When it comes to naming and envisioning the future, science fiction loves a shape. There are the rings from first-player shooter classic Halo<\/em>, the twisted labyrinth of \u201990s cult film The Cube<\/em>, the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey<\/em>. And where science fiction dreams, the pioneers of today\u2019s metaverses<\/a> follow.<\/p>\n Enter the \u00d8rb from futurist technology company [0] (pronounced zero), a digital vehicle designed to transport its owner fluidly between metaverses\u2014\u201dinteroperability\u201d in tech-speak. The vehicle\u2019s purpose? To become a social space that platforms high-fidelity immersive content. In a move the founders describe as a beta release, the first 2,500 \u00d8rbs, minted as NFTs, dropped via [0]\u2019s website<\/a> on November 12.<\/p>\n To be sure, the \u00d8rb takes some cues from science fiction, merging the inter-spatial traveling qualities of Doctor Who<\/em>\u2019s Tardis with the visual experience of Star Trek<\/em>\u2019s holodeck. \u201cWe\u2019re elevating from cyberpunk,\u201d said Krista Kim, founder of [0]. Designed by luxury car designer Alex Dang, the exterior appears like the world\u2019s sleekest shoehorn or kazoo. Inside, it\u2019s a space of light and openness, a nod, perhaps, to the art of Kim, a star of the digital creative scene.<\/p>\n In 2020, Kim<\/a> created Mars House, an immersive space of soft light and ethereal furniture that hovered above a fiery backdrop. Frequently billed as the first NFT house and accessible in virtual reality<\/a>, it was sold on SuperRare last year for 288 ETH. \u00d8rb takes the idea of Mars House, as an own-able, navigable, and high-design space, fills it with functionality, and connects it to the metaverse. (One of Kim\u2019s digital installations, part of her \u201cContinuum\u201d series, was also recently acquired by LACMA<\/a>.)<\/p>\n \u201c\u00d8rb is the first system where people can see and share 360-degree content and have a social experience,\u201d Kim told Artnet News. \u201cThis is the next generation of artistic expression. We believe in presenting education, health and wellness, and art experiences in immersive 3D spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n Courtesy [0]<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Interoperability is key, not only as an ideological pushback against the siloed<\/a> nature of Web2, but also because each metaverse has distinct advantages and, indeed, drawbacks. \u201cThere\u2019s no metaverse that does it all. HyperFi has great lighting effects and flying movement, Spatial is good if you want productivity tools, Mona is for world building,\u201d said Benny Or, creative director of [0], referring to a number of existing virtual worlds.<\/p>\n But with hundreds of metaverses in existence, many launched in the past year alone, integrating \u00d8rb is a considerable obstacle. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of work,\u201d Or said. \u201cWe partnered with the Museum of Crypto Art to try and make \u00d8rb unified and beautiful in as many metaverses as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the question of content. Aside from Kim\u2019s immersive environment, airdropped to the first \u00d8rb owners, and users\u2019s own 360-degree videos which they can upload, the type of immersive experiences [0]\u2019s team enthusiastically describes is, at present, in short supply. The plan, according to CEO Peter Martin is twofold: dig up archived 360-degree content and commission new pieces from leading digital artists\u2014all of these will be minted as NFTs<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSince 2015, there\u2019s been so much great content created. It\u2019s sitting in people\u2019s hard drives and millions was spent on them,\u201d Martin told Artnet News, noting the virtual reality pieces from the likes of the New York Times, Venice Film Festival, Life Magazine, and Sundance\u2019s short-lived New Frontier program that are now largely inaccessible to the public. \u201cWe want to start by giving this IP a new lease of life.\u201d<\/p>\n
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