Wait no m0re for The Land of Nomo.

The big World Expo in Osaka is coming up later this year, and even though I live in Osaka I haven’t really heard much about what will happen there, aside from that some restrooms will be made out of historic rocks and that the life-sized Gundam from Yokohama is here.

But as the opening date approaches and pavilions near completion, we might finally get a clearer picture of what the 2025 World Expo will have to offer. Panasonic got an early start on their own pavilion and on 14 February gave a glimpse of how it works. The building is called The Land of Nomo, in which “nomo” is the Japanese word for “things,” “mono,” backwards.

The main building is made from 98 percent recycled materials taken from used appliances. It’s divided into two sections with the first being a sort of experimental free-play zone in which guests are given a crystal that they carry and use to trigger lights and sounds in their environment around them. As they do this, cameras monitor each person closely, analyzing their behavior and facial expressions. When they move into the next section, this data is used to give them a personality profile that tells them about their inner potential.

▼ A news report showing the inside of the pavilion

To be honest, the news report above doesn’t look all that mind-blowing, but in The Land of Nomo’s defense, it seems that a lot of its more impressive features either weren’t shown or couldn’t be picked up well by the TV camera.

The curtain of mist is especially interesting as it’s designed to be so fine that you don’t get wet when walking through it. It’s also used for projection mapping and Panasonic is able to manipulate the air currents in the building so the mist is confined to shapes rather than disperse as mist is known to do. This could make for some very interesting and well-defined visual effects.

▼ There’s a story element to the exhibit too, as shown in this teaser trailer.

Also, when interacting with the crystals and pavilions, reactions aren’t limited to lights and sounds. Vibrations and changes in the air also occur for a more immersive experience. It’s also worth noting that with its themes of unlocking future potential, this exhibit is aimed at, but not limited to, children. In fact, Panasonic will also set up a tentatively named “Online Next-generation Co-creation Platform” in tandem with this exhibit that will continue to operate after the Expo and help kids develop their own skills.

The bottom line at the moment is that The Land of Nomo seems to be the kind of thing you’d have to experience first-hand before judging it, but it looks like it could be cool. Hopefully, we can see more of what this World Expo has in store as its start gets closer and closer.

Source, images: PR Times
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