Here in Austin, SXSW Interactive is in full swing and we’re seeing some fascinating and promising tech making their first appearance in a public setting.
Keeping in step with the tradition of SXSW, there’s a wide variety of tech that’ll tickle just about anyone’s fancy. From augmented reality audio to building your own vibrator, there’s something here for everyone.
Here are three of the top tech premieres that caught our attention so far at SXSW Interactive.
Open Meals
With 3D printing gaining traction and the idea that robots can do just about anything we program them to do, it was just a matter of time before the food industry saw itself the target of robot takeover. But nobody thought there would be a teleportation aspect this early on.
Open Meals is a concept developed around the idea that you can digitize food. What that means is you can send a food recipe or order to a 3D printer/robot that can then “print out” your food. We saw this in action with what is being called “8-bit sushi.”
It resembles sushi that you might get in an 8-bit video game. The only difference is you can eat this one in the real world. The technology allows you to send a food order anywhere in the world and it’ll come out ready to be eaten. Think of it like emailing a hamburger. The fascinating concept even has application in space where Astronauts can get their meals delivered in this fashion.
Bose Augmented Reality Sunglasses
Sticking with what they know (audio), Bose is edging into the AR sphere with Bose AR sunglasses. Think of it like Google Glass but instead of providing visual cues, these guys work on audio.
Connected through Bluetooth to your phone, the sunglasses track you through GPS and motion sensors so they know exactly where you are. This allows it to provide info that you might be interested in.
For instance, you might walk up to a train station and hear directions on where you should go. Or you might pass a restaurant and hear reviews and other info that might interest you.
Like a lot of the tech premiered at Interactive, this is strictly at the prototype stage but so far it looks promising.
Lunavity Jetpack
This is one of the coolest things we’ve seen so far on the floor. Lunavity is a jetpack (yes a jetpack!) that allows you to jump higher as if you were walking on the moon.
Unfortunately, there’s some sort of regulation that doesn’t allow them to turn the pack on in the U.S., but they did successfully demonstrate it in Japan.
We don’t know exactly where it might be useful, but it’s been suggested that it might have a place in sports, though I doubt any established leagues would allow it. I can see this having application in physical therapy or as an alternative to wheelchairs.
No matter where it ends up, recreational or medical, the idea that you can defy gravity and walk around like you’re on the moon, is too exciting to ignore.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nick Gambino is a regular script writer and tech beat reporter for NewsWatch. He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and daughter.
