This is the world’s first air race to be watched via Augmented Reality*.
* By Pathfinder Inc.
The air race that moved and excited the world is back as AIR RACE X!
AIR RACE X is the next generation of motorsports, establishing an unprecedented innovative competition format and spectator style through a new racing format that combines actual flight with the latest digital technology.
Pilots will fly real airplanes at locations around the world and race for the fastest time in a remote format. Spectators can watch the pilots’ flights remotely up close via augmented reality (AR) technology.
This format is called “digital rounds” and consists of round-robin qualifying held over six days and a final tournament held over one day.
A total of eight air race pilots, including Yoshihide Muroya of Japan, Matt Hall of Australia, and Pete McLeod of Canada, will compete in this memorable world-first event, and the final tournament will be held on October 15, 2023 (Sunday) in Shibuya. A center place of Japanese culture. The final tournament will be held on October 15, 2023 (Sunday) in Shibuya.
It can’t be real!A whole city like Shibuya is a race site!
In the Digital Round, competition data is generated, by collecting and analyzing ultra-high-precision flight data from pilots flying in various locations around the world. It is then uploaded online. The competition data is then turned into a visual representation using augmented reality (AR) technology. On the day of the finals, the pilots will be able to watch their flights in the streets of Shibuya, offering a new way to enjoy motorsports.
STYLY, a real metaverse platform makes possible Innovative public viewing that transcends time and space
This new style of spectating offered by AIR RACE X is made possible by the advanced technology of the real metaverse platform “STYLY”.
By holding up an XR device or smartphone running the “STYLY” application (https://gallery.styly.cc), spectators can watch the race planes fly through the streets of Shibuya as if it were happening right before their eyes. The race will also be broadcast online to the entire world, allowing visitors to enjoy the excitement of the race via live video streaming, just as they have done in previous air races.
AIR RACE X will offer a new style of spectating as “5-dimensional motorsports” that transcends time and space by making full use of the latest technology.
AIR RACE X Digital Round competition rules
⚫︎ Race Format
AIR RACE X offers a new style of spectating for many fans with a new race format that combines actual flight and digital technology. Teams accumulate championship points in several digital rounds in a remote format. In the future, teams with the highest championship points will gather in real life for the Grand Championship final round to compete for the annual championship.
⚫︎ Remote-competition
The race course for the digital round, which is conducted in remote format, is created by measuring the exact position and spacing where each pilot will fly. The latest sensing technology is used to measure all flight details, and the flight data is collected and analyzed by the competition headquarters. This data is then used for the competition.
⚫︎ Qualifying (6 days)
A one-on-one round-robin format. Each team nominates its opponent prior to the flight via an online platform provided by AIR RACE X. The nominated teams will fly during the qualifying period. All teams compete against each other in a round-robin format, and game points (winners) are tallied. The top four teams’ in-game points (wins) will advance to the final tournament.
⚫︎ Where the final will be held
The final tournament is a one-on-one tournament format between the four teams that have qualified. Semi-finals (Semi-finals HEAT 1 and HEAT 2) will be played with one flight for each team. The winners of HEAT 1 and HEAT 2 advance to the FINAL. The Final (FINAL HEAT) will be a final between the two teams. The winner will win the tournament. The winner will be crowned the tournament champion.
⚫︎Final tournament results announced
Flight data for the final tournament will be recorded during the qualifying period and will be kept private until the day of the final when the competition is reviled. At the finals, a live race broadcast will be distributed simultaneously around the world, and the results will be made public. The winner of the tournament will be decided as the results are released via the broadcast on the day of the finals.
At the spectator site, a race plane reproduced with STYLY’s augmented reality (AR) technology will fly in front of viewers there, synced with the live race program, and a powerful race will unfold in front of people’s eyes. The audience will be able to watch the race at speeds of up to 400km/h in an unprecedented environment, such as in the city, which is impossible to achieve in real life.
AIR RACE X New Race advantages.
With the sports and entertainment industry being greatly affected by the current global situation, this new race format will allow pilots to participate in races at any time of the day, regardless of borders or time zones.
AIR RACE X Based on a common course layout created by the event headquarters, competitors actually fly between track markers placed at the same position and intervals which are measured using the latest sensing technology.
Pilots can try out as many practices as they wish during the period in the race area where they are based, and the number of flights they can make will allow them to tune their flying techniques to be more competitive.
The influence of various digital technologies in the evolving Sports Industry and Case Studies.
Today, various digital technologies are evolving and being applied to sports, including data collection using sensing technology, tactical analysis, and player condition analysis using AI-based big data analysis, and free viewpoint viewing using VR technology.
https://diamondscheduler.jp/blog/what-is-a-sport-dx
With the use of augmented reality (AR) technology, AR devices have been used in Japan to provide a spectator experience for the swimming events of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and demonstration tests are also being conducted in soccer and baseball to provide new spectator experiences.
https://k-tai.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/1335332.html
https://ar-go.jp/media/news/ar-football
This use of advanced technology not only expands the possibilities for athletes trained to the limit but also provides a highly entertaining viewer experience.
Expanding with AR (Augmented Reality)
Possibilities for sports spectators and cities
This competition will use STYLY’s augmented reality (AR) technology to turn Shibuya and other urban areas around the world, into race venues, places where flying is actually impossible, thereby expanding not only the entertainment potential of the competition but also the potential for urban use.
This will result in an innovative public viewing experience that transcends time and space and represents a new future form of sports spectating. It will provide a new kind of enthusiasm born from an unprecedented experience.
From Mr. Ken Hasebe, Mayor of the host city, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo Message for the inaugural AIR RACE X
We are delighted to hear that Air Race X will be held in Shibuya for the first time in the world, and are delighted that this wonderful event will be held in harmony with the energy of the city. I sincerely hope that this event will be an opportunity to experience the power and speed of aircraft up close in Shibuya, and to positively welcome the excitement and vitality that this event will bring to Shibuya as a new type of sports entertainment that combines the real and virtual, and to further enhance the appeal of the area.
From Yoshihide Muroya, Japanese air race pilot On the Inaugural AIR RACE X
I am truly looking forward to competing in this new form of air racing. The format of the race and the style of spectating for the fans have changed, but the hardness and precision of the flights and the many other things you need to prepare for as a pilot remain the same. I am looking forward to competing against my rivals again!
Developing a real metaverse platform “STYLY”.
Digital Technology and the Future of Sports from Psychic VR Lab, Inc.
AIR RACE X” is the world’s first attempt to transform urban spaces around the world into race venues through digital technology. The core technology supporting the realization of this project is the real metaverse platform “STYLY”.
STYLY” extends the real urban space itself into an experiential media with XR technology. In the future, sports will not be limited to mere spectating, but will even be able to create new rules in sports spectating, utilizing Web3 and NFT communities, further changing the way we enjoy sports.
These urban XR entertainment we are creating will not “replace” the real world, but will create a completely new experience by “merging” virtual technology into the current world. We believe that this will create a flow of people in the city and propose a new lifestyle.
The “AIR RACE X” project represents the future of sports spectating and represents a new form of entertainment that no one has ever achieved before.
Outline of the event
Name of the event: AIR RACE X 2023 – SHIBUYA DIGITAL ROUND
Date: Sunday, October 15, 2023
Public viewing venue: to be announced soon (Shibuya)
The live broadcast will be available on the special website of AIR RACE X Shibuya from 16:00 Japan time.
Hosted by:Air Race X Organizing Committee (Pathfinder Co., Ltd., Strategic Partners Inc., STYLY, NOIZ, Shibuya Future Design Inc.)
Official site:https://www.airracex.com/
Reference image
・AIR RACE X Promotional Video：Soaring beyond boundaries AIR RACE X
・AIR RACE X Overview Video：AIR RACE X is real_JPN
・AIR RACE X AR spectator demo video：STYLY anything is possible AIR RACE X
AIR RACE X Spectator Guide
For this year’s event, a dedicated spectator area will be set up in Shibuya. By holding up an XR device or smartphone with the “STYLY” application installed, spectators will be able to enjoy a realistic view of the racing machines as they race through the streets of Shibuya.
https://gallery.styly.cc/about/ja
The race will also be broadcast online to the entire world so that the excitement of the race can be enjoyed on live video just as it has been in the past air races.
What is air racing?
Air racing is a general term for motorsports in the sky in which contestants compete in flight techniques and aircraft performance using airplanes.
There have been numerous races since the 1930s, including the Reno Air Race and the National Air Race, but the most famous is the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, which was held from 2003-2019.
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is the ultimate three-dimensional motorsport, in which contestants compete for the fastest time to the finish line by passing through pylons (obstacles) inflated with air 25 meters high in a prescribed order and method.
It consists of a series of grueling aerial time trials with a maximum starting speed of 370 km/h and a maximum load of 10 Gs, and is also referred to as “F1 in the sky.
Pilots
Yoshihide Muroya
Date of birth: January 27, 1973
Location: Japan (Fukushima Prefecture)
In 1991, at the age of 18, he began glider flight training.
In 2009, he became the first Asian pilot to participate in the 3-D motorsports series, the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, winning the Chiba event for the first time in 2016. The following year, in 2017, he won 4 out of 8 World Series events, becoming the first Asian to win the annual overall championship.
Matt Hall
Date of birth: September 16, 1971
Location: Australia
At age 15, he made his first solo flight in a glider and received his pilot’s license at age 18.A former Royal Australian Air Force fighter pilot, he received numerous decorations during his time in the Air Force, including Fighter Pilot of the Year. 2009 was his first year competing in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, and in his final season of air racing in 2019 he was crowned World Champion.
Pete McLeod
Date of birth: February 23, 1984
Location: Canada
At less than two months old, he took his first flight in his family’s airplane. At the age of 16, he obtained his pilot’s license, and in 2004, he competed in aerobatic competitions across the United States. He went undefeated and became the North American Collegiate Aerobatic Champion.
He decided to become the first Canadian pilot to compete in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in 2009, and in 2017 he finished third overall for the year.
*The other five pilots will be announced at a later date.
About STYLY
STYLY is a real metaverse platform that enables the creation and distribution of XR content linked to urban spaces, and has facilitated many creator training and location-based projects.
STYLY is equipped with 3D data from cities around the world, which can be used to create and distribute content linked to real space. Furthermore, STYLY is compatible with multiple devices, allowing users to experience AR content on a variety of devices, including smartphones, AR/MR glasses, web browsers, and VRHMDs.
We will continue to collaborate with creators and cities around the world to promote the “Real Metaverse” that augments the real world with technology and create an “era of wearing space” where XR/Real Metaverse is used in our lifestyles.
STYLY Official Site: https://styly.cc/
Press Kit Download Link
Please download official AIR RACE X materials (images, videos, etc.) from the link below. We will also upload the materials and photos taken at the press conference at a later date.