Limbitless Options

January 04, 2024

Reading time: 3.5 minutes

Good afternoon, Orlando! To those of you participating in “dry January,” I admire you and have a wonderful rec for you in today’s issue. 😀

In today’s Orlando Signal, Thursday (weekend fun) issue:

  • “Limbitless” options

  • Orlando’s first non-alcoholic speakeasy

  • History alive

  • + many weekend recs

Let’s get on with it!

- Philip

3 QUICK NEWS BITS ⏲️
AI Helps Generate “Limbitless” Options

Nine-year-old Sarah gazed proudly at the vibrant floral print adorning her new robotic arm, representing a chance to express her unique personality. She was one of twenty children being fitted with personalized bionic arms by Limbitless Solutions, a University of Central Florida research group pioneering the concept of “arm identity”.

Using the latest AI, Limbitless enabled users to customize their prosthetics, helping them feel part of the child's body and self-image according to Creative Director Matt Dombrowski.

The spark came when Dombrowski experimented with Adobe’s generative image software, discovering it could instantly generate endless cosmetic templates based on a child’s interests.

As Executive Director Albert Manero observed, this allowed kids to shape the public perception of their prosthetics and communicate their identity. For Sarah, this self-expression brought life-changing results, as the team tuned her bionic arm’s movements until it felt like a natural extension of her body.

As Limbitless integrates creative AI into its 10th year, Manero confirms they will continue this approach of personalized designs to transform young lives. And for kids like Sarah, this transformation has already begun.

The City Unseen: Artists Re-Enchant Orlando with AR Illusions

Ten cryptic augmented reality posters have emerged across Orlando, courtesy of French artist duo Adriene Mondot and Claire Bardainne. Unlocked by the City Unseen app, the static prints transform into whimsical AR animations that bring imaginary creatures to life.

Dubbed "Faune" after the French word for wildlife, the installations comprise an imaginative digital menagerie of fantasy fauna, viewable only through a lens. By day the posters blend into the urban artscape; come nightfall, the animations leap off the page.

The exhibition marks the American debut for the acclaimed European artists known for using technology to bridge physical and digital worlds. Previously, their work has opened portals to utopian realms and environments, both real and rendered.

In Orlando, their focus turns to conjuring chimeras and creatures. Part urban wall art, part interactive storybook, the ten downtown AR installations turn the city into a postmodern safari. Guide-led tours by Snap! Orlando aim to enchant and edify digital explorers ready to glimpse the extraordinary textures hidden in plain sight. In Faune, augmented reality becomes a looking glass, revealing the wonders that bloom at the intersection of the real and the surreal.

Bikes, Brushstrokes & Building a Better Downtown

Patrick Panza has biked downtown Orlando’s rush hour traffic for over a decade in his role at nonprofit Bike/Walk Central Florida. He welcomes the city’s new $960,000 Downtown Infrastructure and Quick Build project to improve Rosalind Avenue’s safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

Specialized curb extensions will separate bike lanes from vehicles at three intersections while artistic crosswalks reinforce pedestrian safety at eight intersections.

Panza notes most drivers watch for cyclists, but “any improvements are a win” as downtown traffic has increasingly endangered riders.

As two weeks of overnight construction begins, Orlando prepares to transform itself through brushstrokes commemorating inclusion and bike lanes assisting sustainability. The kinetic city pulses on, becoming safer and more vibrant after the March completion date.

WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦
The BANDBOX - Orlando’s FIRST Non-alcoholic Speakeasy

📍1817 North Orange Ave. Orlando, 32804. Map to this location.

🕐 Wednesday & Thursday: 7:00pm - 11:00pm. Friday & Saturday: 7:00pm - 12:00am.

What’s perfect for “Dry January?” MOCKTAILS!

Step through the velvet curtains into The BANDBOX, Orlando's premiere (and FIRST) spirit-free speakeakeasy, a 1920s time capsule whisking guests back to the decadent days of Prohibition. Neon lights cast an alluring glow across rich wood and polished marble. The air thrums with jazz and the chatter of flappers trading banter with buttoned-up gangsters.

Grab a seat at the sleek bar and let our mixologists concoct teetotaling treats. With craft mocktails, artisanal tonics and exotic elixirs, we have a creation for every taste. Sip in style for an hour, guided by their “non-alcoholic concierges” - knowledgeable bartenders providing background on the innovations shaking up the no- and low-proof spirits market.

The man behind the magic is Kevin Zepf, whose lifelong love of immersive theatre and Art Deco aesthetics inspired Orlando’s first spirit-free speakeasy. After honing his design talents working in theatrical production, Kevin returned eager to craft an experience as transportive as theatre itself. The result is an intimate 1920s escape where guests relive - and rewrite - history one delicious sip at a time.

Wander through our handsome bottle shop and take some speakeasy spirit back home. At The BANDBOX, reservations buy you one decadent hour to soak up the sights, sounds and flavors of the Roaring Twenties. So straighten your boater hat and smooth out that fringe dress - it’s time for some prohibition-era fun!

TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND 🍊
The Sounds of the Street Beckon Once More - A Bronx Tale

📍STEINMETZ HALL. 445 South Magnolia Avenue Orlando, 32801 Map to this location.

🕐 Sunday, January 7, 2024 at 7pm

It's 1960s Bronx, and a young Chazz Palminteri bears witness to the chaos and community of his neighborhood underworld —Mafia crime colliding with doo-wop music in the streets.

Decades later, Palminteri revisits those memories in his original one-man play A Bronx Tale. First penned by the writer himself in '89 and premiered in LA, Palminteri's production went on to captivate as a film and Broadway musical adapted by legends like Robert De Niro. However, this weekend Palminteri returns to the story's humble beginnings by channeling the gritty characters of his youth alone on stage.

Having witnessed mob murders at 9 years old, A Bronx Tale captures the complexity of revered yet feared figures, the sins of fathers imprinted on sons, and the sweet nostalgia of harmonies ringing through the streets.

So discover the story that started it all as Chazz Palminteri brings his virtuosic performance back to Orlando — inviting audiences into his coming-of-age amidst the music, malice and magic of 1960s Bronx.

History Alive: Famous Floridians


📍Orange County Regional History Center. 65 E. Central Blvd. Orlando 32801 Map to this location.

🕐 Saturday, January 6, 2024, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Venture through a vibrant portal into Florida’s rich history this Saturday. Meet the legends, mavericks and visionaries who built the foundation of the Sunshine State.

From 11am-2pm, discover the scientists who revolutionized citrus crops, the world-famous pop stars who found their voices here, and the activists who broke barriers for equality. Engage with their inspirational stories through interactive games, crafts, music and artifacts that bring history to life.

Let your imagination run wild in this one-of-a-kind experience, included with museum admission. The activities change monthly, promising fresh adventures every time. Follow the footsteps of Florida’s icons and become part of their ever-unfolding stories.

The Sunshine State overflows with audacious dreamers who remake the world. Now it’s your turn to join them on Saturday.

I STAND ALONE


📍Enzian Theater. 1300 South Orlando Ave. Maitland, 32751. Map to this location.

🕐 Sunday, January 7th. 1pm

In a tumultuous world, a tormented ex-convict-turned-butcher battles a fractured life. Estranged from his mentally-challenged daughter, he struggles to reintegrate, shackled in a loveless marriage driven by money. His festering bitterness explodes into a brutal assault on his pregnant wife and mother-in-law, forcing him to flee to Paris.

Alone, friendless, and jobless, he clings to a loaded pistol, consumed by a single purpose: vengeance and the yearning to reconnect with his lost daughter.

Gaspar Noé's debut film, acclaimed at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival's International Critics’ Week and nominated for the Camera d’Or, thrusts audiences into this raw, controversial narrative.

Through gripping storytelling, Noé's audacious vision unveils the tumult of a man driven to madness by societal rejection, revealing a poignant exploration of fractured relationships and unquenchable desires amidst a backdrop of seething emotions.

WEEKEND HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁 

Friday:

Saturday:

Sunday:

ORLANDO WEATHER 🌤️

Friday

74🌡️ 60 | 🌤️ | Mostly sunny

Saturday

73🌡️ 55 | ⛅️ | Cloudy and breezy with a couple of showers and a heavy thunderstorm; thunderstorms can be severe

Sunday

67 🌡️ 52 | ⛅️ | Cloudy and less humid

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THANKS! 🙏

We’ll see you on Monday!

Many thanks for reading the Orlando Signal today. If you found something useful or interesting, please share this edition with someone you know!

My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal