5G drives online economy in Pudong

HiScene Information Technology Co, an eight-year-old startup in Shanghai, reported a 201 percent year-on-year growth in sales in the first quarter of 2020 thanks to its 5G-powered augmented reality (AR) services.

During the novel coronavirus outbreak, the company has helped a number of businesses and institutions resume operations.

It recently worked with Huawei and the Hunan branch of China Mobile to realize the transnational assembly of a production line for Xiangtan Iron and Steel Co of Hunan Valin using 5G and AR technology.

Wearing AR glasses produced by HiScene and powered by 5G, engineers from China, Germany and Austria have been able to assemble a steel production line remotely.

As China strides into the era of 5G, a new online economy involving AR, VR (virtual reality) and MR (mixed reality) in Pudong is bringing about opportunities for large-scale development.

Wasee VR based in Zhangjiang Science City has become a VR panorama service provider for Baidu Maps and has developed more than 10 VR panorama projects on the navigation app.

Shadow Creator, specializing in MR, has partnered with more than 400 schools and educational institutions in China.

"We are working to integrate the most advanced MR and 5G technology into classes and other training sessions. We hope that our solutions can increase equal access to education," said Hu Jinxing, founder of the company.

Industrial insiders suggest that given the rapid development of 5G, more breakthroughs in VR and AR are expected.