Posted: Oct 03, 2006 10:06 am EDT
(HumanEdgeTech.com) We expected another gadget show displaying countless iPod's and related gizmos, or worse - one of those highbrow tech tradeshows where models showcase products that don't work and never will. Instead, we came away pretty awed.

This year, Wired mag moved their NextFest tradeshow from last year's setting in a hired vacant SoHo space to the larger quarters of the Jacob Javits Center and it proved a good call: The show is a hit.

Virtually every single booth was packed with the usual Manhattan crowd: Kids of all colors jumped around wide-eyed, their parents - a bit stirred up - followed close behind. The place was all smiles with discovery. Even the toughest verdicts, those coming from jaded teenagers, delivered good news; "Dude this is actually cool."

The real thing - by real people

The space was blacked-out at the entrance; marked by video projected on flowing dry fog. Bluish and green spotlights highlighted main attractions; occasionally dotted by bright red leds.

"Wow" buzzed the crowd. "This is amazing," we found ourselves echoing way too many times. It was the real thing. The stuff; an intelligent combination of play and usefulness was displayed by real people - the astronauts, engineers and inventors who actually built or used them. Most of it worked, too - at least while we were looking.

Many of the projects were open to enthusiasts - we received an invitation to join the team behind a solar car which will attempt a world distance record next year. The world's fastest electrical speed boat was built by Ohio students. Solar powered blankets for Native American Indians was a non-profit project using thin-film panels integrated in polymer and tribal fabrics. The brains behind the robots; the Japanese offered a taste of digital food and hand-shake with humanoids.

"Are you allergic to water?" inquired the kids. "No, I'm not allergic but I could get electrocuted," replied a bot. "Can you do Karate?" asked a hooded buddy. When the robot performed a series of kicks, the gang roared.

SpaceShip2

A model of Space-ship 1 hung from ceiling, the second edition's interior displayed below - unveiled specifically for this event. The original rocket seemed a bit small, but it was cool to peak inside the future ship for an idea of how the flight will play out. The sleek interior showed that passengers will be lying down in their seats; a video screen showed an animation of what the actual ride will be like.

Judging from the video, the coolest part seemed the moment when the rocket leaves the transportation plane and shoots off in a roaring blast. The acceleration should be memorable. After a while, all slows down and weightlessness enters. That's when you'll unclip your seatbelt and float around to the windows, watching the Earth below and stars above. After a few minutes, you'll be asked to return to your seat and fasten your seatbelt. You probably won't have to be asked twice, few will opt to be unclipped through re-entry...

A Burt Rutan look-alike sporting the very same unique style of sideburns was hiding out in a corner close to the mock-up of the future space cabin, politely answering question to those who managed to find him. On the opposite side and a bit alarming; a lonely Virgin Galactic ticket sales booth. 200k is a bit steep - even for Manhattan. Such a downpayment could after all get you a nice one bedroom in the village and to a true New Yorker - no space ride in orbit can beat a decent pad.

The games

Everywhere, people painted virtual graffiti on digital brick walls, checked their veins in IR light, paddled virtual canyons, climbed musical walls and had their thermal images taken.

A laser harp from Blue Ink studio gave off different tunes as people stroke its illuminated laser beams. The virtual canoe had wired paddles that delivered the feeling of digging, pushing and navigating a virtual rapid displayed on a big screen ahead.

Brainball had two players sitting across a table wearing brainwave-detecting headbands. The players' stress levels moved the ball - the coolest player won.

The robots

The Androids were eerie to watch up close. A Japanese Geisha from Kokoro was insanely life-like. The doll has soft skin and understands common phrases in English and Japanese - and replies with appropriate gestures and facial expressions. You could even swear she looked not straight pass - but right at you at times. Reportedly, she can be ordered for various tasks (don't even go there); such as anchoring news, and baby-sitting.

Unfortunately we missed the performance of the Tohoky University partner ballroom robots; said to be capable of anticipating and matching their partner's steps. Yet after seeing all their bot cousins at the show - we believed the advertising.

Instead we witnessed Alex Hubo - the Korean Albert Einstein robot - who, in addition to facial expressions and a moving body - is aware of his surroundings thanks to cameras in his eyes.

Kids were glued to the adorable Paro baby harp seal bot, which responded to stimuli, such as brushing its fur: It would close its eyes, nod its head and we almost think we heard it purr - although seals don't do that.

Lending a hand

The robotic hand from the University of Tsukuba learns movements as an infant might, by mimicking human behavior. Guided by a "vision system" that imitates wireframe images, the hand can pinch, pick up delicate objects, and talk in sign language. It could pick up and hold an egg, while it delivered a firm handshake to team HumanEdgeTech!

Shadow's Dextrous hand instead is powered by 36 "muscles" or rubber tubes activated by compressed air.

Space stuff

A Robonaut from NASA sat in one corner, the Deepworker from Nuytco research in another. The minisub can plunge to 2000 ft and support one diver for 80 hours in the deep. A rover from the Tokyo State of University was in place, ready for Mars.

NASA also showed an impressive water recycling system originally made for the ISS. The system now purifies water for villagers in Kendala, Iraq - the guys are reportedly drinking clean water for the first time in years thanks to this space technology.

Spy stuff

And then there was the Golden eye: Small enough to fit in the trunk of a hummer - the unmanned aircraft can be sent out for covert surveillance. It's fast, silent and undetectable. Unfortunately, it won't go to high altitude - so forget scouting that K2 wall - at least for now.

Small soldiers were mesmerized by the Bombots from West Virginia High Technology consortium foundation. No wonder - at only $5000 per vehicle, the robots can hunt down bombs and blow them up.

Future military suits (ready to use in 2010) were showcased alongside high tech boarding passes and PayByTouch scans (already available.)

The cars

The Buckeye bullet race car made by the Ohio State University is the fastest electric car in the world, with a top speed of 321 mph. It is powered by a 500 hp electric traction motor and carries more than 1.000 batteries.

A Canuck solar car from XOF1 aims to set the world long distance record next year, starting out either in Toronto or New York. With a 900 watt producing solar panel (covering the entire top of the car) driving a 7 hp motor, it's built for long distance rides in cold temperatures. The perfect vehicle for the new Antarctica highway!

Medicals

Among screening bio-data mirrors and other medical stuff, the vein viewer was the biggest rage. People flocked to have their veins instantly displayed in IR light. The vein viewer by Luminetx is a cheap ($25,000) and smart machine helping medical folks to draw blood without poking around for veins.

The Lifestraw water purifier seemed a cool gadget to bring on expedition: At only $3-5 per unit, the straw removes 99, 9% of waterborne microorganisms. There are no filter changes, the unit will clean 185 gallons and then you replace it. The drawback; it takes about a minute to purify one cup of water.

Well, there was much, much more - such as digital safety platform shoes for sex-workers complete with alarm button, video and GPS. Check below for the list of the 2006 exhibitors and google them for more info on each.

WIRED's vision of a new world's fair, WIRED NextFest was a four-day festival of innovative products and technologies. Patterned on the great World's Fairs of the past, this year's NextFest in New York featured more than 130 interactive exhibits from leading scientists and researchers around the world covering the future of exploration, entertainment, transportation, health, communication, design, security, and green living.

Exhibitors were:

The Future of Communication

Accenture Technology Labs
Interactive Wall
ekgaon
CAM
Intellext
Watson
Inveneo
Solar-Powered Communication
Ishikawa-Namiki-Komuro Lab, University of Tokyo
Smart Laser Scanner
Jose Hernandez-Rebollar
AcceleGlove
Kamida
Socialight
Microsoft Research India
Text-Free User Interface
Northwestern University
Buzz
Northwestern University
Imagination Environment
Sennep
Dandelion
Tactical Language Training, LLC
Tactical Iraqi Language and Culture Trainer

The Future of Design

CuteCircuit
F&R Hug Shirt
Daniel Rozin
Circles Mirror
Eness
Pixile
Ishikawa-Namiki-Komuro Lab, University of Tokyo
Khronos Projector
James Clar, FedEx Institute of Technology
3D Display Cube
Jefferson Y. Han
Media Mirror
Kennedy & Violich Architecture
Portable Light
KickStart International
MoneyMaker Irrigation Pump
MIT Media Lab
considerateThings
MIT Media Lab
Revolver
Norene Leddy and Andrew Milmoe
The Aphrodite Project: Platforms
Pioneer Corporation
3D Floating Vision Haruka
rAndom International
PixelRoller
Rosanna Kilfedder
Sun Trap Handbag
Society for Arts and Technology
Panoscope LAN
Tanaka Seisakusho
E-TAF Automatic Door

The Future of Entertainment

FeedTank
Full Body Games
Fog Screen, Inc.
Fog Screen
Interactive Institute
Brainball
Jen Lewin, Blue Ink Studio
Laser Harp
Jin-Yo Mok
SoniColumn
Limiteazero
Laptop Orchestra
Miyako Dub Squall
Color Frequency Video Turntable
Sato&Koike Lab, Tokyo Institute of Technology
Virtual Canoe
University of Tsukuba
Haptic Karate Trainer
VirtuSphere, Inc.
VirtuSphere

The Future of Exploration

Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT; NASA
Bio-Suit
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT; NASA
Knowledge Station
Hirose Robotics Lab, Tokyo Institute of Technology
SMC Rover
IBM Almaden Research Center
Atomoscope
Nuytco Research
Deepworker and Exosuit
Virgin Galactic
SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo

The Future of Green

AeroVironment, Inc.
Architectural Wind
FuseProject
Leaf LED Lighting
iD-L
Ragbag
Interactive Institute
Element
Interactive Institute
Energy Curtain
Interactive Institute
Erratic Radio
Interactive Institute
Flower Lamp
Interactive Institute
Power Aware Cord
Novomer
Polymers from Green Materials
Stellaris Corporation
ClearPower
The Power of One
Xof1 Solar Car
XCO2
Quiet Revolution Wind Turbine

The Future of Health

AnthroTronix
CosmoBot
Mission Control
Genetic Savings & Clone
Cloned Animals
Kanagawa Institute Of Technology
Power Assist Suit
Luminetx
VeinViewer
Otto Bock HealthCare
C-Leg
Otto Bock HealthCare
Computer-Aided Design
Otto Bock HealthCare
DynamicArm
Otto Bock HealthCare
SensorHand Speed
Telbotics, Inc.
Pebbles
The Growing Connection
EarthBox
University of Texas at Austin
Bacterial Photographs
Vestergaard Frandsen SA
LifeStraw
Vestergaard Frandsen SA
ZeroFly

The Future of Play

Animaatiokone Industries
Animaatiokone
Animaatiokone Industries
Kick Ass Kung-Fu
Dirk Eijsbouts
Interface #4, TFT Tennis V180
Human-Computer Interaction Lab, University of Maryland
International Children's Digital Library
Inami Lab, University Of Electro-Communications
Conspiratio
Interactive Institute
DigiWall
PlayMotion! LLC
PlayMotion!
Satoko Moroi
Sound Flakes
School of Cinema-Television, University of Southern California
MobZombies

The Future of Security

Aurora Flight Sciences
GoldenEye
Moteiv Corporation
Moteiv Wireless Sensor System
Office of Naval Research; SPAWAR; and Torrey Pines Logic, Inc.
LightSpeed
US Army Natick Soldier Center
Future Force Warrior

The Future of Transportation

Carter Aviation Technologies
Carter Personal Air Vehicle
NoLand Corporation
Bionic Dolphin
Ohio State University
Buckeye Bullet
University of California, Berkeley

Robots

Ghost Rider Robot
Wheelsurf Inc.
Wheelsurf
Robot Row
Christine Southworth
Ensemble Robot
For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology
FIRST Robotics Competition
Hanson Robotics, Inc.
Humanlike Conversational Robots
Intelligent Robot Lab, University of Tsukuba
Robotic Hand
Kokoro Company, Ltd
Actroid DER
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
KHR-3 HUBO
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan
Paro
Robo Garage, Kyoto University
Chroino
RobotLab
Juke Bots
Shadow Robot Company Ltd.
Shadow Dexterous Hand
Tohoku University
Partner Ballroom Dance Robot

 EMAIL   PRINT   SHARE   TEXT