Friday, January 24, 2014

The Real Cutting Edge

While I have always been told that locations like Akihabara are the best places to find the latest technology, I always imagined that primarily referred to consumer goods like TVs and robot vacuum cleaners. After visiting several DIY electronics stores, however, I saw a different side of the district. The original attractions of Akihabara were these electronics hobby stores that catered to those who would later become the Anime fans that have made the location famous. That spirit lives on as technology continues to advance. At several of these shops I found 3D printers in action. Technology like this is the real cutting edge and upon reflection it should be no surprise that it would be found here.
I also got the chance to try an Oculus Rift for the first time. It was being used to simulate a 3D anime character stepping on the wearer's face. I think this is part of the long tradition of Japanese people taking technologies developed in the west and exploring every possible application of those technologies.

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