Guiding Loved Ones during Journeys with Your Voice (Assistance in Travel)

In the ever-evolving world of technology, one startup is making waves in the mobility sector: LOOVIC. This innovative service, launched by Toru Yamanaka, is revolutionizing the way people navigate their daily commutes and leisure activities.

LOOVIC offers a unique approach to personalized mobility support, leveraging high-precision location data and personalized navigation. The service allows users to record and share their routes in their own voice, providing directional guidance that caters to individual experiences and needs. This approach aims to support various users, including those with disabilities or special mobility requirements, by making travel more intuitive and accessible.

Yamanaka's motivation for developing LOOVIC stemmed from his own child's spatial cognition impairment and the challenges it presented in daily commuting. His career path includes stints at Iris Ohyama, NTT PC Communications, Amazon Web Services, and an IoT-related startup before focusing on new business development at LOOVIC.

Initially, Yamanaka explored AI assistant technologies and geolocation beacons but abandoned the ring-type device due to battery problems. He eventually decided to focus on a voice-only service, requiring only a smartphone app and earphones, to avoid quick imitation by larger companies.

LOOVIC's earphones are equipped with 9-axis sensors, providing directional guidance for users. The tactile device developed by Yamanaka, which vibrates to indicate turns, was initially designed to be worn on the shoulders or neck. However, trials with children revealed potential dangers, as they tended to follow directions without thinking and could end up on the road. As a result, the device was redesigned to be more user-friendly and discreet.

In 2022, the Toyota Mobility Foundation selected LOOVIC in its "Mobility for ALL" category and participated in trials at the Okayama International Circuit and other locations. The service also received positive responses at the Japan Mobility Show 2023, leading to a collaborative relationship with Suzuki for senior mobility events.

LOOVIC's co-founder & CEO, Toru Yamanaka, learned about the Japan Mobility Show 2023 early via news and other media. The Japan Mobility Show, previously known as the Tokyo Motor Show, was renamed and redefined as a platform for various mobility-related companies to come together and create the country's future.

Looking ahead, LOOVIC is actively developing and refining its technology to expand its practical applications and impact. This includes improving accuracy in location positioning and integration with broader mobility ecosystems, likely collaborating with partners in technology and transportation sectors. The service appears aligned with trends toward personalized and AI-driven mobility solutions, positioning itself to address diverse mobility challenges by offering a customizable navigation experience.

Moreover, LOOVIC has attracted investment activity from firms such as Digital Hollywood, signaling growth and ongoing development. The investment in late 2022 likely supports LOOVIC’s expansion and future innovation efforts within the mobility support domain.

In summary, LOOVIC's current vision is to facilitate personalized mobility support by using routes recorded by the users themselves, aiming for greater autonomy and ease of movement. The future plans emphasize technological enhancement, integration into wider mobility solutions, and strengthening its position through strategic investments and collaborations to better serve various mobility needs.

Despite its initial focus on mobility, LOOVIC has expressed interests in branching out, exploring possibilities in the home-and-garden sector. For instance, they're planning to integrate their location data and cloud-computing capabilities to create personalized gardening plans, tailored to individual needs and preferences, thus expanding their lifestyle offerings.

Furthermore, with the growing demand for smart homes and automated design solutions, LOOVIC envisions leveraging their technology in the data-and-cloud-computing domain to optimize home layouts, energy usage, and daily routines, contributing to an efficient and technology-driven lifestyle.