Sony Corporation

03/08/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/07/2021 22:02

Sony and Yamaha Motor Launch New Service that 'Makes Mobility Fun' with Entertainment Vehicle

Tokyo, Japan - Sony Corporation ('Sony') today announced that a new attraction utilizing the entertainment vehicle Sociable Cart: SC-1, jointly developed by Sony and Yamaha Motor Company Limited ('Yamaha Motor'), began service on March 5, 2021. Following the 'Moonlight Cruise' at Kanucha Resort and Southeast Botanical Garden in Okinawa City, this new sevice called 'Graffiti Cruise' which provides an opportunity for new forms of interaction between people and cars can be experienced at AEON MALL Okinawa Rycom in Kitanakagusuku Village, Nakagami District, Okinawa.

The SC-1 features image sensors capable of vision beyond that of human capacity on all sides of the vehicle, and can sense the surrounding environment using images that are in-focus in all directions. Moreover, the ultra-high sensitivity characteristics of the image sensors and the high-resolution display installed inside the vehicle allow the passengers to see their surroundings at night even without any headlights. The SC-1 also incorporates mixed reality (MR) technology developed by Sony that can superimpose computer graphics onto the surroundings being displayed on the monitor. This turns the area that used to be taken up by windows, where passengers could only see the scenery, into an entertainment area, thereby enabling a more enjoyable mobility experience.

This time, with 'Grafitti Cruise', in addition to riding inside the vehicle itself, people in the vicinity can enjoy the attraction from outside of the vehicle as well. The venue provides 'Graffiti Cruise Maps,' sheets of coloring paper with outlines of the buildings, houses, trees, and other features that make up the city in which SC-1 drives around. Customers can freely draw on this paper, add their favorite images, and more, then scan it with a special program*to automatically create a 3D CG city. After that, children and families can board the SC-1 and enjoy driving around while the monitor inside the vehicle displays the city landscape that they created .

Customers can also design their own vehicle by drawing the front and sides of the vehicle on the provided paper called 'Graffiti Cart' and scanning the drawing with a special program*, which automatically converts it into a CG image. The city is shown on a large monitor installed in the center of the venue, and customers can enjoy watching the vehicles they designed projected on to the screen and driving along with various other vehicles. The vehicles drawn by customers also appear in the cities drawn by customers riding on the 'Graffiti Cruise.'

Cruise attraction details:

  • Date and time:
    March 5 (Fri) 2021 -　March 29 (Mon)
    14:00 - 17:00 (Special content 18:00 - 20:00)
  • Venue：
  • Price：
    Graffiti Cruise (Draw your own town and ride in it)
    One ride (one person) 500 yen →　One ride (one person) by presenting the AEON MALL app 300 yen
    One ride (group) Maximum 1,000 yen　→　One ride (group) by presenting the AEON MALL app 800 yen

    Graffiti Cart（Enlarge the car you drew and project it to the screen)
    One sheet 300 yen　→　One sheet by presenting the AEON MALL app 100 yen

    *All prices include tax
  • Target age：
    3 years old and older (Children under elementary school age must be accompanied by a person over 18 years old)
  • Special Contents：
    There will be a 'Local Horror Report' produced by the popular Okinawa TV program 'Ryukyu Trauma Night' every night from 18:00 to 20:00.
  • *This event will carry out the proper infection prevention measures to ensure the health and safety of all customers and staff.

About the campaign:

'The Moonlight Cruise' at Kanucha Resort and Southeast Botanical Garden also offers a 'Local Horror Report' service. There is a campaign to provide Ryukyu Trauma Night exclusive goods to those who have experienced the service of two or more of the attraction at Kanucha Resort, Southeast Botanical Gardens, and AEON MALL.

The SC-1 cruising service can be developed in a variety of ways by combining free and diverse content such as CG superimposition on driving images and CG-only images, and implemented in various venues such as shopping malls, smart cities, and entertainment facilities. Together with Yamaha Motor, Sony will continue to provide new enjoyment for people and cars to various fields with the SC-1 that transforms mobility into a place for entertaining experiences.

  • *This program was developed by Shinji Mizuno Laboratory, Faculty of Information Science, Aichi Institute of Technology.
  • ・The listed company, product name, and service name are trademarks or registered trademarks of each company.