10 must-see exhibits at CIIE
The most mobile
The latest iteration of a flying car by Slovakian startup Aeromobil has made its debut in China in Hall 2.
The vehicle, which can transform into flight mode in three minutes, provides the aerospace world with a possible future choice. Conforming to automotive safety standards and with lightweight materials and a hybrid electric powertrain, the car may allow people to realize the dream of true freedom of movement both in the air and on the road. The first deliveries to consumers may happen some time around 2020 or 2021.
The ultimate green ride
The Biofore Concept Car, the first CIIE exhibit to clear Chinese customs, is now on show in the Finnish National Pavilion. Designed by UPM, a leader in Finland’s green forestry industry, and Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Biofore features a unique use of renewable biomaterials in the auto industry. For example, the floor of the passenger compartment, the central console, and display panel cover are made from a thermoformable wood material, and a number of other parts (including the front mask, side skirts and dashboard) are made from a durable biocomposite by injection molding or an extrusion process. The car is fueled by a wood-based renewable diesel.
The largest and heaviest
A milling machine, probably the largest and heaviest exhibit at the expo, makes its China debut in Hall 4.1. The machine, made by Waldrich Coburg, a German company specializing in industrial machinery and large machine tools, is 20 meters long, 10 m wide, 8 m high, and weighs 200 metric tons. Covering an area of 200 square meters in the high-end intelligent equipment exhibition area, it can turn out highly accurate micron-sized parts for the aerospace, integrated circuits, industrial automation and robotics industries.
The most expensive
At 200 million yuan ($28.7 million), the AW189, a twin-engine medium-lift helicopter manufactured by Italian aerospace company Leonardo, is without doubt the most expensive exhibit in Hall 4.1. With a maximum cruising speed of 287 kilometers per hour, it can carry up to 19 passengers for activities such as offshore oil and search and rescue operations.
The most entertaining
A fully functioning, high-resolution player piano by Steinway & Sons, displayed in Hall 5.1, brings audiences music played by world-class pianists with entirely lifelike performances. The instrument’s high-res playback system applies proprietary software to measure hammer velocity and proportional pedal use to guarantee precise reproduction of the motions and emotions of the original pianists. New music, videos and playlists are updated, restored and installed monthly in its library, including classical, jazz, and historical performances.
The most glittering
The latest collection of bejeweled shoes by UK-based Malaysian shoe designer Jimmy Choo and his godson Reggie Hung from Genavant, the luxury company they co-founded, glitters in Hall 5.1. The 30 million yuan footwear features 400- to 500carat pink and white diamonds, graded by the Gemological Institute of America, that represent Choo’s goal of replacing engagement rings with shoes.
The smallest, leafless pacemaker
Medtronic, a medical technology specialist from the United States, presents the Micra Transcatheter Pacing System, the world’s smallest leafless pacemaker, in Hall 7.1. Less than 10 percent the size of traditional pacemakers, the Micra TPS is small enough to be implanted directly into the patient’s heart via an applicator inserted into the upper leg, and without the chest incision or scars from conventional pacemakers. The device responds to patients’ physical conditions with automatically adjusting therapies, and can easily be retrieved or repositioned, if need be. It was approved for use in the US by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2016.
The smartest food
Pet owners may find a potential way to reverse cognitive decline in elderly dogs and nourish their pet’s mind in Hall 8.2, where the US dog care company Nestle Purina Petcare’s first New Pro Plan Bright Mind canine nutrition food for dogs ages 7 and older is displayed. According to the company, brainenhancing nutrients in the food, especially enhanced botanical oils, can promote mental alertness and sharpness in aging dogs with results visible within one month.
The fastest future
Qualcomm, a US semiconductor and telecommunications equipment maker headquartered in California, has brought its 5G mobile test platform to Hall 4.1. The platform, with a similar size and power consumption to a smartphone, maintains interoperability and coexistence with 4G LTE, and can achieve download speeds of thousands of megabits per second, meaning it will be possible to download a movie of several gigabytes within seconds. Multiple operators around the world have participated in the trials for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon-powered 5G devices and 5G New Radio technology.
The most transformable
Revolutionary presbyopic glasses with foldable frames and rotatable nose bridges are making their China debut. The ultrathin glasses, by Italian eyewear brand Nannini, are displayed in Hall 6.1. They cost about 300 yuan ($43) a pair, and can be folded into a rectangle 0.9 millimeters thick and stored in the pocket of a pair of jeans. The glasses were recently displayed at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.