Foshan expo spotlights advanced equipment manufacturing

A dancing "lion" jumped and stretched its body to the rhythm of the background music during an expo at Tanzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center on Sept 20, garnering great public attention.

However, when people took a closer look, they discovered that it was actually a robot clad in a lion-dancing cloth, one of the high-tech products on display at the 5th Exposition for Investment and Trade of Advanced Equipment Manufacturing in the West Bank of the Pearl River (AEME), which took place in Foshan from Sept 20 to 22.

Eight cities, namely Foshan, Zhuhai, Shaoguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Yangjiang, Zhaoqing, and Yunfu brought their best manufacturing products to the expo to attract a new round of contracts.

The 5th AEME Expo was divided into four parts, display and transactions, project signings, investment and promotions, as well as industry forums.

Various advanced technologies, such as robots, smart manufacturing products, and new-energy cars, were put on display, broadening visitors' horizons, as well as showcasing new forms of business of the manufacturing industry in the eight cities.

Compared with last year's expo, the 5th AEME aimed at displaying more smart and green manufacturing products to improve people's quality of life.

Robots made by Longshen are not only able to play on a drum kit and paint with both hands, but are also able to play Gobang. They can also respond to the moves made by visitors within a second, which sparked the interest of many visitors.

Robotic hands used at the Tiangong-2 space lab also appeared at the expo. This special hand is composed of five modular fingers and a humanoid palm. To people's surprise, it was so agile that it can imitate 90 percent of human hand movements. At the event, the artificial hand picked up name cards with ease. It is hoped that in the near future it can be used as prosthesis.

Another highlight of the expo was the RAY parking robot system, which is designed to solve parking problems. Drivers can leave their cars with the robot after obtaining a digital receipt by scanning the QR code in the smart terminal system. The relevant robots will then lift up the designated car and deliver it to the vacant lot. With only a click on the app, drivers can also have their cars returned. This system is expected to be put into use at Beijing Daxing International Airport before Oct 1.

Real high-speed railway and airplanes were also displayed at the expo. CSR Guangdong Rolling Stock Co Ltd hauled the China Railway Hexie (Harmony) bullet trains and the high-speed magnetic suspension transport system into the event. It was said that trains can travel at 600 kilometers per hour with this system.

Attendees were also able to experience a tramcar that uses hydrogen energy. Equipped with 12 hydrogen tanks, the tram can travel 200 to 240 kilometers. Currently, trams with six hydrogen tanks will be put into use in Gaoming, Foshan. Another breakthrough was the first V-size horizontal stabilizer airplane with one turbo-fan. With its parachute and autonomous driving system, this private plane can accommodate up to seven people.

With 198.3 billion yuan ($28 billion) in investment, the 5th AEME featured a total of 234 organized projects, among which three had an over 10 billion yuan investment amount, and 57 had over 1 billion yuan.

At the opening ceremony, 18 projects with investment up to 64.47 billion yuan had been signed, including a maritime heavy industry park project, the Shunde technology research and development and industrialization base for new materials, as well as the future technology innovative research institution of Chinese Academy of Sciences.