Announcement of "Location VR GATE", an experience that transforms real space into another world

IZUTSUYA Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) has announced a new service, "Location VR GATE", which provides an experience akin to "entering another world" through a handheld device while fully utilizing the real-world space as it is.
This service is realized by applying the markerless motion capture system AR51 handled by IZUTSUYA Inc., along with the object tracking function equipped in the system. In this initiative, NILL Inc. participates as a collaborative partner, playing a core role in taking charge of service development, experience design, and XR implementation.

Service Overview

Previously, there was an issue where the value of XR and AR, even if technologically advanced, was difficult to convey in terms of "what will happen" and "what makes it interesting" through still images and text alone.
"Location VR GATE" is a service designed to address this issue by providing an experience where you can understand at a glance that "the location changes". Simply by holding up a device, the real space in front of you—such as an office, exhibition hall, commercial facility, or tourist spot—transforms into a prehistoric world where dinosaurs appear, or an avatar appears superimposed over a real person, providing an experience where the location itself becomes an entrance to another world.

IZUTSUYA Inc. positions itself as a "Digital Asset Company," extending the value of both the real and digital worlds by digitizing real-world objects in 3D/4D and connecting them to the realms of Web3, VR/AR, and AI. "Location VR GATE" is an initiative that embodies this business philosophy as a more intuitive and easily communicable service experience.

What "Location VR GATE" aims for is not a virtual experience closed off inside VR goggles.
It is a location VR experience where you can physically feel that "the location changes" while utilizing the "current location" exactly as it is. In other words, rather than moving to some other space, the actual real-world space right in front of you switches to another world through the device. This intuitiveness is the immense value of this service.

Feature 1. Just by looking through a device, the location becomes another world

By transforming the space into another world while leveraging the real location instead of erasing the real space, the experiential value is intuitively conveyed even at first glance. Furthermore, since there is no need to wear a head-mounted display such as VR goggles, you can immediately experience the service just by holding your device.

Feature 2. Turning the location itself into content

Because it can be staged taking advantage of the unique context and structure of the location, such as an office, exhibition hall, store, or tourist destination, the same CG can generate different value depending on the location.

Feature 3. Markerless and easy to operate

Thanks to the suit-less and marker-less configuration that is a feature of AR51, it is easy to introduce even at event or exhibition sites, and it is expected to support a large number of people.

Feature 4. Persuasive XR expression overlapping both people and space

It allows for a presentation where dinosaurs, historical spaces, and staging objects naturally exist within the space, rather than just superimposing avatars onto people, realizing an immersion that goes beyond mere screen effects.

Feature 5. Service development through a collaborative structure of IZUTSUYA × NILL

The strength of this project lies in combining IZUTSUYA Inc.'s technology and asset foundation with NILL's experience design and XR development capabilities, refining it not only as a viable technology but into a form that communicates well as a service.

Anticipated Use Cases

Otherworldly Staging / Immersive Experience
Staging experiences where an office or event venue transforms into an ancient space with dinosaurs, a futuristic city, or a fantasy world.

Avatar Superimposition / Character Staging
Superimposing avatars or characters onto real people through a device, turning the person themselves into content.

Staging for Exhibitions, Commercial Facilities, and Tourist Destinations
Designing highly "location-specific" experiences with high SNS shareability by leveraging the characteristics of each facility and location.

Live Entertainment Field
Providing a new experience fusing real space and XR staging by utilizing the relationship between performers, attendees, and the venue space.

Markerless Motion Capture AR51

The AR51, which serves as the technological foundation, is a motion capture system that adopts a markerless method requiring no motion suits, featuring simultaneous capture of over 100 people, real-time integration with Unity / Unreal Engine, and highly accurate motion analysis by AI.

AR51 supports not only natural human movements but also object tracking and finger tracking. This makes it possible to comprehensively handle the positional relationship between human movements and the devices held by users or objects in the space, enabling it to be presented not "just as superimposed CG" but as "an experience that is established on the spot".

AR51 Details: https://izutsuya.io/motion-capture/

Collaborative Partner: NILL Inc.

And playing a crucial role in this service is the collaborative partner, NILL Inc. NILL is a development studio that solves creative and technical challenges centered around the VR/MR domain, and also has a track record of technical cooperation in XR live systems. In this "Location VR GATE", NILL is participating as a collaborative partner to co-design the presentation of the experience, its viability as a service, and the perfection of the implementation aspect. By multiplying the AR51 and various 3D assets handled by IZUTSUYA Inc. with NILL's XR implementation power and experience design capabilities, it achieves both the entertainment value and communicative power of the service.

Future Development

Together with collaborative partner NILL Inc., IZUTSUYA Inc. aims to create a new XR experience market where "the location becomes the content" through "Location VR GATE". Moving forward, we plan to expand the use cases for location VR, looking ahead to deployments in exhibitions, events, live performances, tourism, commercial facilities, and educational/cultural domains.