Popular science products expo gives a glimpse into the future
This year's Shanghai Popular Science Products Expo opened Friday and will provide the city's tech lovers a four-day feast of glimpses into the future of technology.
The exhibition is being held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center until Monday, and promises to bring technology closer to the public in a bid to promote better understanding of science and techology, and how things work.
Here are some highlights of the expo:
C919’s simulated cockpit
Many people are familiar with flying in planes already as passengers, but how does it feel sitting in a plane’s cockpit? You can try by sitting in a mock cockpit of the C919, China’s first home-grown passenger jet.
The simulated cockpit has the same layout as the real C919, and can recreate different scenarios such as the airport, cities, and harbors, using the latest visual technology. A moving platform under the cockpit also mimics the motion and bumps felt when flying.
Use a 3D printer to print a model of Shanghai Exhibition Center
A huge 3D printer will work from the first day of the exhibition to the last to print out a 25:1 model of Shanghai Exhibition Center.
Unlike normal 3D printers that print with plastic material, this big 3D printer from Xunshi Technology will use concrete to "print" the exhibition center model. On the last day of the exhibition, staff will paint the freshly-made model to make it look more authentic.
The 3D printing technology, which is already applied in real construction projects, could make construction faster and cheaper.
An exoskeleton robot that can help patients with lower limb paralysis walk again
An Exoskeleton robot from Zhangjiang-based Fourier Intelligence Company is sure to be a hit.
Using sensors, the exoskeleton can provide patients with the power to lift their legs and move forward. It will be particularly helpful in hospital rehabilitation programs. The facility is currently under clinical testing and is expected to launch to the market in 2018.
Take a ride on China’s first self-driving sightseeing car
Next to the exhibition center's fountain, a self-driving sightseeing car is ready to take up to five passengers around the square, showing visitors a firsthand glimpse into the future.
The vehicle provider, National Intelligent Connected Vehicle (Shanghai) Pilot Zone, told Shanghai Daily that the self-driving sightseeing car will also be put into operation in Jiabei Country Park in September, where residents can take a ride in the countryside.
