PICO, a developer of cutting-edge virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) headsets, is partnering with STYLY in a long-term, ongoing relationship across nearly all of its location-based experiences (LBE) projects as the spatial layer platform evolves into a global LBE distribution platform.
STYLY selected the PICO 4 Ultra Enterprise for its ease of use and operational reliability.
The headsets are worn by a broad range of visitors, from young children to seniors who may never have tried XR before. Additionally, the system needs to be managed by on-site staff who may not have a specialist technical background.
Visitors in AnimaLOOK!! explore forest settings through the eyes of animals, fostering deep curiosity and promoting conservationImage courtesy of PICO and STYLY
The PICO 4 Ultra Enterprise met both requirements through its LBE functionality, providing highly precise spatial alignment and robust configuration options, including kiosk and launch app settings, that enable STYLY to tailor the device to specific operational workflows.
Critically, its LBE 2.0 feature delivers improved tracking accuracy and a significantly more robust initialisation sequence.
When combined with STYLY's open-standard operations software, this results in a workflow in which on-site staff press a single button on a PC to launch the experience, offering a level of simplicity that makes scaling across venues genuinely viable.
Renowned experiences
STYLY is expanding its international immersive content distribution business, building on its reputation as a platform for creating and delivering VR/AR content to distribute Japan-originated immersive content across borders.
PICO has been a partner for many of these projects, including the recently launched AnimaLOOK!! at Tokyu Resort Town Tateshina, a permanent edutainment VR experience developed in collaboration with Tokyu Land Corporation.
This environmental conservation-themed experience uses a VR experience delivered via the PICO 4 UltraEnterprise headset to explore 'human-nature coexistence' through the eyes of animals.
Its compact 5-square-metre installation includes integrated motion seats, 3D visuals, and aerial footage that enable guests to explore Tateshina’s meticulously recreated vast forests from the unique perspectives of various animals.
This is combined with on-site exhibits and the actual forest to encourage visitors to venture into the natural world to find the animals they encountered virtually.
"By leveraging STYLY's LBE OSS, we were able to establish a permanent VR experience that blends seamlessly into the nature-rich environment of Tateshina," says a representative from Tokyu Land Corporation.
"The fact that on-site staff can operate it autonomously is also a tremendous asset for ourlong-term operations. I believe that we can truly enhance the value of real nature through content that creates a seamless bridge between the digital and the physical.”
A portion of all ticket sales goes to conservation initiatives, turning digital wonder into direct environmental action in a sustainable cycle that melds innovation and ecological preservation.
Other key projects in the PICO x STYLY collaboration include THE MOON CRUISE experience and the 'VR Hall' at Kyoto Railway Museum.
The VR Hall at the Kyoto Railway Museum, developed with West Japan Railway Company and JR West INNOVATIONS Co., LTD., is expected to open at the end of the year.
This will offer an engaging, cross-generational VR journey through the 'past, present and future' of railways, in celebration of the Kyoto Railway Museum's 10th anniversary.
This project marks a significant milestone for the XR industry, demonstrating how large-scale AR exhibitions can enhance visitor engagement and spatial storytelling.
The 90- minute experience culminates in a vibrant AR overlay synchronised with the Tokyo Tower nightscape, seamlessly merging reality with the digital world.
By enhancing visitor engagement and repeat attendance, this experience reshapes the future of galleries and spatial storytelling.
The company is currently in negotiations with major LBE operators across Europe and Asia, with alignment on technical documentation and commercial terms already in progress.
Additionally, STYLY is set to announce the formation of a consortium to establish standard specifications and guidelines for venue operators.
Working with key domestic and international stakeholders, including real estate developers, commercial facility operators, and content production companies, this will also seek to promote the sharing of a strategic IP foundation through cross-licensing.
Establishing standard specifications
In an active co-creation model, STYLY partners with organisations with a vested interest in seeing XR succeed at scale. As such, the company boasts a proven track record for operating within large, complex organisations and delivering at the level those organisations demand.
Meanwhile, DEN-NOH VISION in Ghost in the Shell: The Exhibition has enjoyed a successful run in Tokyo and will soon open in Kobe.
Led by STYLY and KDDI, discussions have begun within a standardisation committee under Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to standardise an 'experience quality evaluation methodology,' and earlier in the year, the topic was raised at international standardisation conferences.
Work is also advancing in accordance with international standards to create an environment that encourages the use of STYLY OSS (open source).
Ryohei Watanabe, executive officer / chief media officer, STYLY, says: "Our goal is to build a system where outstanding immersive content can reach people around the world without being held back by the barriers of individual venues or national borders.
"By offering LBE OSS as an open platform and cultivating an ecosystem where content holders, venues, and technology partners can participate on equal footing, we aim to make Japan-originated immersive experiences a global standard.
"Venues interested in bringing content from Japan — or sourcing international content —are encouraged to contact STYLY directly."
Last year, PICO showcased the capabilities of its professional-grade hardware at the Festival de Cannes Immersive Competition.
