Star Trek Convention Time! After all the gushing I did over the last one, I shall spare everyone (I met William Shatner) the blow-by-blow descriptions, bypass the tons of videos (but I totally got a picture with William Shatner), and the lively, comedic stage presentations (Did I mention I met William Shatner?) over three days of Trek Awesomeness.
Also, I met William Shatner.
The highlight of the vendors and presenters this year was the splashy, spirited presence of the X Prize Foundation representatives, who were taking photographs of all the costumed Starfleet officers who had come toTrek the Halls of the San Francisco Hyatt.
They came to spread the glorious gospel of the X Prize, and I am their dedicated new missionary!
As ever, the goal of all the many X Prizes, past and present, is to MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE... POSSIBLE. And the new life sciences challenge is perhaps one of the most ambitious I have seen in terms of technological advancement.
On any planet:
It is the Qualcomm TRICORDER X Prize! You read that right. Inspired by the science-fiction medical devices, the competition kicked off last year following all of the Star Trek series' captains (together on one stage in London!) promoting how their space shows inspire real-world innovation.
So says the challenge, "Imagine a portable, wireless device in the palm of your hand that monitors and diagnoses health conditions. That’s the technology envisioned by this competition, and it will allow unprecedented access to personal health metrics. The end result: Radical innovation in healthcare that will give individuals far greater choices in when, where, and how they receive care."
Thirty-four organizations in the USA, Britain, Canada, The Netherlands, Greece, Poland, Slovenia, Taiwan, India and South Korea have submitted medical teams to compete in developing digital healthcare options, hoping to transform the medical industry. A real-life tricorder, imagine it!
See the official website http://www.qualcommtricorderxprize.org/ to see the registered teams, review competition guidelines, follow the prize schedule, explore the FAQ, and download the myriad of comprehensive press kids from Qualcomm, X Prize Foundation, and the son of Gene Roddenberry.
Sign up for the TRICORDER X PRIZE newsletter to keep up with the teams, or hey -- just go to a Star Trek Convention to see their materials and hilariously fan-friendly ad campaigns.
To see other fun photos of the Trek Convention (Yo, I met William Shatner!), see the Trek Con photo album at the Pillownaut Picasa Galleries.
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