Welcome to the future. Interactive technology changes how we see and view the world. Otonicon in Orlando, Fl is a yearly expo dedicated to showing interactive technology and how it can enhance and enrich our lives.
The expo featured numerous vendors including Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, NASA, and others showcasing technology. Virtual reality and simulators. Video games, medical technology and other types of media made up interactive technology. You can drive a racecar, fly an air plane or perform complicated surgery all from safe locations. All of this was on display. Simulator rigs were on display that made you feel you were in an airplane cockpit also equipped with VR headsets to enhance the illusion of reality. Florida Children’s Hospital had interactive medical displays showcasing technology to allow great view of the human body including brain scans and an EKG machine. These displays proved popular as they had some of the longest lines of the day. I decided to give it go though. I have never needed any of these scans in my life but it was fun to see how they work. It was also a relief to have those scand go by and not have the aid pull you aside to say you should go see a doctor. You never know when you’re in your thirties.
The show also featured several panels about video game development and how to enhance it through sound design and cinematography. One of the highlights of the day was a performance by Arc Attack, a band that creates music through the controlled use of tesla coils.
All in all, Otronicon was a fun event and definitely worth checking out. It is held at the Orlando Science Center.
