More tech visions of future from NextFest

Boulder, Colorado-based artist Jen Lewin built this interactive instrument called Light Harp, which lets people play music by putting their arms, fingers or legs under its red laser beams, stretching from base to top. Low-power laser diodes create a virtual string across the 10-foot floor-to-ceiling span. Embedded light sensors detect movement, including how the strings are being touched. A quick strike into the laser will create a high note and a slow movement will sound more like a lullaby. (Movements affect pitch and volume, depending on their speed and location in the laser string.)