology (IT ) at Macquarie University. Get the lowdown

Published in 2011, this was probably the first novel to fully explore an immersive metaverse. Set in 2045, it follows Wade Watts as he battles to solve the secrets of the OASIS, a VR experienced with haptic suits and headsets. The 2018 movie by Steven Speilberg shows the huge potential of a completely immersive metaverse, starring Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke and Ben Mendelsohn.

Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson star in this spookily prescient movie where a lonely man falls in love with his AI operating system. Look out for the scene where he’s gaming in an immersive world that fills his home, and the earbuds that connect everyone on the planet online.

FREE GUY

Explore a Master of IT in Int ernet of Things (IoT) at Macquarie University. Address challenges arising PHOTOGR APHY LLC

Set within a wholly virtual world, avatars and human players battle it out in an open-world video game in this 2021 movie, and yes, the hero (Ryan Reynolds) saves the (virtual) world.

THE MATRIX The OG world-within-a-world film, The Matrix saw the iconic Keanu Reeves discover just how hard it is to know what’s really real. Still the best cinematic look at a metaverse scenario, just don’t expect the machines to have good intentions.

© 2008 -2017 WES CANDELA

SHUTTERSTOCK

The real metaverse might be stranger than fiction but there are plenty of cool ways to learn about it. Check out these for a start: READY PLAYER ONE, BY ERNEST CLINE

HER

experience and deep-dive into new technologies and business.

Your degree will take place in the state-o f-the-art new computing precinct at Macqua rie, with purpose-built cybersecurity, networking and gaming labs and a VR spa ce. bit.ly/MITAIMQU

from the interconnection of the Internet and everyday devices by app lying advanced and applied knowle dge of the design, configuration and man agement of IoT systems, and commun ication services and networking. Car eer opportunities abound in electricity, transpo rtation, retail, energy management, resource control and management, healthcare, mining and so muc h more. bit.ly/MITIoTMQU

Stranger than fiction

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This edition was published on 7 August 2023.