CEO Ushio's vision for the future of AR: To eliminate the "spatial divide" by creating an AR platform that brings a richer reality to everyone 【Pretia’s Stories】

Hello! My name is Tanaka, and I serve as the HR Manager at Pretia Technologies.
In this interview, I talked with Ushio, the CEO of Pretia Technologies, about our AR Cloud platform - a core pillar for Pretia's business.

Yu Ushio, CEO, Pretia Technologies Inc.
Born in Hyogo Prefecture, Ushio studied at the University of Tokyo. Ushio aspired to start his own business as a member of the university's entrepreneurship club and in 2014 started his company. Later renaming it to Pretia Technologies, Inc. in 2019. While exploring the tourism business using VR (virtual reality) to revitalize local communities, Ushio realized the potential of AR (augmented reality), leading him to what is now known as Pretia.

What kind of world can be “realized” by leveraging AR?

ーWhat is AR?

AR is surprisingly the one question rarely asked directly (laughs). AR is the technology to call up 3D content in the real world. It differs from "VR," which is often mentioned in the same context. VR requires a human being to go into a 3D space using a headset or similar device.

When we talk about AR, there are two components that matter. One, the experience of viewing 3D content called "output". And the other called "display”.

For example, when trying on clothes in AR, technology is needed to "recognize the human body" before allowing a user to try on the clothes. The accuracy of this recognition needs to be improved to achieve a more immersive and meaningful AR experience. Developing this technology is said to be highly challenging, and at Pretia we have an R&D team that is responsible for constantly working to improve the accuracy of AR input technology.

ーHow is this distinguished from the trending word "metaverse"?

As for the word "metaverse" itself, the 1992 novel "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson is said to be the first appearance of the word "metaverse. It seems that he was referring to something like experiencing a 3DCG world with a glasses-type device, or VR, as a metaverse. Some people think that Animal Crossing and Fortnite are not quite the same as the Metaverse.

An American venture capitalist, Matthew Ball, has defined seven requirements for a metaverse.

By this definition, AR could be counted as a "metaverse.

Another element of this definition is "the ability to become a fictional being and to act as an avatar, an entity independent of your real self. This is said to be a particularly important element of the "metaverse" in VR. If this element is included, AR may not be in the metaverse at this point.

For example, if a world where people can hack their vision like the "Laughing Man" in the anime "Ghost in the Shell". AR would be counted as a "metaverse" even if the 8th element is included - but I think this would be considered in the future.

ーI see... So, what can AR be applied to?

Many people around me do not like to read maps because of how the maps are traditionally expressed in 2D. I believe that some people find it difficult to determine which direction the map is pointing towards them. In such cases, by placing 3D content in the space, you can navigate in the direction you need to go by simply holding up your smartphone. Like illustrated:

Another example, If your car or machine broke down. You could hold up your smartphone and receive AR instructions on doing your own repairs. Rather than trying to fix a problem by hand while communicating the current situation over the phone, don't you think it would be easier to use AR technology to give instructions and solve the problem while sharing the situation with your smartphone?

You could also use the city itself for entertainment purposes. Creating content for customers to enjoy.

AR is significant in that it makes it easier to live in the real world and more enjoyable to spend time in that place.

ーIt's exciting just to hear that.

Yes, it is! There was a field in the world called "human augmentation" and a large aspect of this field was to increase what humans can do. In other words, to make human perception and behavior more efficient. On the other hand, the field of AR is about doing things that humans cannot do in the first place or providing tools that transcend human physical limitations. It feels quite futuristic in terms of technology and the expansion of what can be done.

Our commitment to AR comes from the original experience of "wanting to enrich the real world.”

ーWhat is the reason for Pretia to focus on AR vs VR? Which has become the trend in the context of the "metaverse"?

One reason that comes to mind is from my own experience. I am from Hyogo Prefecture. Although I love my hometown very much, there was not much in the way of content. When I went to university in Tokyo, I found that there were famous musicians, art exhibitions, sporting events, easy job hunting, and great contacts with foreign countries. I thought there was a lot to enjoy in Tokyo and that the network was very well developed.

When I was in Hyogo, I thought, "Thanks to the Internet, everyone has access to information." But that was a complete lie (laughs). I learned that information and networks are only distributed within physical constraints. I thought that this wasn’t a good idea and there had to be a better way. When I learned that there was technology that could bring information into the real world, I began to think that it would be great if we could create a world where everyone could have access to useful things. Where people could come together.


ーWhat kind of exciting future do you see for AR as a business field?

In terms of what I am working on now, I am simply excited about the entertainment/gaming area using AR. I am happy that we can use AR to bring people to specific cities and facilities and allow them to enjoy themselves. It's a win-win situation where the content provided by AR increases the value of spending time at the location for the user, and for the city or facility. People drop money in exchange for this enjoyable experience.

In addition, as I mentioned earlier, I believe AR has the power to solve work-related issues. For example, when a contractor in the manufacturing or construction industry is installing something. He or she compares the parts while installing it, but if he or she does it in 2D on a flat surface, mistakes are bound to occur. If this can be directed with AR, it will reduce both the workload and cost for the person doing the installation.

The worldview we are ultimately aiming for is one in which AR is used without being recognized as "AR. I believe that AR will become as commonplace as today's smartphones, and will become a word that is used daily.

ーI share your view that this is a wonderful worldview, but at the same time, I imagine that it is technically quite difficult to achieve.

It is without a doubt so. To realize this world, the development of spatial recognition technology, which corresponds to the "input" I mentioned earlier will be indispensable. While there are many technical points of contention, it is necessary to realize a world in which the technology used is standardized after accumulating concrete use cases. In which AR becomes universally useful in society. To this end, I believe that Pretia, which is the only company in Japan with a research team developing algorithms - is taking on a socially meaningful challenge.

AR is a technology that eliminates the disparities that occur on the Internet.

ーWhat kind of future does Pretia hope to achieve with AR?

For users, I would like to see "access to interesting and useful things for everyone, everywhere". I am currently digging into the area of creating "interesting" things.

In the modern age, I think there are more and more solutions out there to connect people online. For example, playing Animal Crossing, Monster Hunter, or Fortnite together. On the other hand, I don't think there are many things that people do together in real life. We go out for a drink together or go to Disneyland.

People can maintain their health by talking to others and exercising their bodies and minds. But, there is not that much content to support those activities. We think there are few alternatives to what we don't want to do or can't do. We hope to realize this by using AR.

In the context of another "useful" thing, we believe that AR could be a technology that eliminates disparities. For example, a problem that is a bit difficult to solve but can be solved by searching can be solved or not depending on the ability to search or to decipher the search.

In this respect, the ability to write 3D in the real world is quite significant. I believe that AR technology can eliminate the disparity that occurs on the Internet when it comes to problem-solving.

ーCould you tell us about the AR Cloud, which is a pillar of Pretia's business?

The AR Cloud "Pretia" aims to be a platform that makes it easy for creators to create great content for AR. There are various ideas for creating the platform, but my idea is that creators should be able to pay for what they create. A world where all people can create content, provide it, and be paid for it. A world where creators can thrive. Currently, we are offering this service as a closed beta version to those who have registered in advance.

※If you are interested in using AR Cloud "Pretia", please register here.

ーWhy did you decide to launch "Pretia"?

As I mentioned earlier, there is a disparity in what is useful and interesting depending on where you are. Realization that AR could be the solution to this problem was the first thing I noticed.

I started creating AR around the end of 2017 when Apple released a tool called "AR Kit" to make it easier to create AR content, and the timing was right to attract a little more attention. On the other hand, there were no good builders for this potential, and we began to think that it would be worthwhile to work here.

At that time, Pretia had many members who came from research institutes. I thought that "creating the AR algorithm in the first place" was Pretia's way of fighting the AR business with the current team and that is what we were going to do. At that time, there were so many things that people expected from AR that were not being done. Such as "permanently tying content to a space" and "sharing AR content with multiple people,". Which we decided to tackle.

Our vision was so big that even the members said it was reckless. Still, because we believed in it, we have been able to create a truly meaningful product.

ーSo it was fate that what you wanted to do matched the skill sets of the members who were there?

Now that I think about it, yes. At the time, I was often told that it was difficult to get an idea of what to build. It was really difficult to define requirements, and although we had a big vision, there was a big gap. A big gap between "what we wanted to make" and "what we could make".

It was difficult to fill just the right requirements, and there existed a period when it was hard to tell whether the development was progressing or not. Investors kept telling us that we were being reckless. Even some members of the company left saying "We can't make something like this. It is just too difficult.”

ーIndeed, it sounds extremely difficult, even just by listening to what you say.

In the end, members with different specialties brought their ideas to the project. In the process, we naturally divided the development into different areas of expertise, and now the idea of an "AR Cloud" is being realized. I feel as though, if we have many members with different specialties, revolutionary things can happen. Bringing together expertise to realize a vision is an internal culture that remains at Pretia to this day.

While it is sometimes easier for creators to work when they have a clear idea of what they are creating and what the requirements are. I am still grateful to the members who believed in my vague concept at the time. When the feasibility of my vision was unclear.

ーWhat are you excited about since launching AR Cloud?

After the release of the product, I created a product roadmap for the next five years or so. When we were drawing that roadmap, everyone was very proactive in giving their opinions.

As I mentioned earlier, AR Cloud was created by a group of professionals who brought together their knowledge and expertise. The process of creating a product and creating a vision of the future together was extremely interesting.

Of course, it is important to eliminate the spatial disparity that I have talked about and to achieve Pretia's vision of "delivering the joy of accomplishment together." But it is also very exciting to talk with everyone, break down ideas into concrete forms, and see a path to deliver them to users in a meaningful way. I am excited from the bottom of my heart.

When we all bring our knowledge together, we can feel our vision open up again and again. This continuous enjoyment motivates us to develop new products. This continuous enjoyment motivates us to develop new products. This chain of enthusiasm makes us believe that we can create amazing products. Once again, I believe that Pretia, the company itself, and its products have been created by the current members.

ーThank you very much!

Pretia Technologies is looking for people who will work with us to realize our vision of "Delivering the Joy of Achievement Together"! If you're at all interested, let's talk casually first!

▼Here's a list of positions we're hiring for!

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