Part of an ever-evolving presentation space on the SC Johnson Campus — created exclusively for purchasing agents from major chain retailers — Fūtour (Future Tour) 2025 is an imagining of what the world might look like in the near future. As part of this project, Bob provided the technology strategy and programming for a variety of interactive applications, including a number of Android OS apps that run on Google Nexus 10-inch tablets. Each of the apps are activated via NFC (Near Field Communication) tags hidden throughout the display area. For example, a potted plant contains a stake with information signage and a hidden NFC tag. When the tablet is touched to the sign, the Soil Meter app launches.
Each of the apps serves an ostensibly futuristic purpose:
Soil Meter — tapping the fertilizer, light, moisture, or pH test buttons, causes the dial on the meter in the center of the screen to animate to a new position, and a text readout shows the levels for each test.
Home Energy Monitor — users are presented with a series of graphs displaying electricity, water, and gas usage, as well as indoor air quality, for a 12-hour period. By using the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen, users can scrub through all the hours of the day, and view individual numbers for each.
Health Monitor — in this app, the user places his hand on the screen, which causes a scanner bar to slide down the screen. The user's vital signs appear onscreen, and a prescription medicine dispenser is activated, which calculates, processes, and dispenses the proper dosage. The presenter can also put this app in a "joke mode" by tapping a hidden button on the scanner screen. In joke mode, the scanner displays a bright yellow "x-ray" image of the hand, and the user is presented with a bright yellow screen with critical vital signs, and a large, flashing warning sign accompanied by a loud klaxon sounding.
Virtual Thermostat — with this app, users control various zones in a virtual house by tapping a room on the house layout, or swiping from zone to zone, and then using slider controls to set the temperature and humidity for each zone.