ITU-T Recommendations

Recommendation ITU-T Y.4240 defines three foundational interfaces and their specific reference points that enable the interoperability required to integrate virtual and physical worlds through digital twins in the metaverse. It provides an overview of interoperability for integrating virtual and physical worlds through digital twins in the metaverse, outlines the interfaces and their related reference points, and describes operational procedures through these reference points. The Recommendation is part of a series addressing this integration, building upon the foundational concepts of [ITU-T Y.4238] and the reference model specified in [ITU-T Y.4239].
This Recommendation classifies interfaces into three logical groups: the metaverse integration interface (MII), the digital twin integration interface (DII), and the service integration interface (SII). The MII supports discovery, authentication, and data exchange between the metaverse system and both third-party services and digital twin systems. The SII enables third-party service systems to register, authenticate, and exchange service-related data with the integration enabler. The DII facilitates registration, model exchange, synchronization, and user authentication between digital twin systems and the integration enabler.
Each interface comprises specific reference points, which define logical communication paths between relevant functional entities. These reference points are used to support detailed operations such as model registration, service invocation, user authentication, metadata discovery, and real-time synchronization with physical objects.
By formalizing these interfaces, reference points, and operational procedures, this Recommendation supports interoperable deployment and coordination of immersive services across virtual and physical domains, contributing to a cohesive metaverse ecosystem enabled by digital twin technologies.