2010.12.21
NTT Comware's AR Technology Video Streaming Demonstration Test with BLUE NOTE JAPAN, Inc. for Event Promotions
-- IT Solutions for Show Businesses --
BLUE NOTE JAPAN Inc. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Hiroto Ito; below, BLUE NOTE JAPAN) and NTT Comware Corporation (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Michio Sugimoto; below, NTT Comware) starts the demonstration test of the AR (*1) Technology using the video streaming system for event promotions of BLUE NOTE TOKYO, the jazz club in Minami Aoyama, Tokyo on December 24, 2010.
- Event Promotions Scheduled for the Demonstration Test
BLUE NOTE TOKYO (Minami Aoyama, Mitano-ku, Tokyo) events from January 2010
[Artists Featured]
Christopher Cross, McCoy Tyner, Pete Escovedo, Richard Bona, Lee Ritenour & Mike Stern etc. - Period of Demonstration Test
December 24, 2010 – March 31, 2011
*The application download and video streaming services of the AR applications will start on December 24, 2010.
[Outline and Purpose of the Demonstration Test]
With smartphones, users will capture the images of artists featured on BLUE NOTE JAPAN's event announcements including the free magazines and posters available nationwide, with the AR applications. The images will then start moving to lead the video image of the concerts. The video streaming also leads the viewers to the BLUE NOTE TOKYO website for further information of the events and various video streaming contents. The users may also book the seats for the concerts there. This demonstration test is to measure the effects of the AR-based event promotions to seek new business opportunities.[Background of the Demonstration Test]
BLUE NOTE TOKYO provides many events of various top artists mainly featuring jazz. However, there was an issue for them how to well promote the artists on the stage to the audience. As NTT Comware, meanwhile, has been pursuing SaaS (*2) of the AR based on the image recognition technology developed by their research department, they need to conduct the system demonstration tests to identify how to effectively use the technology and the business models of the system.The demonstration test will then verify an opportunity for attractive audience experiences using the smartphones and AR applications. BLUE NOTE JAPAN has a number of high quality video contents, which may be processed to apply the AR technology to drive the artists' movements as well as how they are playing and interviews. NTT Comware also uses the SaaS-based SmartCloud for flexible extension and alteration of the system, subject to the access volume. This is also a new IT solution to meet the business needs for short-term services.
[Validation of the Demonstration Test]
The demonstration test will validate the effects of promotions of the events including the number of viewing of the existing video streaming contents on the BLUE NOTE JAPAN website, where the view is viewed or increase of ticket reservations and number of the visitors. Such data will be used as a basic data for the future services.[Features of NTT Comware's AR Technology]
NTT Comware's AR Technology is based on the Image Capture Technology of NTT Comware Research and Development Department. Images captured by the AR application installed in Smartphone are scanned to find its related movies from the pre-registered contents to play in a format available for the captured images. This technology allows users to experience as if a photo image would be moving in the screen and obtain detailed information from the movie. (Patent Pending)[Future Scenario of NTT Comware]
NTT Comware aims to create various businesses, using the technology which would require no newly-developed markers (e.g. QR code), which allows the users to play movies from the existing images on the website. More functions will also be developed based on the results of the demonstration test. The current package services and new SaaS-based commercial services will be available in April 2011 and after.[Terminology]
- *1:AR
- Augmented Reality. This is a technology for a live view of a physical real-world environment (may be a part) through a PC (AR device) to show digitally processed data such as texts, images and movies laid over the screen.
- *2:SaaS
- Software as a Service. A simple service system to use on demand.
** Names of corporations and products are either trademarks or registered trademarks of each corporation.
