Five ways to get your geek on at the one-north Festival

Driverless cars are no longer fantasy – and you could ride in one if you snap a photo with one of two autonomous vehicles parked outside Fusionopolis 1 and tag @OneNorthFestival in your Instagram post. Winners will nab a ride on the same afternoon – and bragging rights, of course.

Ever spoken with a robot? Strike up what we’re willing to bet is your virgin conversation with one of several social robots: the EDGARs. These (occasionally) witty creations are more human than machine, thanks to the brains at NTU’s BeingThere Centre. Watch the bot hold a presentation, and don’t forget to ask it a question (or tell a joke, if you’re so inclined on testing his intelligence).

Technophobes will cry foul over the advent of 3D printing technology. But if you’re on the other end of the spectrum, you might want to watch human tissue being issued from the Stratasys Fortus 450mc, the same machine used to produce OSCAR, a 3D-printed hand. Then learn about the mechanics behind a 3D printer, and take home a freshly printed National Day souvenir. It ain’t magic – it’s science.

If the last time you picked up a pipette was in secondary school – wait, do you even remember what a pipette is? – then maybe joining in this mass mural painting will ignite your love for the ‘science-meets-art’ theme of the festival. Using pipettes, paint and other science lab equipment, flex your artistic mastery (or lack thereof) and watch as your creations become part of a mass visual montage. Chemistry class was never this fun.

Want to live a happier, healthier life and play video games at the same time? Enter Neeuro. The local start-up, in collaboration with neuroscientists, has developed a ‘Fitbit for the mind’, and it comes in the form of a brain-training headband. The Neeuro SenzeBand and Memorie is equipped with sensors that measure brain activity and stimulate the mind through cognitive games that train your memory and decision-making skills. Bid farewell to your fickle tendencies – your mental health is about to get a boost.