How come we don't appear to have gained much from the meeting of those minds -- perhaps you've just forgotten? I can't believe, not for a second, that such a group would have been anything other than focussed on their own futures and respective bottom lines. Unless TB was the Chair?
Not sure if you would feel able to answer the question - but who were you representing?
American Standard as if that helps
And quite frankly a very great deal of what you see around you was first mooted there, including for instance an energy independent home using heat pump technology, solar and wind power applications, recycled heat from the houses own septic tank, which would process and purify the waste and output compressed waste pellets that could be collected and used either as fuel or fertiliser.
All services such was washing Machines and refrigerators built in to into a duct to be maintained from outside the building, food and other supplies to be ordered remotely.
We were fortunate to have access (this would be 1979) to two of the French Minitel system terminals to play with and thought it had great potential (every home should have one)
And the use of holograms to provide virtual windows in internal rooms. where there had been developments of multi storey blocks where external faces were at a premium
We also foresaw the large lCD screens and their applications long before they existed.
A4 sized panels that could be used as books....wonder what became of that?
Great fun back then, imagining you could have the full wall of your living room looking out to a real time full colour moving hologram of a tropical beach with sound and smells to match.
Remember how small TV's were back then?
There were Projects too, one I took part in was for a Charity called Earth Stewards who were interested in developing packaging for Disaster aid that was modular and could, once emptied be assembled into emergency shelters, it was made from a waterproof grade of papier mache, and included conductive tapes that could be connected to low voltage emergency lighting.
Still waiting for the Living room wall Tropical Beach hologram so I can watch the waves break on the beach and feel the Breeze as it ruffles the leaves in the Palm trees.
So many ideas, so much enthusiasm at the time, and when it was all over, we never heard another word.
But over the years many of the things we spoke of appeared.
Co incidence? that some ideas came to fruition? quite possibly, but you have to ask why major companies went to such a considerable expense for no return.
Perhaps they wanted to explore where the imaginations of their Boffins would take them if they were let loose?
See just how mad they really are?
And I have to say all of us that took part loved every minute!
