Ultiracer at Saitama's Sainokuni Fureai Pick: Hands-On Rides at a Para-Sports Festival
By Shaun Cheon
Ultiracer has made an appearance at one of Japan's most welcoming sports events. Saitama-based Air Digital Co., Ltd. (エアデジタル株式会社), which presents Ultiracer in Japan under the name アルティレーサー, announced hands-on "touch and try" sessions with the platform at the 2023 Sainokuni Fureai Pick Autumn Tournament, one of the largest para-sports events in Saitama Prefecture, held on Sunday, September 24 (Air Digital, 2023).
A sports festival built around participation
The Sainokuni Fureai Pick Autumn Tournament (令和5年度彩の国ふれあいピック秋季大会) doubles as the 36th Saitama Prefectural General Sports Festival and the 22nd Saitama Para-Sports Tournament. It took place at the Sainokuni Kumagaya Dome in Kumagaya Sports Culture Park and was organized by Saitama Prefecture, the prefectural board of education and the Saitama Sports Association, among others. Athletes aged 10 and over with physical, intellectual or mental disabilities who live in, or attend facilities in, the prefecture were eligible to take part (Air Digital, 2023).
For a cycling platform designed to make riding approachable, it is hard to imagine a more meaningful setting.
Ultiracer as Air Digital introduced it
In its announcement, Air Digital described Ultiracer as a digital cycling platform that combines realistic cycling with a virtual simulation game (Air Digital, 2023):
- A bike that stays upright. The bicycle is held by the platform's frame, so riders can pedal and steer without worrying about falling over.
- For adults and children. Both adult and children's bicycles can be mounted, and Air Digital noted that children around 120 cm tall can enjoy a realistic ride, which also makes the platform useful for kids learning to cycle.
- Training that feels like a game. Riders pedal through virtual courses, turning exercise into play.
Alongside Ultiracer, Air Digital also offered visitors its AR-based digital physical education platform, DIDIM.
Exercise that everyone can enjoy
Air Digital explained its goal in simple terms: using digital tools so that everyone, from children and adults to people with developmental coordination difficulties, wheelchair users and older people, can exercise while having fun (Air Digital, 2023). That goal is close to our own. We built Ultiracer around the idea that riding a bike indoors should feel real, safe and enjoyable, and that more people should be able to experience it.
We are grateful to Air Digital for bringing Ultiracer to the athletes, families and volunteers in Kumagaya, and to the organizers who make an event like this possible. To learn more about Ultiracer, get in touch with us.
References
- Air Digital Co., Ltd. (2023, September 22). 誰もが楽しめる運動機会提供を視野に、デジタルサイクリングとAR体育システム「アルティレーサー＆DIDIM」を埼玉県最大級のパラスポーツイベント「彩の国ふれあいピック秋季大会」にてタッチ＆トライ提供！ [Press release]. PR TIMES. https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000053.000050507.html