World 5G Convention unveils future digital life

Many new products and technologies were shown at the recently concluded 2023 World 5G Convention. These innovations not only add vibrancy to everyday life but also paint a vivid picture of the digital lifestyle in 5G era.

Metaverse 3D bookstores

"This is the metaverse 3D bookstore. Its design and selection of books are quite similar to those of traditional bookstores." Teng Huixu, a staff member at the China Mobile exhibition area, said, "With this controller, you can navigate to any section, like literature, technology, or astronomy, and then select your favorite book from that section."

Teng said, "Users can open the book to read the summary and user reviews. They can also click the 'purchase' button to buy the book and have it delivered to their home."

Through applying 5G technology, offline bookstores are moved to online, allowing consumers to explore without leaving their homes.

Teng explained, "We first converted books into 3D and visual content. We created audio readings, animations, and films based on select sections of the book to provide readers an entirely immersive reading experience. Besides, the shelf capacity in the metaverse bookstore is infinite. An infinite number of books can be stored."

Additionally, Teng showcased the digital avatar feature of the metaverse 3D bookstore. "In the bookstore, each customer has their own digital avatar. Here, people can freely greet each other, chat via text or voice, share insights about a particular book, or exchange information."

Unmanned buses with radars, cameras

At Zhengzhou's exhibition area at the 2023 World 5G Convention, a distinctive and technologically advanced autonomous bus attracted numerous visitors.

"This is our self-driving bus 'Xiaoyu,' which we developed for smart cities. The bus does not have a driver's cabin, but it does have ten seats. Arrival information is displayed on both sides of the interior, and a screen above the front window shows real-time images of the road ahead. Besides, 'Xiaoyu' can be driven for 150 kilometers continuously," said Liang Dong, a staff member at the Zhengzhou exhibition area.

This bus is equipped with 18 perception radars and 10 perception cameras.

"These radars and cameras function like human's eyes and ears, providing a 360-degree perception of the vehicle's surroundings. The bus can complete tasks by itself, such as traffic light recognition, obstacle avoidance, lane change, self-guided station approach, and charging," Liang explained.

"The performance of the autonomous bus has been significantly improved after multiple technological upgrades." When confronted with an obstacle, the upgraded bus will not abruptly brake or change lanes but will instead slow down and yield, improving passenger comfort. "You can take this autonomous bus for free in Tianjianhu Park in Zhengzhou's High-tech Industrial Development Zone," Liang added.

Source: Science and Technology Daily; trans-editing by Guo Yao