The future is now

Outside of a sci-fi movie set, it’s a bit of a shock to see robots playing trumpets and driverless vehicles shuttling people around, but it’s all in a day’s work at the 2005 World Expo. Nagoya is the home of Toyota, Noritake and Nissin, after all. An industrial vibe permeates the whole city, a prime seat of technology here in Japan. Robot servants that do your vacuuming are only the half of it, however. There are also next-generation vehicles that are pollution-free and gasoline-free (running on hydrogen or fuel cells), and a Maglev (magnetic levitation) motorcar that at 581 kph leaves the Shinkansen bullet train in the dust. This is technology designed not only to make our lives easier, but ease the earth’s burden as well. Welcome to the 22nd century, today. – By Therese Garceau