Lightfront® is a secure, generalized, bi-directional ultra low latency live data streaming ecosystem. It is designed for hardware and cloud applications in the Internet of Things (IoT).
J CUBE Inc and ANA HD (All Nippon Airways Holdings) have been exchanging ideas and working on a joint research project since June 2018. Together, we have formed a strategic partnership to advance the ANA Avatar, ANA Avatar X and ANA Avatar XPRIZE projects. J CUBE is currently developing the novel Lightfront® core technology: a secure, generalized, bi-directional ultra low latency live data streaming ecosystem, designed for hardware and cloud applications in the Internet of Things (IoT).
J CUBE has opened multiple job positions at its head office in Yokohama, Japan.
In May 2020, under the AVATAR X program, JAXA and ANA Holdings deployed the world’s first "Space Avatar" inside the Japanese experiment module “Kibo” on the International Space Station (ISS).
The space Avatar is powered by the Lightfront | AI Linux mini computer and the Lightfront | Space low latency software transmission technology, both developed in partnership with ANA Holdings.
The Space Avatar was launched through the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV9) “KOUNOTORI9”.
In a world’s first, the general public will be able to remotely operate this on-board system powered by J Cube's Lightfront technology and view its real-time 4K@30fps video stream from a public, non-government facility.
Operation of the Space Avatar system is available at the following event:
Lightfront | AI is the powerful Linux mini computer for AI-driven avatar-like robotic applications in the Internet of Things. Featuring: cinematic, high-FPS, cameras via DP and HDMI inputs over long cables. HQ Sony IMX sensor. 2K@60 & 4K@30 capture and encode. Industrial serial interfaces for high concurrency and bandwidth. Powered by nVidia Jetson SOMs. Runs a minimal (~1GB) Ubuntu-based OS.
In October 2019 ANAHD's avatarin division released “newme”, the first original robot based on the Lightfront® ecosystem that consists of: the Lightfront | OS Linux, the Lightfront | Robot application, the Lightfront | Cloud infrastructure and the Lightfront | Client apps for web, Android and iOS. The project won the "Society 5.0 TOWN Award" at CEATEC 2019.
The ANA AVATAR will allow humanity to go beyond all limitations and finally break through the remaining barriers of distance, time, and culture that exist in our world to bring about an era of unprecedented physical connection, resource sharing, mutual understanding and global abundance.
The next generation of space exploration begins here. Space is an extreme environment that has long been inaccessible to most. But real-world Avatars will revolutionize the exploration and discovery of space by enabling anyone to instantaneously transport their skills and presence into this new frontier. Avatars are a key infrastructure that will extend humanity’s reach into the unknown and enable human life in space. This bold endeavor to unlock space begins here.
The $10M ANA Avatar XPRIZE is a four-year global competition focused on the development of an Avatar System that will transport a human's sense, actions, and presence to a remote location in real time, leading to a more connected world.
