Shape tech expo: Robots, VR, IoT and smart cities come to AT&T Park

This sponsored post is produced by AT&T Developer Program.

A ballpark may not seem like a natural venue to host a leading tech event, but this isn’t any ordinary tech event. This summer, the AT&T Park in San Francisco will host the first ever Shape Tech Expo. Created by AT&T’s Developer Program, the event is aimed at mobile app developers, video content creators, tech professionals, and anyone who geeks out on innovative and breakthrough technologies. It’s being held on Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16, and will include exciting demos, Maker Camp for kids, and great speakers and panels.

Registration for Shape is now open. Register here.

A mix of technical experts, innovators, futurists, and executives will be speaking at Shape on multiple stages setup at the Park. AT&T Vice Chairman Ralph de la Vega will moderate a discussion on the future of health and medicine while John Donovan, AT&T Chief Strategy Officer and Group President, will lead a discussion on the Networked Future.

Robots, VR, and IoT

Interactive demos will be a key element of the event, both on the field and behind the seats. For those curious about the latest in robots, several will be featured including those from Robotis, SoftBank Robotics, iRobot, Sharp, and more. For example, you can visit with Sereneti, a robot that prepares your food (a Star Trek future isn’t that far off), and another robot from Crosswing that communicates with WebRTC. And you won’t want to miss Astrobotic’s demo to get a sense of what it’s like to control a lunar rover on the moon.

Video is also a big focus of the exhibition area. AT&T, Samsung, STRIVR, OSVR, Sapient, and others will have VR demos or hardware for users to experience. For those who are curious about the Connected Car space, Honda and Jaguar Land Rover will have vehicles on the field.

There will also be many demos in the Internet of Things (IoT) space. TI has a demo that will show attendees how to build an arcade basketball-shooting machine using IoT building blocks. IBM will show how many sensors must connect to an athlete in order to collect information to improve performance. There will be a variety of wearables from Fitbit, HTC, Withings, and more. Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings, AT&T Digital Life, and SunPower will show the latest breakthroughs in the Digital Home space.

Smart Cities upclose

Finally, you’ll get an upclose view of a Smart City means and how the huge impact expected as we move closer and closer to this ideal. Cisco, Ericsson, Qualcomm, Motionloft, Playbiba, Sensity, and Streetline will all have interactive demos that will display many aspects of how a Smart City works and its benefits.

For technology-loving parents with kids, we will be hosting a Maker Camp Live, organized by Maker Faire. For those not familiar with Maker Faire, it’s an organization that hosts events celebrating arts, crafts, engineering, science projects, and the Do-It-Yourself mindset. Kids 7-17 can learn how to solder and then build projects using this new skill.

Shape Challenge finalists

Attendees will have the chance to see the semi-finalists of AT&T’s Shape Challenge: technologists, innovators, and content creators who will be presenting what they think will be the future of technology. Return on Saturday to see the three chosen finalists demonstrate their inventions and get in on the vote for the ultimate winner. Categories for the Shape Challenge include Connected Things, Augmented Networks, and Smart Cities.

Finally, as befits the ballpark venue, expect a line-up of fabulous evening entertainment. We can’t announce the line-up quite yet, but stay tuned for some exciting news.

Andrea Morton is Senior Marketing Manager, AT&T Developer Program.

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