Rikei Corporation (Head Office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Satoru Isaka; hereinafter “Rikei”) is pleased to announce that it is adopted as a R&D team for “Demonstration and experiments of landslide disaster VR”, a theme of second half of fiscal 2018 of “Urban Innovation KOBE” that is a first project set by a Japanese municipality to solve regional issues in which start-up companies and Kobe City work together.

The purpose of the training is to enhance participants understanding of the danger of landslide disaster by experiencing behavior of realistic mud flow by using VR, and consequently improve awareness of disaster prevention. The training is to be conducted on 14th and 15th March, 2019.

Image under development of Rikei’s “VR for landslide disaster”

Background

In the summer of 2018, wide area in the western Japan including Kinki and Chugoku region suffered damage from disasters including typhoon No.12, No.21 and other repeated disasters. And area of Nada district in Kobe including Shinoharadai also suffered serious damage due to landslide disasters. However, according to a survey conducted by Kobe Newspapers after the disasters, it turned out that the evacuation rate remained at approximately 5%, and have left much to be improved in the citizens’ disaster awareness.

Rikei who has knowledge of disaster prevention countermeasure such as evacuation training VR, collaborates with Kobe city on conducting a nation’s first disaster prevention training using landslide disaster VR targeted at Kobe city citizens.

Disaster prevention training by VR raises interest of young and middle-aged people in disaster prevention learning due to its novelty such as sense of immersion and realism and also participants receive feedback immediately on their action choice during a training. Consequently, it is expected that it will greatly contribute to maintaining and improving the disaster prevention awareness and minimizing citizen’s damage of a disaster.

*Urban Innovation KOBE: An initiative launched by Kobe city in 2017, aiming to build/experiment service by finding the best solution method for the citizens where start-up/venture that have flexible idea or superior technology work together with municipal employees who are familiar with social/regional issues.

http://urban-innovation-kobe.com/

Future development

Rikei intends to strive for providing service by working on collaborative development, trial introduction and experiment of service with municipal employees of a competent department of an issue.

About Rikei Corporation

Established in 1957, Rikei Corporation is a solution provider for the IT and electronics industries.

Rikei offers a wide variety of solutions centered on the world’s cutting edge technologies and advanced products in the fields of system solutions, such as entrance exam and educational affairs systems and IT infrastructure, business strategy, and information security solutions. It also provides network solutions, such as satellite communication data transfer systems, digital video transfer systems, network systems for telecommunication operators and other private companies, wireless access systems, and disaster management information systems. In addition to solutions, Rikei provides electronic components and devices, such as high frequency components, high performance adhesives for industrial use, testers for automotive audio and navigation equipment, power grid analysis systems, defense-related machinery and security systems. 

Product names and company names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.