Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality World | 拡張現実と仮想現実の世界

Chariot Co. Ltd., an augmented reality (AR) development studio, debuted its new AR kiosk solution at the Tokyo International Toy Show on June 14. Unveiled at Happinet Corporation's booth to showcase the company's new "Domino World" toy series, the kiosk, which uses technology under license from Metaio GmbH, is among the first of its kind to be launched in Japan.

An existing issue for many packaged toys, according to Eiji Utsu of Happinet's Original Toy Development Division, is that, because customers cannot directly play with the product, it becomes less appealing. This, in turn, may make them less likely to follow through with a purchase. "Although products such as appliances, stationary and clothing can be physically touched by customers, with the exception of certain toys, this can be difficult." The AR kiosk thus provides an attractive solution. Once customers present a Domino World package to the kiosk's embedded camera, 3D animated contents are overlaid together with the package on the kiosk display, enabling customers to effectively preview the toy. "Understanding the contents of a product and being able to enjoy playing with it are key. We decided to adopt the AR kiosk because it fills these needs," Utsu said.