There are some amazing apps being developed in Ann Arbor, and you can get a firsthand look at some of them this Friday, June 15, and it's free! The event is called Tech Trek.
One example of some of the amazing technology you can see there is an app that can turn a card into a 3D figure with the help of your mobile device. The app was developed by Spellbound to help distract children as they receive medical care.
The app features several cards with options ranging from animals to a sunken pirate's ship. You turn on the app, and it uses you mobile device's camera to detect the card; however, instead of showing you the 2D card it shows you a 3D image in its place. As you move around the card, the image moves as well. It is very interactive; if you tap the screen of your phone, you can interact with the 3D image. For example, you can make a lion roar, or open up a treasure chest at the bottom of the ocean. Kids play with the images which distracts them during potentially painful or anxiety-inducing medical procedures.
Tech Treck was started by Ann Arbor Spark to showcase the many tech companies that are popping up in Ann Arbor. It is essentially a giant open house for these companies to showcase all their inventions. At the event, you can do meet and greets with the founders of some of these companies and watch product demonstrations. Other events have popped up around the event as well, such as Tech Talk, which takes place on June 15 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Michigan Theater, and includes local innovators giving TED-style demonstrations.
For more information on Tech Trek and all the other events happening around it, visit Ann Arbor Spark's website here.