The 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE), currently being held in Shanghai, has undergone continuous development and become a truly innovative stage. More than 400 representative new products, technologies, and services are showcased at this CIIE.
Sony, committed to continuously moving the world with the power of creativity and technology, has become one of the popular booths this year. Sony's innovative technologies such as floor tactile feedback and virtual image capture have attracted a large number of exhibitors.
Sony is the only company in the world with such a diverse combination of entertainment and technology. We will leverage the synergies of technology, content, and services to fully support Chinese creators, work together with them to create and convey emotions, and realize Sony's vision of creating unlimited reality in creative entertainment, "said Takeshi Yoshida, President of Sony China, at the CIIE.
In 2024, Sony will make its third appearance at the CIIE. This year, with the theme of "Technology Empowering Creativity and Sustainability," Sony will showcase a diverse range of innovative achievements from offline immersive entertainment (LBE) experiences, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, image sensing, and green environmental technology.
Immersive Experience Innovation
The Sony floor tactile feedback immersive entertainment solution, which made its debut in China, is a popular project at this year's Sony CIIE.
Visitors can enjoy a short film with the theme of China's four seasons scenery in an immersive viewing space with tactile feedback flooring. The floor of the experience area will combine changes in visual content to simulate the real tactile sensation of stepping on various surfaces such as rivers, winter snow, autumn leaves, and deserts, creating an immersive entertainment experience that integrates audio, video, and tactile sensations.
A viewer who queued up for the experience expressed surprise at the realism of the technical simulation, saying that they could feel the subtle feeling of stepping on fallen leaves and walking on ice very realistically.
In the new tactile technology, human skin acts like a receptor, acting as a sensor, "said Ganxiong Takenaka, Vice President of Sony China and President of Sony China Research Institute, deciphering the innovative principle of the technology." We have made special treatments for low-frequency sounds below 300 hertz, using the vibration of the floor to allow the user to experience the sound through the soles of their feet
The waveform of music can be customized, so it can be reflected in the way you like. Everyone can experience various wonderful experiences on the floor, "further explained Takenaka Ganxiong.
It is understood that this technology can be modularly assembled, easily transported and moved, and combined according to user needs. Taking the on-site display of immersive space as an example, it can be combined with human touch, smell, hearing, etc. to create a refreshing and immersive space.
We hope to introduce this technology to China and achieve localized applications, such as collaborating with relevant entertainment industry professionals, ultimately presenting audiences with more immersive and creative experiences, "said Takenaka Ganxiong.
Space for digital art exhibitions, including museums and art galleries, can make good use of this technology. When it comes to application scenarios and potential customers, Yasushi Nishioka, General Manager of Sony China Brand Promotion Office and Chief Creative Producer of the company's projects, told a reporter from China Business Daily, "Through this technology, people can be taken to places they want to go but cannot, such as experiencing walking on the moon or in space in person
Technology creates' emotions'
At the Sony booth, the immersive tactile space created through virtual image capture also captivated the audience.
The audience first captures their own image data in the lightweight capture system studio, and then uses Sony AI driven 3D model reconstruction algorithm to quickly generate their own 3D image, and then operates their 3D image for interactive games. You can also view your 3D image through the Sony Space Reality Display (SRD).
Virtual image capture is a new technology formed by the fusion of digital 3D technology and on-site capture of characters, "said Ganxiong Takenaka. Firstly, a multi lens system that captures 360 degree images in all directions is used to capture characters or scenes in all directions. On this basis, 3D reconstruction is carried out using digital means. The data obtained in this way can be applied in both virtual worlds and sports events, entertainment, and other scenarios, providing free angle shooting scenes.
For this year's CIIE, Sony has specially designed two games called the "Environmental Hero" virtual interactive game and the "Ecological Fitness Journey". Viewers can watch their 3D images walk or run in a green and fresh natural environment through the Sony Space Reality Display, experiencing unique emotions.
When it comes to Sony's uniqueness in technological innovation, "Which direction does Sony want to go in? It's actually very simple, it's about getting closer to people." Yasushi Nishioka stated that Sony's positioning is a creative entertainment company built on a solid technological foundation. Through technology, creativity, and other means, it ultimately contributes to building a sustainable society, and all efforts are made to convey emotions.
When we do anything, such as designing products, developing services, or doing a certain type of design, we always ask ourselves if no one has done these things before. It can be said that this is a challenge that reflects Sony's own culture, and it constantly hones us. "In the view of Yasushi Nishioka, Sony's uniqueness comes from its unique corporate philosophy of doing things that have not been done before.
At this CIIE, Sony emphasizes the display and interaction of new technologies through immersive experiences, allowing audiences to experience the charm and emotions brought by technology through interactive experiences. In the eyes of industry insiders, through the CIIE, Sony has further demonstrated its strategic direction of "creating transformation" emphasized by Sony Chairman and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida.
In May 2024, at the Sony Group's 2024 fiscal year corporate strategy meeting, Kenichiro Yoshida emphasized Sony's corporate mission of "moving the world with the power of creativity and technology". He reiterated that Sony's mission is to create emotions and work together with partners to convey these emotions to the world.