New City Aim for "Symbiosis with Technology"｜Report on "Playable Week 2023”

JR-EAST held "Playable Week 2023" from March 10 to 12 to commemorate the third anniversary of the opening of Takanawa Gateway Station on March 14.
The purpose of "Playable Week 2023", the third event of this series, is to allow participants to experience firsthand the activities and demonstrations of the co-creation partners at the station prior to the opening of the city at the end of FY2024, and to enjoy and imagine what the future city will be like under the slogan of "An experimental playground where we create ways to lead a fulfilled life a century into the future” and "A city that encourages you to try something new and watch it succeed.”
 
With the concept of "Play×Future-," a number of experiments were conducted to experience the "symbiosis of people and technology" in the city/station of the future, including a "futuristic nursery school" using robots, virtual agents, and avatars that are expected to be implemented in the new city, and a free performance space using technology that allows anyone to play.
 
In this issue, TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY project member Mr. Eida will report on the background and thoughts of the people in charge of these experiments.

Aya Eida
Shinagawa Community Development Division, Marketing Headquarters,East Japan Railway Company
 
Ms. Eida is in charge of city branding and promotion for TokyoYard PROJECT, as well as preparing for the opening of the Cultural Creation Building, the symbol of TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY, which has the mission of “looking ahead to the culture of 100 years from now”

Inclusion of robots and AI

The purpose of this "Playable Week" is to give visitors to the Takanawa Gateway Station a concrete image of how our demonstration experiment will be implemented in the city, and at the same time, to identify and verify issues that need to be addressed.
The project includes communication robots such as “Charlie” and “LOVOT”, “Scrubber 50 Pro”, a fully automatic floor cleaning robot for commercial use that cleans floors while avoiding collisions with obstacles and people. The "Garbage Bin AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot)," is a robot that recognizes its own location and travels autonomously along a prescribed route indoors and outdoors. More than 10 other robots were tested in parallel.

To date, we have continued to conduct a variety of demonstration experiments with our co-creation partners. As we approach the end of fiscal year 2024, two years before the opening of the city, we are now at the stage of brushing up these experiments to make them more realistic for implementation in the city. In terms of these robots, it is necessary not only to conduct individual demonstration tests, but also to verify how multiple robots from different manufacturers can function within the common protocols of the city, and to identify and examine the issues.
 
For example, it is very important to consider the environmental aspects of the facility, whether the robots can function properly to prevent collisions with each other and with people, whether the floor material is easy for the robots to sense, and whether the space has a conduit for the robots to work in.

It is also essential to consider the operational aspects, such as how to collect trash collected by the robot and how to store and recharge the robot.

As Japan faces major challenges such as a declining birthrate, an aging population, a shrinking workforce, and a shortage of human resources, a society in which people and robots work together should gradually become the norm, where jobs that can only be done by humans and jobs that can be done by robots are distinguished and mutually compensated. At that time, it will be important for society and public spaces to be comfortable for robots to work in.
 
TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY has a mission to be a place that enables diverse ways of living and working, including race, nationality, religion, gender, preference, and work. When robots are seen as "players" in a city that works together with people, the city should be equipped with the “soil” for the flower, in which robots and AI can play an active role, and while they are working, we can focus on what only people can do. Our goal is not simply to replace what people have done with technology, but to "coexist" with robots and AI on the premise that they will in return enrich people's lives.

Eriko Hirabayashi
Corporate Lease ＆ Sales Headquarters, EAST JAPAN RAILWAY TRADING CO., LTD.
 
Symbiosis between people and robots cannot be realized only by improving technology, facility environment, communication environment, and operation. It is necessary to provide high-performance robots, environment, and mechanisms, as well as recognizing robots will become a commonplace part of people's lives. At this event, customers were able to directly experience a variety of robots in operation, and this was an opportunity to make robots more familiar to them, even if only a little. We hope that through future demonstration tests and events, robots will be recognized not as something rare, but as something that can be found anywhere.

Why do we continue to hold music events?

We also set up a free performance space in the station and held a "music concert" together with our co-creation partner, “WORLD YURU MUSIC ASSOCIATION”
The lineup of instruments included the "Ultra Light Sax," which allows users to express the sound of a saxophone by humming, and the "InstaChord," which allows users to easily play guitar-like chords. This has created a "music concert" that anyone can enjoy playing together.

We have been continuously conducting demonstration experiments and content through music. As a first step, we have set up "station piano” for the general public to play freely on an experimental basis during the past Playable Week. As a next step, we have been creating an environment where people can enjoy music using instruments other than the piano. Originally, it was not allowed to play musical instruments in stations, but by exploring the conditions under which music can be enjoyed in stations, we have led to the realization of a free performance space in which more people can participate.
 
This time, we considered making instruments that “anyone can play" in the hope that people who have never played a musical instrument or who have difficulty playing a musical instrument will be able to easily experience and enjoy music. I can't play a musical instrument. It is difficult to participate in a performance in front of others. This "Concert" utilizes technology to remove these hurdles once and for all.
 
We believe that music has the power to overcome language barriers and other differences. By adding the power of technology, we have created an environment in which many people can not only enjoy listening to music, but also experience the joy of performing. I believe that these efforts may lead to new connections between people, expand the possibilities of children who are exposed to music here, and even connect businesses and organizations in the area through music, thereby revitalizing the community as a whole. In order to lead a fulfilled life a century into the future through music, we aim to create an environment where anyone can easily experience and enjoy music.

Yukihiro Hara
Shinagawa Community Development Division, Marketing Headquarters, East Japan Railway Company
Secretariat member of Takanawa Gateway Area Management Incorporated Association. [1] He is involved in all area management activities as a secretariat member of the incorporated association. In addition to music activities, he is in charge of a wide range of studies for the utilization of public space.
 
In the future, I hope to realize various projects involving not only the general public but also local businesses, organizations, and government. In the future, there will be various types of concerts with the people connected here. We would like to create a town where people from all walks of life can enjoy music in a casual manner, and through the creation of a town filled with wonderful sounds, we would like to make　“An Experimental Playground to lead a fulfilled life a century into the future”

Possibilities for Childcare Using Avatars

The "Nursery School of the Future," held in collaboration with AVITA,Inc., which develops avatars and dispatches avatar workers, was a demonstration experiment to improve childcare support functions at a nursery school planned for a new town. The teachers read picture books, played with fingers, and conducted quizzes through the avatars from a remote location.

One point of verification was to see how children would react to their first contact with the avatars. It was interesting to note that the children listened intently to the storytelling through the avatar and engaged in conversation without any sense of discomfort.
 
We believe that technology is making it possible for children to have the experience of talking to characters on a screen, something that was not possible when we were children, and is creating a more engaging and enjoyable experience for them. Also, as the children seemed to feel no discomfort in interacting with the "LOVOT" communication robot exhibited this time, there is a great possibility that the future generation will grow up based on a perception that transcends the barriers between technology and people.

This is a major hint for a new city whose single mission is to solve social issues in various fields. The declining birthrate and aging population, the shrinking workforce, and, in the case of the childcare industry, the shortage of human resources and the increasing workload of on-site childcare workers, are some of the issues that Avatar can be an effective approach to solving.
 
The work of childcare workers is not limited to recreation with children, but also includes a variety of administrative tasks. If, for example, recreation could be delegated to avatars for just 30 minutes, they could concentrate on administrative work and reduce overtime hours. By using avatars (and cameras), it is possible for a single person to watch over multiple preschools and children at the same time from a remote location from a bird's eye view within a reasonable range.
 
We also believe that this system will increase the number of work options for the elderly and people with physical disabilities who have not been able to make use of their abilities, and will also provide an opportunity to connect people across various gaps, such as generational and gender barriers.

Shogo Nishiguchi
Founder and COO of AVITA,Inc., Shogo Nishiguchi joined Nippon Television Network Corporation as a new graduate and launched the VTuber business, serving as co-chairman. After becoming independent, he founded AVITA,Inc. and developed the avatar DX support service "AVACOM" and other services. He was selected as one of the "100 Companies Creating the Market of the Future 2023" and "Generation Z Companies to Watch 2022.” He is also involved in regional revitalization, serving as the Future Project Manager for the town of Meiwa in Mie Prefecture.
 
Even if the probability of human error is higher than that of AI, people feel a certain sense of security when humans work with their hands on. I believe that the human connection, which cannot be quantified or optimized by technology, expands the possibilities of people, and this is the reason why people live. Avatar is a means to support this. Symbiosis with technology means that people can pursue their own potential and find their own place in the world, while compensating for what humans cannot do with technology. To this end, I would like to continue experimenting with a society in which people can live regardless of age, location, affiliation, or physical differences.

Takuro Niikura
Shinagawa Community Development Division,　Marketing Headquarters, East Japan Railway Company
He is in charge of regional cooperation measures, such as the Marche at Takanawa Gateway Station, and the study of co-creation projects.
 
Aiming to accomplish the " An Experimental Playground to lead a fulfilled life a century into the future,"it is a necessary approach for us to raise children in a community where everyone feels their connection with each other. By taking this approach, we may be able to introduce a new way of childcare not only to the surrounding area, but also to Japan and the world. With this in mind, we would like to continue to conduct demonstration experiments toward implementation.

The theme of this year's "Playable Week 2023" was "symbiosis with technology," and we offered visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of contents. But our intention was not to replace everything in society with technology. We would like to carry out "tactile, cutting-edge town development" where humans and technology, including robots, AI, and avatars, can live side by side.

Interview and Edit by Takuya Wada
Photograph by Yutaro Yamaguchi
Translation by Yuka Suzuki
Content Direction by blkswn publishers Inc.