There is a lot of speculation as to what the future of publishing might look like. If one thing is for certain, it’s that it will involve a screen. Apple’s irresistibly cool hardware, intuitive software and lucrative App Store created a trifecta that arguably saved the music industry. With the iPad, Apple looks to do the same with the publishing industry, from books to magazines to newspapers.

A screen presents new opportunities for a once-static medium, while users demand richer more immersive experiences. The iPad presents its own challenges, like the exclusion of Flash, opting instead to provide these experiences via new developing web standards loosely referred to as HTML5.

To test these new technologies, I put together this interactive HTML5 demo using the Canvas element, Javascript and artwork from my Mecanum Wheels motion illustration.

A few caveats: This demo works only in the latest versions of Safari, Chrome and Firefox. On iOS devices like iPad, iPhone and iPad Touch, it may run slow because Javascript is processed much slower than the native Xcode.

An interactive HTML5/Canvas (no Flash) demonstration allowing users to discover how mecanum wheels work to allow vehicles to move forwards, backwards, side-to-side and rotate on the spot. Works best in Safari, Google Chrome, Firefox and Apple iPad & iPhone.