The latest video service at the Tsutenkaku Tower Slider is achieved thanks to stable, high-quality, high-speed, high-capacity processing technology.
On May 9, 2022, a new type of attraction was born at Tsutenkaku, a location long cherished as the symbol of Shinsekai and also designated as a tangible cultural property by the Osaka prefectural government. The Tower Slider starts from the middle observation deck on the 3rd floor, 22 meters above the ground, winds around the elevator tower on the outside, and ends with a sudden drop into the first basement floor. Contec’s VPC-5000 has been adopted for processing the attraction’s latest video service.
This service is installed in the tube-shaped hybrid Tower Slider, a unique attraction that can only be experienced at Tsutenkaku.
With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the global economy, Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku have also experienced a drop in visitors. The drastic drop in inbound tourism was particularly severe. However, Ryuko Takai, President of Tsutenkaku Kanko Co., Ltd., says, “I realized that we couldn’t just stand idly by, so I wondered if we could lead the charge in coming up with a breakthrough to revitalize the local community.” In that regard, the company launched the “Advanced Experience-Based Slide” plan in summer 2021 as a new attraction.
The idea was that adding a slide to Tsutenkaku, an analog landmark in the analog neighborhood of Shinsekai, where visitors can still experience a Showa-era atmosphere, would be fun! Instead of simply building a slide and that being the end, the company had ideas for recording the experience in video which could be shared on social media, creating a framework for publicity and spreading the news by word of mouth, resulting in video streaming as an ancillary service at the Tower Slider.
First you buy a ticket on the first basement floor. Next, you place your belongings in the free lockers, take the elevator to the observation deck on the third floor, and wait at the entrance. The staff explains the attraction, you put on your helmet, place the sliding sheet down, and strike a pose for the video before taking off. The slide lasts about 10 seconds, zipping you all the way down to the first basement floor. The total height difference is 26.5 meters, with a nearly 30 degree grade, and a total length of 60 meters. It is a thrilling ride that is sure to make you want to scream! Once you reach the exit, face the camera and strike a pose. While taking your things out of the locker, each visitor’s high-quality video is processed quickly.
The before and after clips are recorded at the entrance and exit.The default sliding scene is then added to the two videos to instantly create a single video.
For quite some time, fixed point cameras have been used at theme park attractions to capture and sell photos after the ride. The video service at Tsutenkaku Tower Slider however, is instantaneous, with all riders able to obtain the video instead of photos (images). Right after riders arrive at the exit, a video of the person at the entrance, the default sliding scene, and a video at the exit is generated in about 30 seconds, and then uploaded in high-quality, full HD 2K on the monitors at the exit. Simply scan the QR code on the monitor and download your video via the dedicated Wi-Fi connection. Then you can easily view and save the video.
The over 30 MB, high-quality video is merged with the ride down the slider, then accurately and stably processed at high speeds thanks to the Contec VPC-5000 high-end industrial FA computer, the core of the video processing system.
Videos are uploaded one after another on four monitors and two screens.
Currently, over 500 visitors a day ride the Tsutenkaku Tower Slider. This equals about 1 minute and 10 seconds for each rider, with videos being continuously generated with zero errors. By giving customers a video of their recent experience without making them wait, and including the service in the price from the beginning, they spread the word, sharing their satisfaction and sense of value on social media, maintaining a buzz and creating a beneficial cycle, bringing in repeat and new customers.
If you were to tell people in video processing-related industries about the high level of the previously-mentioned specs, they may be surprised. This use is not limited to entertainment applications, rather, it can be used in various situations that require high-quality, high-speed, stable video processing. President Takai says, “Tsutenkaku isn’t about selling items, it’s about selling an experience.” To help him achieve his ideas, Daiki Tokushige of local company Toa Musendenki Co., Ltd. worked with Contec of Osaka, selecting the VPC-5000 industrial computer specifically for this attraction. After repeated demonstration experiments, they keenly felt the need for high-speed, high-quality images. After the attraction opened, the VPC-5000 had zero problems, resulting in President Takai heaping praise on the product, expressing his hopes for further growth in performance in the future.
A new slide attraction was considered as a way to counter the decrease in visitors due to COVID-19. However, the idea of an analog experience that ended with a simple slide was considered to lack strength, so the planners decided to go after a hybrid attraction using a video streaming service for continued effects.
A combination of the Tsutenkaku-style analog slide and uncharacteristic digital video streaming for high-quality, high-speed processing and stable operations. The VPC-5000 handles operations with zero errors. Tsutenkaku has broken records with over 10,000 visitors a month, and the total number traces a V-curve showing recovering numbers.
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