INVENTIONS from the forefront of science and digital technology were on show in York yesterday at the city's 11th Venturefest.

An estimated 1,500 people passed through the doors of York Racecourse for a day of exhibitions, guest speakers, and business competitions.

Attracting interest throughout the day was the a new feature for Venturefest - the Fab Lab, which sat alongside the Innovation Showcase as an add-on exhibition of the latest technological developments.

One of the exhibitors was Ripon-based Express Group, which was showcasing 3D printers in action, as well as 3D pens which allowed delegates to "draw" 3D sculptures.

Kevin Askew of Express Group, who was demonstrating the £1,349 GoPrint 3D printers, said: "A lot of people are intrigued by 3D printing, they want to know how it works, what they can print and how much it costs.

"We sell to the education sector, marketing companies, architects, hobbyists and inventors and designers.

"I can certainly see the printers taking off in education, and I think people at home will start thinking about what they can make with them, which can be anything from replacement backs for remote controls to phone covers."

Equally exciting was the chance to test one of only two pairs of the Google Glass wearable computers in the UK, which allowed delegates to take photos, browse the website, and play games via a small screen inserted into a pair of glasses.

The technology was being demonstrated by Sam Heather, a computer science student at the University of York.

He said: "I did an internship at Google last summer. I tried the glasses and was really interested in them.

"When I came back I managed to get hold of a pair and since then have been developing apps for them. They are still undergoing tests in the US but are approaching being ready for the consumer market.

"The response has been pretty positive here, people are really enjoying using them."

Also giving a live demonstration was the Woof to Wash machine, the world’s first washing machine which can be operated by a dog.

Activated by barking from specially trained dogs, the machine was designed by John Middleton to help people who are disabled and may suffer from visual, cognitive or manual dexterity deterioration.