About XploreRide
XploreRide is a coined word combining XR (cross reality), Explore and Ride, to illustrate an interactive tour full of entertainment and powered by XR technology. This tour is organized by HIS, with the creative company Naked in charge of planning, staging, and production, and Synesthesias, an IT venture from the University of Tokyo, providing the next-generation XR technology “RideVision” for the EV bus.
While touring popular sightseeing spots in Honolulu such as Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head, passengers will explore “Hawaii’s hidden underwater city”, blending real-life landscapes and digital environments. While wearing a special XR headset, passengers can experience Hawaii’s nature, including coral reefs and volcanoes, guided by an “Ancestral Spirit Aumakua.” They can enjoy an unprecedented immersive bus tour that unravels the mysteries of Hawaii while collecting Mana stones.
This tour is not only for tourists visiting Hawaii for the first time, but also for repeat visitors and locals to discover the charm of Hawaii through a new lens.
Respect for Hawaiian Culture
To be faithful to the traditions and historical facts of Hawaii in the video presented on the tour, Hawaiian Cultural Consultant and Kumu Hula (master teacher in the art of Hula) Blaine Kamalani Kia was invited to serve as an advisor.
Blaine Kamalani Kia is a native Hawaiian from Honolulu, Hawai‘i, and the owner of KIA Enterprises, LLC, specializing in Hawaiian consulting and entertainment. A kahu (spiritual leader) and Kumu Hula, he oversees 12 hula schools in four countries and performs cultural ceremonies. As an actor, singer, and producer, he has contributed to major films, TV series (Hawaii Five-0), and award-winning Hawaiian entertainment. His accolades include the 2023 HOʻOWEHIWEHI AWARD and the 2018 AIO Hawaiian Cultural Advisor of the Year. He credits his success to his wife and three children.
Promoting “Mālama Hawai‘i”
HIS has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hawaii Tourism Japan in September 2022 to promote “Mālama Hawai‘i,” in the efforts of conserving the nature and cultural perpetuity, advancing regenerative tourism, where the local community and tourists create a sustainable community together. “XploreRide Hawaii produced by NAKED, INC.” also adheres to the importance of preserving the natural environment, traditions, and culture, and has worked to make the project sustainable for the future.
In addition, HIS has partnered with Roberts Hawaii, the only company in Hawaii with a fleet of large EV buses, to create a “zero-emission” tour that eliminates carbon dioxide while on the road, and will donate a portion of the tour proceeds to the Waikiki Aquarium, which focuses on research and conservation of Hawaii’s coral reef and marine ecosystem.
