Mentoring the Next Generation: PolyU Scholars Guide High School Students in Developing a Metaverse Virtual Environment in the Junior Research Mentorship Program | Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

This year, PolyU hosted the third "Junior Research Mentorship Program", in which approximately 80 scholars from various disciplines within PolyU guided over 130 high school students through four-month research projects. Two Form 6 students, Sarah Zeng from C&MA Sun Kei Secondary School and Vanessa Chan from Diocesan Girls' School, conducted a study titled "Development of a Metaverse Virtual Environment". This study was carried out under the guidance of Dr YM Tang and Mr Hadyn Ng from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

In the project, participating students were tasked with creating a virtual environment within the metaverse, complete with avatars or virtual characters to facilitate user interaction in this digital realm. Unlike applications that are primarily designed for entertainment, the main objective of this project was to incorporate game elements into applications that promote healthy physical activity. The students successfully demonstrated game design sensibilities and proficiency in 3D modeling, both of which were crucial to the creation of the metaverse project.

By the end of the project, an interactive back-to-school game had been developed within the metaverse environment. This allowed the students to gain first-hand experience interacting with a diverse user base within this virtual space. Additionally, the students conducted research and analysis to evaluate the project's outcomes and determine their feasibility. We believe that the experiences and accomplishments of these students will serve as inspiration for their peers, encouraging them to continue striving for excellence in their own endeavors.