KDDI Corporation ( "KDDI") and Psychic VR Lab, Inc. ("Psychic VR Lab") announced today that they will deliver interactive XR content at Tsukuba Center Square in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, from January 10, 2023 to March 31, 2023. KDDI was commissioned by the Cabinet Office to conduct this project as part of the " Research Project for the Development and Establishment of Advanced Services " for regional development, and has been conducting it with the cooperation of Tsukuba City since August 2022.
Tsukuba Center Square will become a future city 50 years from now!
The Tsukuba City interactive XR content distribution project announced by KDDI is part of a "research project for the development and construction of cutting-edge services" in cooperation with Tsukuba City. Tsukuba City has been designated as a " Super City-type National Strategic Special Zone " to solve regional issues in various fields such as transportation, logistics, medical and nursing care, and childcare. The area designated as a Super City is intended to lead the " Digital Rural City Nation Concept," which aims to revitalize the local region and realize a sustainable economic society while leveraging the region's individuality through digital technology. Through this initiative, KDDI and the Psychic VR Lab are addressing institutional and rule issues in order to build city-linked spatial media and implement new media and user interfaces using XR technology.
The purpose of the experiential XR content to be released to the public is to examine issues involved in treating urban spaces as media without physical constraints and disseminating XR content. This is an initiative that anticipates the social implementation of a real metaverse in which urban space can be used as media in the future.
KDDI has set forth KDDI VISION 2030 and is working to promote research in technological fields from the viewpoint of consumers in order to create a business model for the year 2030. In addition to the Tsukuba City initiative, KDDI has also collaborated with Osaka Prefecture, which, like Tsukuba City, has been designated as a Super City National Strategic Special Zone, to develop " Virtual Osaka," a metaverse for urban collaboration in February 2022. In December 2022, we concluded a comprehensive collaboration agreement with Osaka Prefecture for the purpose of revitalizing the region and improving services for local residents. KDDI's future moves to revitalize the region through cutting-edge technologies such as Metaverse, XR, and drones will be closely watched.
Experience available from January 10, 2023!
The delivery of experiential XR content in Tsukuba City will take place at Tsukuba Center Square from January 10, 2023 (Tuesday) to March 31, 2023 (Friday). To use the application, launch the "5G XR VIEWER SATCH X powered by STYLY" (hereinafter "SATCH X") provided by KDDI, and select "Super City Tsukuba" from "Current Events". Select the title "Future City 50 Years from Now" and hold your smartphone over the surrounding space to enjoy the interactive XR content. SATCH X can be installed on Google Play andApp Store. Even if you do not have a smartphone or SATCH X installed, you will be able to enjoy experiential XR content using the digital signage that will be installed on the pedestrian deck of Tsukuba Center Square on January 23, 2023 (Monday). Why not take advantage of it? For details on the Tsukuba City experiential XR content distribution, please check the official KDDI website.