Where can you go to communicate with a robot, create music, and hang-glide over Rio de Janeiro all in one place? (Hint: the answer isn’t Brazil). SIGGRAPH 2005, of course! The Emerging Technologies venue of this year’s conference boasted a grand assortment of exhibits, ranging from the extraordinarily practical to the practically extraordinary and everything in between. With 32 innovative exhibits, Emerging Technologies touched on several themes: exploring the relationship between art and science, overcoming technological barriers, and simulating new virtual experiences.

This year featured new guided tours in six languages (Japanese, Korean, Spanish, German, French, and English). Limited by my knowledge of only two languages (English and Pig Latin), I decided to take the English tour. Closely following the blinking green light on the back of my knowledgeable guide (tour guides had custom-made shirts, complete with blinking lights), I made my way through this dark room filled with lights, sounds, and gadgets (not to mention crowds of people). Below are just a few of the extraordinary E-Tech displays I visited.

Interbots Initiative- Have you longed for an engaging chat with an animatronic chap? Well, here is your chance. The artists and technologists of Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center have worked together to create Quasi, a performance robot with the ability to express personality and emotion. Quasi began as a pencil sketch. Then he was modeled in 3D using Maya, and exported to SolidWorks (where his internal structure was designed). Finally, his hand-fabricated parts were assembled. I was amazed at the multitude of realistic responses Quasi had for observer’s comments and questions. With a little imagination, you could see past Quasi’s aluminum, steel, and plastic body and talk with a real living character.

Kobito: Virtual Brownies- Ever had an imaginary friend? If yes, trouble probably arose when you tried to convince mom that your friend (and not you) was the one who kept leaving a mess in the kitchen. With virtual brownies (like the ones we encountered, named Kobito), imaginary friends seem a little more real. No one can see a Kobito in the real world, however, they can be seen on a monitor screen. As the Kobito on screen moves a metal tea box around, the real-life tea box also moves. When a user moves the tea box toward a Kobito’s supposed location, the Kobito on screen gets pushed. In this way, a person may directly interact with a virtual character. I’m still not sure if it would convince mom that you didn’t eat her cookies, but it’s worth a shot.

moo-pong- Although I’m not quite sure how the name relates to the device, this is an undoubtedly original invention. With a moo-pong in hand, the presenter showed how users can take snapshots of the world around them and combine these images into a kaleidoscopic movie. Moo-pong was suggested as a unique gift idea, or a creative way to commemorate special events and share memories. You could think of moo-pong as the digital kaleidoscope of life.

The Interactive FogScreen- Following the success of the 2003 walk-through FogScreen comes the new interactive FogScreen, which was more than just hot air. Using computer-vision-based tracking and ultrasonics, the FogScreen created an immaterial and unbreakable computer touch screen. I watched as users manipulated icons, played games, and ran programs using their hands or a lighted wand controller. This fresh new medium opens the doors to a wide range of possibilities such as drawing in thin air, new gaming styles, or interactive displays in malls, museums, science centers, or amusement parks. FogScreen really de-mist-ifies the future of interactive applications.

TENORI-ON- Got no guitar, no piano, and no rhythm? No worries! Anyone can use TENORI-ON’s simple interface to create and play music. The device runs on a real-time operating system (ITRON) that controls sound output, LEDs, and 256 switches. Using this simple interface, I was able to create music by choosing specific notes to be played and which instrumental noises to be used. I was also able to choose the octave, length, and volume of the song. TENORI-ON is also visually entertaining, with unending and ever-changing light patterns that appear as you use the device. As an added bonus, users are able to record and replay the music they create. One of the developers informed me that this product was currently being tested by Yamaha and will eventually be available for public use. Now, with TENORI-ON, both those born with and without a beat can enjoy creating music.

Shaking The World: Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation- Undoubtedly, Shaking the World was one of the most entertaining displays at this year's E-Tech. In fact, it was so exciting that you had to sign a waver just to try it out. As curious volunteers stood in line, two people at a time would try out the new device. This device relies on galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) to control a person's sense of balance. Once the two lovely assistants equipped each tester with a headphone-like apparatus, the presenter had the volunteers attempt to walk in a straight line. Observers got a good laugh as the volunteers stumbled to the right or to the left depending on how the presenter used the switches on his remote control. I, myself, was quite amazed at the device’s effectiveness at preventing me from walking in a straight line. While wearing the device, I could feel a tingling sensation as a weak electrical current controlled my sense of balance. It was suggested that this invention would be able to help pedestrians avoid being hit by cars. I just hope it doesn’t steer them into sidewalks, walls, manholes, or other pedestrians.

Straw-Like User Interface- Finally, a new invention to virtually wet your whistler. By recording samples of actual pressures, vibrations, and sounds (produced when drinking from an ordinary straw), researchers at The University of Electro-Communications created a system that allows users to experience the feeling of drinking, without actually drinking. This unique interface gave users the same sensation as drinking a variety of substances through a straw. Winner of the International Collegiate Virtual Reality Contest (IVRC) 2005, this invention is obviously a new sensation in the development of virtual simulations. Who knows what will come next!

Sustainable- I always had a great sense of respect for the person who played the gong in our high school band. With such skill and such vigor did he swing, with such joy in his heart and glory in his countenance did he play his instrument. Sustainable served to remind me of those glorious days of old. This display consisted of six gongs of differing sizes, each one hanging in a tub of water. A series of plastic tubes connected the tubs together. Through the use of electronic devices (driven by algorithms), each tub communicated with each other. This communication was made visible to viewers through sound and light reactions (as water was pumped between tubs, maintaining a specific water level in each). Such technology could be applied to real-life communities attempting to allocate water resources. Let’s just hope it doesn’t put the high school gong-player out of a job.

Virtual Hang-Gliding Over Rio de Janeiro- Unfortunately, not everyone will have the opportunity to hang glide over Rio de Janeiro sometime in their lifetime. However, thanks to this new virtual tour, one can still experience the next best thing. Here, users were provided with a safe and fun environment enabling them to glide over a 3D model of Rio de Janeiro (which was created in Maya, saved in VRML format, and converted to X3D). With the use of stereo audio, wind effects, and a stereoscopic head-mounted display, users were made to feel as if they were actually hang-gliding. Observers were able to view the flight through a projection screen. This new advancement in virtual tours provides a pleasurable experience and can also be a good training tool for all those planning to take a flight over Rio.

SIGGRAPH 2005 Emerging Technologies did not disappoint, providing yet another opportunity for unprecedented progress. Here new developments bridged the gap between art and technology, the creative and the practical, and entertainment and production. With its engaging set of exhibits, Emerging Technologies continues to be a place where visions become reality and reality becomes virtual.