Optimizing Gait-Based Biometric Authentication in the Metaverse Using Random Forest and Support Vector Machine Algorithms

This paper investigates the potential of gait-based authentication for securing virtual environments, specifically within the Metaverse. With the growing need for reliable and secure identity verification in virtual spaces, traditional authentication methods, such as passwords or PINs, have proven insufficient. In contrast, biometric authentication systems, including gait analysis, provide a more secure and user-friendly alternative by leveraging unique physiological and behavioral traits for identity verification. This research applies machine learning algorithms—Random Forest and Support Vector Machine (SVM)—to gait data for distinguishing between authentic users and imposters. The dataset consists of 1,000 simulated gait samples with 16 features, such as stride length, step frequency, joint angles, and ground reaction forces (GRF). After performing exploratory data analysis (EDA), including feature distribution visualization and correlation analysis, two models were trained on the data. The Random Forest model outperformed the SVM model, achieving an accuracy of 56% and a recall of 76%, indicating its effectiveness in identifying authentic users. Despite the promising results, both models showed only marginal improvement over random guessing, highlighting the need for further optimization. This study contributes to the growing body of research on gait-based biometric systems by demonstrating their potential as a viable method for identity verification in virtual environments. It also identifies the most important gait features, such as step frequency, cadence variability, and knee joint angle, that significantly contribute to the classification process. Future research should explore advanced deep learning techniques and the integration of multimodal biometric systems to enhance the performance and reliability of gait-based authentication.