High Tech Meets High Society at the Luxury Technology Show

What happens when the cutting edge of tech meets bottomless pockets? Quite a few things, actually—including the production at least one slightly unnerving robot—but one of the more interesting is the Luxury Technology Show, organized and presented by event production and promotion company RAND Luxury.

The company’s well-known for their luxurious and ostentatious events and properties, including “automotive experiences” with brands like Bentley and Lamborghini, the tricked-out RAND Luxury House (a Park City, Utah bungalow that went for just under $17,000 a night during the 2013 Sundance Film Festival) and the Eco-Luxe Media Showcase, a press-only event that brought high-ticket, eco-friendly items together with members of the media eager to review them. And with the Luxury Technology Show, the firm seeks to bring this same mix of exclusivity, elegance, and excess to the world of high-tech wizardry.

Billed as a “one-of-a-kind showcase featuring innovations from some of the most prestigious & cutting edge technology brands from around the world,” The LTS (as it’s known by insiders) debuted on March 4th, 2014 with a wide range of high-end products from the automotive, electronics, and high-tech industries. The show itself contained a multitude of luxury items (including some luxuriously bad habits), but three budget-busting, envelope-pushing technological wonders in particular caught our interest.

The Emperor LX Computer Work Environment

Visitors to LTS looking to upgrade their daily computing experience could kick back in the Emperor LX, a “computer work environment” that features a climate-controlled command chair with custom lighting, space for a computer, up to five monitors (mounted overhead for easy viewing) and—naturally—a cupholder. With computer-controlled tilt, heat, and massage, this premium work pod is designed for some serious computer marathons. No word on whether it’s compatible with a mini-fridge.

The Emperor LX (which takes its name not from Napoleonic luxury, but the chair’s resemblance to the curved tail of an emperor scorpion) isn’t the fanciest computing throne Modern Work Environment Lab (MWE Lab for short) makes, but it still costs more than your average car (and likely has a better paint job).

Price: Starting at $21,500

The Sim2 Multimedia Fuoriserie Projector

When it comes to high-tech toys, there’s exclusive, and then there’s exclusive. Already bored from searing your eyeballs with an 85-inch 4K TV? Are you looking to spend more on your home theater than most sane people would on their first house? Then the folks at Sim2 Multimedia would like a word with you.

The company’s already famous for producing high-end home theater solutions, but their newest (and exceedingly rare) projector is strictly for the cream of the home cinema crop. Like the Italian sports cars from which it takes its name, the limited-edition Fuoriserie projector boasts incredible performance (including five-thousand-lumen image produced by three chips working in concert), a glossy red finish, and a price tag destined to put a dent in even the heftiest wallet. This little red devil made its debut at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), but LTS attendees were also treated to a live demo of the Fuoriserie’s pristine image.

Limited to a strict production run of 30 units, each Fuoriserie is hand-assembled and customized for its purchaser. The company’s already built 20, so if you want to snag one of the remaining ten, you’ll need to request access to Fuoriserie’s equally exclusive website for details.

Price: Starting at $100,000

Control4 Home Automation

If you’re anything like us, you’ve been waiting for the day you can live in the fully-automated homes promised to us by The Jetsons half a century ago. Rosie the robot maid may not be available just yet, but folks willing to lay out some serious cash can automate their homes (right down to the mailbox) using systems like those offered by Control4 Home Automation.

Visitors to LTS caught a glimpse of the home of the future via Control4’s multi-system control units, which allow homeowners to rig up everything from the door locks and home security system to the small appliances in the kitchen. Depending on their needs, users of the system can even set up macros to dim the lights, start the fireplace, and tune the television and media player to a specific channel—all with the push of a single button on their remote, tablet or phone. More advanced users can cough up the necessary funds to install a full surveillance suite as well, allowing them to keep an eye on their home and possessions on the go from a tablet or smartphone. Aspiring reality show producers, take note!

Price: Starter kits run around $1,000 per room; surveillance packages vary depending on equipment and scale

Some of the hot tech items on display at the LTS might run a little too rich for our blood, but that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t jump at the chance to give them a whirl. The LTS appears to be a singular, invitation-only event at this point, but we’ll keep you posted on any and all upcoming high-tech showcases.

What luxury tech is on your wishist? Let us know in the comments!

Images via MWE Labs, SIM2 Multimedia, and Control4 Home Automation