Augmented reality has been growing in popularity in Japan recently. The nation is well known for its creative, and sometimes mind bending, use of technology. Augmented reality seems to fit well with the demands of consumers, especially when it can be used to bring one of Japan’s most beloved pop music idols to life. Toyota has developed a new augmented reality application that marks the partnership between the automaker’s Corolla brand and one of Japan’s leading music divas, Hatsune Miku.
Dubbed “MikuScape,” the application can be used to see Miku sing and dance alongside the latest model of Toyota’s Corolla. The singer is well accustomed to the digital world as she is, in fact, a computer program herself. Toyota is hosting a competition where fans of Hatsune Miku can enter a contest to win a chance to attend an event in Culver City, California, where Miku will be performing. One hundred fans will be chosen in total.
The AR experience is only available to those using Toyota’s Shopping Tool App, which is available for both the iPhone and Android mobile devices. The experience is unlocked by scanning a “ToyoTag” found on any 2011 Corolla. The ToyoTag is an adaptation of Spyderlynk’s SnapTag, which is a form of mobile barcode. Scanning the tag will allow smart phone users to view the augmented reality show.
