Science expo fun for the kids
A worker with Beijing PhantomVR Technology Co prepares the track for its 5G AR car racing game.
It's time to give the kids an enjoyable weekend with latest science and technology products on show at Shanghai's 6th Popular Science Products Expo, where they can "race" with others via augmented-reality and 5G technologies and interact with dinosaurs.
The four-day exhibition, which opens on Friday, is at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. Visitors can try new hi-tech products, watch a drama in an "immersive theater" and learn about China's latest scientific achievements.
On the ground floor at the East Tower of the exhibition center, Zhang Limin and his team from Beijing PhantomVR Technology Co have prepared a circuit for their company's 5G augmented-reality car racing game.
"Our components are all 3D printed and we hope both children and adults can enjoy the fun of car racing with our devices and system," said Zhang.
He said the company's Peerless Campus Tour allows players to sit in front of a screen and use a steering wheel to control the model cars on the track. Each car has a 5G signal receiver and a camera.
Its view will be processed with augmented-reality technology and give players the feeling that they are actually behind the wheel.
Zhang said that though the devices are mainly for entertainment at present, the company is working on developing their educational aspects. He hopes children will be able to design and make their own cars through 3D-printing technology and program their cars in the future.
Xi'an HangMei Engineering Technology Development Co, an exhibition service provider for science venues, museums and theme parks, has its "Jurassic Park" to the show with several large artificial dinosaurs placed on the second floor of the West Tower.
Visitors can use an "air cannon" to shoot a box of food to a triceratops which will respond if you chose the right type of food. After five shots, it will "fart" and wake up a few baby dinosaurs in eggs. In another corner, a velociraptor will make the same gesture after a visitor raise two hands in front of it.
Two pachycephalosaurs are about to have a "boxing" fight after two visitors press the button on the two sides and make a loud cry. Which pachycephalosaurus wins will depend on how loud the cry is.
Boards near these dinosaurs give detailed bilingual introduction of them.
Zhejiang Dowell Culture Development Co is providing garbage-sorting games using multimedia to help residents get a clearer understanding of the classification of trash. It has four trash bins at its booth and lets the visitors put garbage "cards" into the right bin. It also allows visitors to do garbage sorting on screen and lets them shoot an arrow at trash on a projection screen and let it drop into the correct trash bin.
The State Power Investment Corp Ltd brought a model of its nuclear reactor technology CAP1400 project, whose construction is ongoing in Shandong Province. With the model of this pressurized water reactor, the public can learn how a nuclear reactor works and about the nation's latest progress in nuclear reactor technologies. According to the company's Zhang Qijiang, many people are afraid of nuclear power, but it is hoped that the public can learn more about it and how it can be helpful in producing electricity.
A Xi'an HangMei Engineering Technology Development Co representative uses an "air cannon" to shoot a box of food to a triceratops.
