Namco Bandai and Nissan Team Up to Create Futuristic Yokohama City in Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) was all the rage several years ago. In arcades all over the world (where you could find them), there were rigs set up to showcase a digital world, where the player was fully submerged. A part of the game, and not just playing it. And while it may have quieted down over the years, it looks like Nissan and Namco Bandai have found a way to make it useful again. Both companies have announced today that they plan on creating a driving simulation that uses advanced VR technology, with a Smart Grid, to provide an in-depth driving experience second to none.

With the Smart Grid in place, Nissan and Namco Bandai have made it possible for the simulator to produce an ultra-high-definition 3D image, with pixels that are estimated to be about four times larger than the ones displayed by a standard full high-definition image. Four people can use the simulator at the same time, making the driving scenario that much more realistic. The system is able to formulate parts of the city, or the city in its entirety depending on the view, quickly, which includes the road, buildings, and other facilities. The whole while, the system is running diagnostics on the simulator, as well as the drivers.

The two companies have also included the next-generation Intelligent Transport System (ITS). This system is in place to connect, in real-time, people, vehicles, and the traffic infrastructure as a whole, to watch and study it. It can also be used to improve the overall road safety for cars and pedestrians alike. The whole point of the system is to test multiple vehicles on the road at one time, giving far more realistic results than previous methods. And the back-drop is a futuristic version of Yokohama City. Nissan designed the base specifications of the city, as well as the mobility aspects (obviously), while Namco Bandai did all of the system work. The impressive simulator, with all of its facets, will be showcased at this year's CEATAC Japan expo, which takes place on October 5th through the 9th.

[via FarEastGizmos]