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Sony Expo 2024, Sony's comprehensive brand event in China, was unveiled in Shanghai during BilibiliWorld 2024. This is the first time that Sony Expo has exhibited at the large-scale ACG (animation, comics, and games) exhibition BilibiliWorld (abbreviated as "BW"). Bilibili Chairman Chen Rui also made a rare appearance at the booth to support Sony and took photos with a group of senior executives of Sony (China) Co., Ltd.

Nandu reporters learned that the theme of Sony Expo 2024 is "Creation without Boundaries". The Sony Expo booth will be linked with the Sony Group member, the well-known animation production company ANIPLEX booth, and the Sony Pictures IP theme booth, bringing Sony's cutting-edge products, innovative technologies and exciting entertainment content to a wide range of creative communities including ACG creators.

Sony Expo 2024 with the theme of "Creation without Boundaries" was unveiled at BilibiliWorld 2024. Photo provided by the interviewee

During the exhibition, YURU MUSIC, a cultural and creative music project of which Sony is a core partner, showcased for the first time its latest YURU musical instrument, the Hug Drum, developed for the hearing-impaired. A joint event between Sony Direct Store and the ANIPLEX animation "Lonely Rock!" was surprisingly launched, and the Cosplayers of the four members of the "Bond Band" in the film also interacted with fans throughout the day at the Sony Expo and ANIPLEX booths respectively. There were also activities such as check-in, stamp collection and raffles at each booth, which attracted a large number of fans to line up to experience it.

"We hope to become the most trusted and favored partner of Chinese creators." Takeshi Yoshida, Deputy General Representative of Sony Group in China and President of Sony (China) Co., Ltd., told Nandu reporters that Sony proposed to become a creative entertainment company in 2019. Specifically, it wants to move the world with the power of creativity and technology, and Sony China's mission is the same.

A group photo of Sony Group China Vice President and Sony (China) Co., Ltd. President Yoshida Takeshi and YURU MUSIC mascot "Da Fuku-kun". Photo by Southern Metropolis Daily reporter Zhao Weijia

"Our topic is how to better develop Sony's entertainment business and how to use Sony's advantages in electronics to empower creative entertainment. This time we exhibited at the BW event and held the Sony Expo with this idea in mind, to better showcase the relevant technologies owned by Sony China Research Institute, and strive to make technology play a better role in helping us develop the entertainment industry, the game industry, or use it in the metaverse." said Takeshi Yoshida.

In an interview with Nandu reporters, Mikio Takenaka, vice president of Sony (China) Co., Ltd. and director of Sony China Research Institute, who was once a visiting researcher in robotics at Stanford University in the United States, affirmed the enthusiasm for humanoid robot research in China. He said that there is a possibility at present, a possibility of combining AIGC and robots. The integration of software and hardware is likely to bring new breakthroughs. Sony also attaches great importance to and pays attention to the situation in this regard, and has already made arrangements and conducted research within the corresponding scope.

Currently, Sony Research China is working with Shanghai Jiao Tong University to use embodied intelligent robot technology to reduce some of the burden on the elderly and disabled and help them eat independently. However, Takenaka Mikio admitted: "From the ultimate vision, we hope that robots can really enter thousands of households and take on some housework for us. From the actual situation, there is still a big gap to achieve this goal. It can be said that the dream is full, but the reality is still relatively skinny. From the perspective of global research, there is actually no particularly big breakthrough, so it is estimated that it is a gradual process, and robots will gradually liberate people from heavy physical work."

It is reported that one of the main research directions of Sony Research China is AI-based understanding and perception of human behavior and AI-based generation of entertainment content. Some of the AI ​​technologies it has developed have been applied to Sony's global market, such as eye tracking technology in Sony mobile phones and cameras, which helps to create more accurate and high-quality images.

In recent years, Sony has been working with partners in China to make new arrangements and explorations in the fields of entertainment, electronic systems, etc., including ACG, in order to help Chinese creators step onto the international stage, and at the same time gain greater development in the Chinese market, radiating and serving a wider group of creators. For example, the first Black Crystal virtual production studio in China built by Sony and its Shanghai partner "Guanchi" can realize the creative production needs of content such as virtual shooting, real-time rendering, motion capture, etc., and can be widely used in content creation fields such as games, animation, film and television.

Sony Pictures has also been working hard on co-productions and helping Chinese films go overseas. In recent years, it has co-produced the animated film "Wish Dragon" and obtained the English remake rights of the film "Hello, Li Huanying" and the global distribution rights of the film "Hot". In addition, Sony Music has established strategic cooperation with different companies to expand its influence. In May last year, it joined hands with Bilibili Music to launch the "New Generation Musician Plan" and the joint label BiNY to jointly find outstanding musicians and works.

Written by: Southern Metropolis Daily reporter Zhao Weijia from Shanghai