ANA HOLDINGS to Launch a Range of Avatar-powered
Services in Nihonbashi
- •ANA HOLDINGS INC. will provide "avatar-in" services to real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan and department store Isetan Mitsukoshi.
- •Avatar technology will be used to allow people to remotely work, shop, learn and collaborate regardless of location.
TOKYO, Dec. 5, 2019 - ANA HOLDINGS INC. (hereinafter "ANA HD") has partnered with Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. and Isetan Mitsukoshi Ltd. to launch shopping, conference and entertainment services powered by its avatar technology across the dynamic Tokyo neighborhood of Nihonbashi. ANA HD will provide its core service platform for avatar services, "avatar-in" as well as its original "newme" communication avatars at Mitsui Fudosan and Isetan Mitsukoshi locations in Japan. The use of avatar technology in Nihonbashi lays out the blueprint for achieving the 'Society 5.0' vision that ANA HD unveiled at CEATEC 2019.
"With its potential to increase connectivity and help people forge long-lasting bonds no matter the distance between them, avatar technology is well aligned with ANA HD's core values," said Kevin Kajitani, Co-Director of ANA HOLDINGS INC. Avatar Division. "Avatar technology is a significant component in our plans to help create 'Society 5.0,' a world where interactions with technology and other humans are seamless and intuitive. Instead of supplanting the human connection, avatars will make it deeper and create a whole new range of experiences that were never possible before."
ANA HD avatars will be featured in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district, starting with the limited pop-up "avatar-in store" which will be open from December 5 to December 24. Customers will be able to shop remotely at the limited pop-up store in Nihonbashi's COREDO Muromachi 3 mall using the "newme" avatar robots to browse the store's inventory without having to physically travel there. All purchases will then be shipped and delivered to the address provided at registration.
Avatar technology will also be used in work settings to allow for full-remote participation that goes beyond traditional teleconferencing. Once fully realized, avatars will also be used for collaborations in the fields of education and community development, starting at "X-NIHONBASHI" which provides multipurpose venues and workspaces.
The connective power of ANA HD's avatar technology will also be applied for entertainment events, highlighting the convergence of technological innovation and artistic creativity. Starting in January 2020, the first of these connected exhibitions, "FLOWERS BY NAKED 2020 SAKURA" will allow visitors to harness avatar technology to fully experience a lush, artistic garden remotely via their computers.
The communal multipurpose venue "Flatto" will employ avatar technology to enhance its global connectivity. Flatto's versatility allows it to be used as a meeting space for everything from private parties and yoga sessions to company meetings and educational seminars. Avatar technology will be utilized to seamlessly connect Flatto conference rooms with the entire world, boosting the venue's potential as a community space and educational hub within Nihonbashi.
The use of avatar technology across Nihonbashi is part of the district's broader Nihonbashi Revitalization Plan Stage 3 project, a joint public-private-community initiative aiming to preserve its unique heritage while promoting modernization through technology and urban development. ANA HD will contribute to the development of Nihonbashi by introducing 100 of its newme avatar robots to the area in the fiscal year 2020. The presence of these advanced robots will boost connectivity throughout Nihonbashi.
ANA HD remains committed to reducing travel barriers and creating a better connected planet. By collaborating with partner companies and local governments to create a new avatar mobility infrastructure worldwide, ANA HD aims to go beyond the limitations of traditional transportation and technology to bring about its vision of Society 5.0 and an era of unprecedented connection, sharing and understanding.
Contact : ANA Corporate Communications, TEL +81-3-6735-1111, publicrelations@ana.co.jp
About ANA
Following the "Inspiration of Japan" high quality of service, ANA has been awarded the respected 5-Star rating every year since 2013 from SKYTRAX. ANA is the only Japanese airline to win this prestigious designation seven years in a row. Additionally, ANA has been recognized by Air Transport World as "Airline of the Year" three times in the past 10 years - 2007, 2013 and 2018, becoming one of the few airlines winning this prestigious award for multiple times.
ANA was founded in 1952 with two helicopters and has become the largest airline in Japan, as well as one of the most significant airlines in Asia, operating 82 international routes and 118 domestic routes. ANA offers a unique dual hub model which enables passengers to travel to Tokyo and connect through the two airports in the metropolitan Tokyo, NARITA and HANEDA, to various destinations throughout Japan, and also offers same day connections between various North American, Asian and Chinese cities.
ANA has been a member of Star Alliance since 1999 and has joint venture partnerships with United Airlines, Lufthansa German Airlines, Swiss International Airlines and Austrian Airlines.
Besides the full service and award winner carrier ANA, the ANA Group has two LCCs as consolidated subsidiaries, Vanilla Air Inc. and Peach Aviation Limited. The ANA Group carried 54.4 million passengers in FY2018, has approximately 43,000 employees and a fleet of 260 aircraft. ANA is a proud launch customer and the biggest operator of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
For more information, please refer to the following link.
https://www.ana.co.jp/group/en/