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Commences R&D into an Augmented Reality communication platform

Tokyo—February 19, 2019—Hakuhodo Inc., Japan’s second largest advertising company, has joined NYC Media Lab, a consortium that connects universities in New York City with research organizations, media and the technology industry, commencing research and development into an augmented reality (AR) enabled communication platform for virtual space.

In recent years, technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and AR have made rapid progress. With ongoing advances to the functionality of smartphones and other familiar devices, sei-katsu-sha* now have technology at their fingertips. As technology becomes embedded in individuals’ lifestyles, it is expected that the everyday lives of sei-katsu-sha will change markedly.

Hakuhodo’s Research & Development Division has been focused on developing solutions that anticipate new forms of creative expression and changes to sei-katsu-sha behavior that cutting-edge technology will bring. As its first concrete initiative in this regard, Hakuhodo has joined NYC Media Lab, a collective established in 2010 by New York City to spur innovation through technology, to conduct prototyping of an AR communication platform.

To accelerate research and development in the cutting-edge technology domain, Hakuhodo will continue to pursue alliances and conduct joint research with companies, universities and organizations in Japan and abroad. Working with affiliated companies and research organizations, we will not only utilize technology, conduct experiments and undertake research, but also develop new business and solutions using advanced technology so as to deliver new value to society.

Masato Aoki, Executive Manager, Research & Development Division, Hakuhodo
“We are very excited to be a member of NYC Media Lab and it’s a great honor to be the first Japanese company in the community. We believe to combine our knowledge and technologies from Japan with ones in NYC drives technological innovation forward.”

Justin Hendrix, Executive Director, NYC Media Lab
“NYC Media Lab looks forward to working with Hakuhodo as it develops new business solutions with advanced technology. These collaborations help our teams deliver new value to society while promoting technological innovation across the globe.”

 

• About NYC Media Lab

NYC Media Lab connects media and technology companies with New York City’s universities to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and talent development. A public-private partnership launched by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, NYC Media Lab funds prototyping projects that foster collaboration across a range of disciplines core to the future of media. The Combine, an early stage accelerator for emerging media and technology startups, is now in its fourth year.
https://nycmedialab.org/

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