H.I.S. Co., Ltd. (HIS) will launch “XploreRide New York” on July 1.
XploreRide is an experiential sightseeing tour organized by HIS, with planning, direction, and production by NAKED, INC., and a mobility-oriented mixed reality platform provided by RideVision. It is the second installment following the first tour that started in Hawaii in February 2025. Timed with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the tour traces roughly 250 years of history under the theme of “freedom,” while visiting major Manhattan landmarks such as the New York Public Library, Grand Central Terminal, Broadway, and Times Square.
Guided by Liberty, the spirit of freedom who serves as the tour’s host, participants see content overlaid onto the real cityscape in their field of vision, combining the vehicle’s location information and the passengers’ orientation with visual effects. With features such as the appearance of each participant’s own avatar, filmed prior to the tour, and the experience of wearing the Statue of Liberty’s costume, participants themselves step into symbolic New York scenes as characters in the story.
The mixed reality production synchronizes the positions of the vehicle and the passengers in real time, minimizing discrepancies between the visuals and bodily sensations and thereby reducing motion sickness, a common issue in conventional virtual reality experiences.
The tour will be operated by HIS’s local subsidiary in New York, running six times a day on a roughly 45-minute route that covers about 3.4 kilometers through Manhattan’s main tourist areas. Commentary is available in both Japanese and English.
The participation fee starts from 60 US dollars for adults and 30 US dollars for children aged 7 to 11. Until July 11, an opening price of half the regular fare will be offered.
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