Hands on the future
Caleb Danley, 9, of Coeur d'Alene, controls a Sphero robotic ball as his little sister Zoe, 22 months, energetically chases it around the room at Gizmo-CDA during the d'Alene immersive tech event Saturday. (DEVIN WEEKS/Press)
DEVIN WEEKS/Press Ainsley Lanigan, 14, watches a mini R2-D2 glide across the floor as her brother Maverick, 10, maps its pathway on the Gizmo-CDA floor Saturday during an immersive tech day at North Idaho College. More than 50 people came to the free event, which invited the public to check out new tech devices such as virtual reality headsets and augmented reality applications.
Gage McWatters, 9, of Rathdrum, uses the HTC Vive virtual reality headset to maneuver a virtual bow and arrow in Gizmo-CDA's VR lab Saturday. Visitors were invited to try out different devices and see how new tech works during the immersive technology day, which took place at the end of the week-long d'Alene technology celebration. (DEVIN WEEKS/Press)
Gizmo-CDA co-founder Barb Mueller demonstrates how augmented reality applications can be used for educational purposes, such as dissecting a frog without ever having to touch one. (DEVIN WEEKS/Press)
By DEVIN WEEKS
Staff Writer
COEUR d’ALENE — Technology is allowing people to dissect frogs without ever touching one, learn archery without a bow and arrow and keep younger siblings busy for hours as they chase or dance with robots.
"It's definitely entertaining and fun to learn about this stuff," said Ainsley Lanigan, 14, of Coeur d’Alene.
Ainsley and her family visited Gizmo-CDA on the North Idaho College campus Saturday to participate in a free immersive technology demonstration day that welcomed community members of all ages to stop by and get their hands on futuristic tech like virtual reality (VR) and Sphero robotic balls.
Ainsley and her brother, Maverick, 10, worked together to control a miniature R2-D2 robot as it glided across the floor.
"We heard about it and we wanted to come visit and see because Gizmo has a lot of cool stuff. We thought, 'This is going to absolutely be cool,' so we decided to visit and see what it’s all about," she said. "I feel like it gets more into showing what our world is evolving into and helping young minds as little kids expand and see the world and what they can do and explore their chances."
The immersive tech day was held at the end of d'Alene, a week-long exploration and celebration of technology that included Hour of Code events at Gizmo, an open house at the University of Idaho Coeur d'Alene computer science department and introductions to different computer programs.
Coeur d'Alene mom Jennifer Danley brought her son, Caleb, 9, and 22-month-old daughter, Zoe, to the immersive event.
"Caleb’s really into science and technology stuff. He’s really curious about all of it, and he’s played with coding a little bit," she said. "I think it’s really great, especially that it’s free — that gives more opportunity for people to come. But then these kids need to know these kinds of things down the road because they’re going to be growing up with it."
Larch McWatters of Rathdrum and his son, Gage, 9, spent some time in the VR lab. Gage used the HTC Vive VR controllers to simulate an archery session.
"I like it," he said. "You’re in the real world but you’re in the virtual world. You feel like you’re actually in it."
Representatives of Gizmo and University of Idaho were on hand to assist guests with their experiences and answer questions. Charles Buck, associate vice president and center executive officer for the U of I Coeur d'Alene, said these demonstrations serve as a way to inspire a young person’s interest in science and tech.
"It really draws kids back in to do a coding camp or go through one of the courses here at Gizmo," he said. "They’re going to be our next university and computer science students and engineering students, and that’s really what it’s about."
Gizmo co-founder Barb Mueller said the immersive tech day was a way to expose people to "what the future of technology is going to look like."
"We don’t want them to be consumers of VR; we want them to learn about making the worlds that are being created in VR," she said.
"Most people think of virtual reality as entertainment, but it’s not only entertainment. It is a way to be able to predict and show people what’s happening with land erosion, it’s a way to be able to map your spinal cord if you’re paralyzed and be able to see where that is, visually, where that break in your pathways of information is. It’s this whole new way of telling stories and giving off information."
www.gizmo-cda.org