Nissan and Toyota, two of the biggest Japanese automakers, are among the latest major brands and companies to reveal their respective metaverse plans.
Nissan has created a digital version of its brand experience gallery, dubbed Nissan Crossing, where visitors can gain an understanding of the company’s suite of advanced driving technologies, according to a Nikkei Asia report.
The report added that the showroom features Nissan’s upcoming electric vehicle Ariya, with select visitors being able to join a virtual tour. In the future, the digital space will also host vehicle launches and other events.
On its website, Nissan Motor Corporation said that its Invisible-to-Visible (I2V) technology, which uses a 3D, augmented reality (AR) interface to merge the real world and the metaverse, “creates limitless possibilities for services and communications that will make driving more convenient, comfortable, and exciting.”
Nissan currently has two use cases for its I2V technology, projected to be fully launched by 2025. First, the technology is meant to improve driving by providing the driver with “enhanced information about the surrounding area, including predictive information ahead of the vehicle.”
Secondly, the technology will make use of the metaverse to display distant family, friends, and others inside the vehicle as 3D AR avatars. “Avatars can join inside the vehicle as a driving companion or helping support driving with advice and suggestions,” the company said.
Meanwhile, Nissan’s rival Toyota also has metaverse plans, though these are a bit different. Toyota intends to create virtual workstations for some departments and its subsidiaries, enabling employees’ avatars to walk around office settings, join meetings, and have discussions with colleagues.
“With more people working from home because of the coronavirus, we are providing young employees and others communication options within the company,” a Toyota representative has reportedly said.
The push into the metaverse by Nissan and Toyota follows similar moves by other automotive brands from around the globe.
Earlier this month, Volkswagen South Africa, in cooperation with advertising agency Ogilvy, launched an NFT treasure hunt in order to promote their latest Polo Model, the IQ.DRIVE.
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