Sharpest minds at park to offer high-tech solutions

AI systems and robots helping control and limit spread of disease in public places

A number of new technologies from Zhongguancun Science Park have been put into use in hospitals, residential areas and office buildings, and contributed to the fight against the novel coronavirus, the park's administrative committee said.

These technologies are being applied to epidemic prevention and control in sectors incorporating temperature monitoring, big data service and artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis and treatment.

An intelligent system developed by AI solution provider Sound AI is used in elevators at the Zhongguancun Advanced Technology Innovation Center.

The system enables voice control for elevator users and is aimed at reducing the need to touch surfaces in the wake of business resumption, according to Sound AI.

The system supports multiple requests and has also been used at the Beijing Haidian Hospital, according to the company.

Another product on display is an intelligent data collection system that can provide warnings when public areas become overcrowded, Beijing Daily quoted a staff member of the center as saying.

Based on a visual technology and recognition algorithm for human behaviors and features, the system can collect pedestrian number data and send it to a warning platform. This helps in the accurate prevention and control in commercial buildings, he explained.

A robot developed by Yunji Technology is another of the technological products used to combat the novel coronavirus.

Designed to assist in delivering food to staff members, the robot can navigate through buildings and go up and down stairs, the company said.

Workers can order food from their canteens by scanning a QR code and supplying detailed information about their location, the company said.

"The robot can even use elevators in buildings to deliver the food," a manager at Yunji said.

To date, the center has welcomed 15 frontier technology companies, each of them valued at a minimum of 100 million yuan ($14.12 million), the park said. They boast advanced technologies and senior talents, which are recognized by the market.

As the advanced technological products made their debuts, the center has become a landmark to mark Zhongguancun's efforts in helping the battle against the coronavirus through high-tech power, the park said.

Since February, Zhongguancun has released three lists of its new technologies and services that can contribute to the fight against COVID-19.

The lists include 371 products and services from 251 enterprises in the park. Of them, more than 120 technological products from some 90 companies have seen letters of intentions signed, an official from the park said at a news conference in mid-March.

The park has launched an online activity to promote investment projects involving high-value patents in the field of epidemic prevention and control, as part of its efforts to help commercialize these patented technologies.

To date, Zhongguancun has organized nine such activities, promoting 47 projects and attracting more than 2,000 participants.

"We encourage more companies in Beijing to apply technologies such as AI and big data to helping combat the epidemic," Zhang Wei, head of the publicity and education department at the Beijing Intellectual Property Office, said in a recent interview with China Daily.

"The value of companies' technologies are assessed by the market, while we are committed to protecting their IP in their market operation," Zhang said.

In cooperation with the Beijing Commission of Transport and the Beijing Commerce Bureau, Zhongguancun has organized 25 companies in areas including AI and wearable equipment for temperature measurements to produce 42 customized technological solutions in a bid to help comply with the requirements of supermarkets and public transport vehicles.

The park will continue to explore and promote more new technologies and products for epidemic prevention and control, and work resumption, its officials said.

Such a move uses the park's technological innovation strength to the full and helps its companies maintain stable operations, according to the park.