The 16 Coolest Demos at Google I/O

SAN FRANCISCO—Google is a software company, but a lot of the niftiest demos at the search giant's I/O conference this week revolved around futuristic hardware concepts. And we're talking about a lot more than just phones and tablets.

In fact, one of Google's big announcements this week was the Open Accessory Development Kit (ADK), which allows Android 2.34 and higher apps to communicate with hardware input from diverse sources such as game controllers and robots. Several prototypes were on display in the large halls of the Moscone Center here showing off this new type of integration, which frankly takes on all those iPod and iPhone hardware integrations we've seen in past years, such as home sound docks and Nike+ Sport.

At I/O, hardware integration ran the gamut, with a couple of exercise machines in the mix, several robots, and pianos. But some of the coolest demos were good old-fashioned software, in particular games. The Google Chrome browser's support for HTML5 means Web-based games can now look and feel more like their installed software counterparts, and even Angry Birds has become a Web app, thanks to HTML5.


1. iRobot Ava

From the maker of the roomba vacuum cleaner robot, the Ava supports a web API that lets an Android apps control it.

2. RIC (Robot Inside Character)

This $20,000 robot from Japan’s RT Corporation can walk around wearing whatever costume you clothe it in.

3. Angry Birds

One of the biggest announcements at the show was that Angry Birds was getting a web version. Here it is in the flesh

4. Braille Computer

The Orion 18 has 18 Braille cells and runs Android for blind users to browse, inputting with Braille and having the machine read results aloud.

5. Nordictrack

This high-tech treadmill, the NTL 20900, lets you simulate running along real streets, and you can even compete in preset courses with other runners. It uses and embedded Android device and will sell for $1,899.

6. Yamaha Y2 Project

The Yamaha Y2 Project by Miselu lets you control a piano using an Android app that takes advantage of the ADK. The tablet talks to the interface hardware through USB, and the latter sends a MIDI signal to the piano.

7. Labyrinth

Google's own large-scale demonstration of the ADK has I/O attendees control a huge labyrinth using an Android tablet's accelerometer.

8. Farmbox

From Japanese firm BrilliantService, Farmbox monitors plant growth and stores data in the cloud, which can be accessed from mobile phones.

9. NFO Payment from Intuit

A free Android app from Intuit can recognize items with NFC embedded, and complete a financial transaction.

10. Lightingscience

For between 30 and 35 dollars, you'll be able to buy a wireless-enabled Definity IQ lightbulb from LightingScience and control its brightness through Android apps.

11. Google Earth Multimonitor

A project of Google Summer participants, this giant multi-display version of Google Earth is called Liquid Galaxy. According to the project's site, "The view orientation of each slave instance (display segment) is configured in reference to the view of the master segment. Navigation on the system is done on the master instance and the location on the master is broadcast to the slave instances via UDP packets."

12. Netkeyboard

This prototype, also from the Japanese Miselu got its first showing at Google I/O 2011. Its basically a music device with a built in tablet, offering lots of music capability from internet radio to karaoke.

13. Vevo for Google TV

Though not much was said about Google TV at the show, this demo of a Google TV-based version of the Vevo music video site in a Sony Google TV was one of a few similar displays.

14. Hasbro Phondox

This prototype from Hasbro turns your Android phone into a small robot that can look for faces, say cheese, and act scared if confronted with a Decepticon, using Google Goggles for image recognition.

15. Entanglement Game

Gopherwood Studios reps assured us that this was the coolest HMTL5 game being shown.

16. Turtlebot

WIllow Garage's Michael Dixon demonstrates the Turtlebot robot construction kit. He says it's like IKEA for robots, including a netback, a modified Microsoft Kinect, and moving base for $1200, which is peanuts in the robot game.