Japan has the scoop, WOW Ride. To have during a sightseeing tour in Tokyo also getting the history of the street you drive through projected on the window. “A new sense of mobility experience,” says the manufacturer. It is the world's first urban sightseeing bus to offer a new tourist experience by projecting VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) images onto windows.
The technology uses a "Transparent OLED display" combined with real-time images, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality. The OLED display is applied to the windows on which the images are then projected. A black screen comes down to the window inside, so the image looks clear. The sightseeing tour in Tokyo takes you from the current modern era, the Reiwa period, back to the Tokugawa period, also called Edo period (1603-1867) in seconds. It becomes even possible to take a look under water.
To experience Virtual Reality, normally you must wear special VR Glasses for your individual enjoyment. But in this WOW Ride bus, a Neoplan Megaliner, you can enjoy the VR experience together just by sitting on a seat. When the image is projected on the car window, the space-time changes. The manufacturer reports on its website: “A bus that goes beyond common sense. The name is WOW Ride.”
Film director Yukihiko Tsutsumi is responsible for the images of WOW Ride. The screenplay was written by actor Tetsuhiro Ikeda and the VR video features a variety of people portraying the history, including Ainosuke Kataoka explaining Kabuki, the symbol of traditional Japanese performing arts. The sightseeing tour offers the opportunity to experience the charm and history of the city of Tokyo that would not be possible otherwise. The first WOW Ride bus has been commissioned by Club Tourism, a major travel agency. The journey through central Tokyo takes an hour. Originally the launch of WOW Ride was planned during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, but it was delayed due to the influence of COVID-19.