NTT Docomo and the company will conduct a demonstration experiment of AR guides in exhibition spaces in the 5G era.

Tanseisha will be conducting a demonstration experiment with NTT Docomo, Inc. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo / President and Chief Executive Ofcer: Motoyuki Ii / hereinafter referred to as "Docomo") of an AR (Augmented Reality) guide application​ ​at an exhibition facility that utilizes Multi-Access Edge Computing (hereinafter referred to as "MEC (*1)"), which has characteristics such as low latency and high security required in the 5G era. This demonstration experiment will be available to experience from Tuesday, April 13th at "NTT Docomo History Exhibition Square" (Sumida-ku, Tokyo).

With this application, you can enjoy AR guide content that displays 3DCG and video introductions and quizzes on exhibits simply by holding your smartphone over the exhibits, without the need to read 2D barcodes. You can choose from two AR guide courses, and within the course you can view content related to the exhibits along with an animated guide. Each user can view the content that interests them at their own pace according to their level of understanding, providing an experience that leads to new discoveries. In addition, because it utilizes MEC technology, which has characteristics such as low latency and high security required in the 5G era, AR content, which requires complex and large-volume data processing, can be viewed smoothly while reducing the load on smartphones.

In order to reduce the risk of infection with COVID-19, many exhibition facilities are refraining from using touch panels for exhibits and face-to-face guidance by staff. This application allows visitors to view explanations of each exhibit and related content using only their smartphone, making it possible to realize facility navigation that adds new information to existing exhibits while reducing the opportunities for contact with people and objects when visiting.

Based on the results of this demonstration experiment, we will continue to consider commercializing this technology as a solution for the 5G era, with a view to expanding it to museums, Tourism facilities, commercial facilities, and other locations.
Tanseisha will continue to grasp the changing times and combine the spatial creation techniques and know-how it has cultivated thus far with cutting-edge digital technology to continue working to solve social issues and improve the experiential value of spaces.

• *1 MEC is a technology that places servers and storage closer to customers in mobile communication networks. It has characteristics such as low latency and high security, and is expected to be used in creating 5G solutions.

News Release

Tanseisha and NTT Docomo conduct demonstration experiment of AR guide in exhibition space in the 5G era
From April 13th (Tuesday) at the "NTT Docomo History Exhibition Square" we will be offering a new exhibition viewing experience using smartphones that reduces contact with people and objects.

Background of the demonstration experiment

Since July 2018, the two companies have been collaborating to combine Tanseisha's spatial creation know-how with DOCOMO's ICT technology and solutions to create spatial value that promotes digital transformation.
This demonstration experiment will be carried out in an actual exhibition facility as an extension of the AR application demonstration experiment conducted in a virtual environment at "docomo Open House™ (※2) 2020" in January 2020, with more display content such as 3DCG and videos. New application content has been developed to match the exhibits at the facility, so that general customers can also enjoy it.
In this experiment, our company was primarily responsible for Content Planning. We utilized our know-how in Display Planning in Cultural Spaces such as Museums, and in Event Spaces such as exhibitions, and planned content that would improve the experience of users in actual exhibition facilities, with an eye toward full-scale use of MEC.

• *2. docomo Open House is a trademark of NTT Docomo, Inc.

Overview of the AR guide application experience content

With this application, you can choose from two experience courses: "Did you know?! Communication cliches" and "Nostalgic! Mobile phones that have colored the era." Each course has guide content related to three exhibits according to the theme. When you hold your smartphone over the exhibit, 3DCG animations and videos will play, allowing you to deepen your knowledge of the exhibits while viewing the exhibits. The quiz content allows for an interactive experience in which you can answer by tapping on the options displayed in AR. By combining the static exhibits of the real world with the dynamic content of AR, we provide a new viewing experience in the exhibition facility.

An image of the AR guide display. Content tailored to the exhibits is displayed on the smartphone screen.

Benefits of AR guided applications using MEC

This application utilizes the MEC features of the "DOCOMO Open Innovation Cloud® (*3, *4)" to estimate the user's location and the location they are looking at from images captured by a smartphone camera, using technology developed by 1000realities to display AR content that corresponds to the location. Since various data processing can be done on a cloud server, the load on the device can be reduced and AR guide content related to the exhibits can be displayed smoothly according to the viewer's line of sight. This allows visitors to have a new experience of enjoying the exhibits while deepening their insight. In addition, by using DOCOMO's network, it is possible to connect to the cloud without going through the Internet, so content can be displayed with low latency even during large-volume data communication such as AR, and further utilization as a 5G solution is expected.

• *3. "Docomo Open Innovation Cloud" is a cloud service that enables use of solutions that utilize MEC, which achieves low-latency, highly secure communications, by building a cloud infrastructure on equipment within the Docomo network.
• *4. "Docomo Open Innovation Cloud" is a trademark of NTT Docomo, Inc.

Roles of each participating company

NTT Docomo, Inc.

MEC provides demonstration field and conducts demonstration experiments

TANSEISHA Co., Ltd.

Content Planning and conducting demonstration experiments

1000realities sp. zo. o.

Provision of AR platform applications using MEC

Demonstration experiment overview

This demonstration experiment will be carried out at the facility by lending out smartphones with the AR guide application installed. The device will be disinfected and cleaned after each use, and thorough measures will be taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
For other information about the facility's efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and requests for visitors, please check the facility's website (http://history-s.nttdocomo.co.jp).