On June 28, a virtual exhibition app for Apple Vision Pro, "Ambient Weaving II," was released.
ZOZO NEXT, Inc., HOSOO Co., Ltd., and the Yasuaki Kakehi Laboratory at the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, University of Tokyo, have been conducting a joint research project since 2020 that combines traditional craftsmanship with advanced materials and interaction technologies to develop new textiles that blend functionality and beauty.
This app recreates the latest exhibition, "Ambient Weaving II," held at HOSOO GALLERY from October 2023 to March 2024, utilizing spatial computing.
We interviewed Satoshi Nakamaru, director, Jun Ban, development head, and Shuhei Takeda, project manager, to dive into the development process and unique appeal of the app.
PROFILE
Satoshi Nakamaru
Joined ZOZO Technologies (now ZOZO NEXT, Inc.) in 2019. Serving as a director in MATRIX IoT/Textile Division, responsible for developing and commercializing innovative technologies. Specializes in developing soft functional materials and devices, along with designing UX utilizing these innovations. Honored with awards like ACM DIS 2019 Best Paper and Ars Electronica Festival Starts Prize Honorary Mention.
PROFILE
Jun Ban
Joined ZOZO Technologies (now ZOZO NEXT, Inc.) in 2019 and transferred to ZOZO Inc. in 2021. As a tech lead specializing in iOS, he develops the ZOZOTOWN iOS app. From 2023, he's been involved in technology development related to Apple platforms, mainly engaged in visionOS app technical validation. Also a speaker at conferences like AltConf and iOSDC.
PROFILE
Shuhei Takeda
Joined ZOZO Technologies (now ZOZO NEXT, Inc.) in 2018, leading development in the MATRIX Dev Division. Mainly focused on web development, managing projects, and analyzing data across a broad range. Currently responsible for the growth of Fashion Tech News and AI technology validation.
Exploring New Possibilities of Textile with "Ambient Weaving II"
Firstly, could you give us an overview of Ambient Weaving?
NakamaruThis project started in 2020 as a collaborative research project aimed at developing new textiles that balance functionality and beauty, involving HOSOO Co., Ltd., Yasuaki Kakehi Laboratory at the University of Tokyo, and ZOZO Technologies (now ZOZO NEXT, Inc.).