NTT Corporation and NTT DOCOMO, Inc. announced the successful joint experiment of a VR fan meeting utilizing the IOWN APN (All-Photonics Network) on March 15, 2026 (Sunday). This event was conducted as a special event of the fan-participation live show “ConnectVFes,” featuring multiple VTubers, demonstrating a high-quality and immersive VR experience along with tactile communication allowing fans to high-five their favorite characters, despite being at remote locations.

High-Quality VR Delivery Achieved with IOWN APN

In the experiment, the NTT DOCOMO XR Studio (Minato City, Tokyo) was connected to a remote venue (Musashino City, Tokyo) via the IOWN APN, characterized by its large capacity, low latency, and absence of fluctuations. The one-way transmission delay achieved an astonishingly low latency of 0.04 milliseconds, with delay fluctuation at 0.05 microseconds, enabling a real-time and high-quality VR fan meeting as though a temporary studio were set up on site. Participants wearing VR goggles could engage in natural conversations with virtual characters right in front of them.

VR High-Fives with Self-Haptics

Another notable point is the “Self-Haptics” technology developed by NTT. This technology substitutes tactile and force sensations using one’s own body, providing the sensation of physically high-fiving virtual characters in a VR space when combined with commercially available VR goggles. The mechanism involves gradually shifting the fan’s avatar’s left hand outward in the virtual space and synchronizing it with the virtual character’s left hand, creating the feeling of a high-five at the moment the participant’s hand overlaps in the real world.

Practical Benefit: Approximately 20% Reduction in Operational Costs

This demonstration confirmed not only the entertainment value but also the cost-saving effects on the operational side. Compared to the conventional method of setting up a temporary motion capture studio on site, which requires the assembly of aluminum trusses and the relocation of high-precision cameras and servers, it has been verified that operational costs can be reduced by approximately 20%. In a survey of 39 participants in the experiment, all responded with “somewhat satisfied” or higher, expressing an interest in participating again.

Reflections and Future Outlook

This demonstration, which combines a communication infrastructure like IOWN with VTuber culture, holds the potential to significantly change the future of VR live events and fan meeting experiences. The experience of “physically interacting with your favorite characters” offers a completely new value that was not attainable in traditional broadcasts, and there are high hopes for expansions into local venues through collaborations with regional studios.

Source: PR TIMES