Scientific and technological breakthroughs that will blow your mind
A beacon of eye-opening innovation, including this month’s historic moon landing, China is becoming the global leader in everything from artificial intelligence and robotics to green energy.
Click ahead as we put the spotlight on 28 recent advances that reveal why the planet’s most populous country is rapidly getting ahead.
1. World’s first qualified robotic doctor
An AI-powered robot called Xiaoyi took China’s notoriously difficult medical licensing exams in November 2017 and passed with flying colors, the first automaton to do so. A sign of things to come, the docbot was developed by speech recognition firm iFlytek.
2. World’s largest floating solar power plant
China is now the world’s No. 1 investor in renewable energy, and the largest-ever floating solar plant has recently gone live in the country. Located on an old coal mine in the eastern province of Anhui, the $151 million Three Gorges project can power 94,000 homes at full capacity.
3. World’s first passenger drone
In February 2018, the world’s first autonomous passenger drone took to the skies in Lianyungang. The Ehang 284 completed a series of test flights at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour, and may well be the commuting vehicle of choice in the not-too-distant future.
4. World’s first operational drone-delivery programme
While customers in the West wait for Amazon’s flying delivery service to happen, Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com is already using drones to deliver packages. The company operates 40 pilotless craft covering 100 villages in rural China, and plans to expand the service nationwide.
5. World’s largest waste-to-energy plant
China is set to turn trash into treasure when the Shenzhen East Waste-to-Energy Plant becomes operational in 2020. The plant will burn a third of the sprawling city’s waste and power up to 100,000 homes.
6. World’s first monkey clones
Moving ever closer to human cloning, in early 2018 geneticists in China successfully cloned two macaques, which they named Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua. The team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Xi’an used the same method that produced Dolly the sheep to create the female twins.
7. World’s first robot-staffed bank
The China Construction Bank opened the world’s first robot-staffed bank in April 2018 in Shanghai. Customers are assisted by a cheerful AI-powered bot and a number of interactive devices that incorporate augmented and virtual reality.
8. World’s first lung regeneration therapy
In April 2018, researchers at Tongji University announced the world’s first lung regeneration therapy. A major medical breakthrough that could transform the lives of people living with lung disease, the stem-cell treatment uses mice cells to regenerate damaged lung tissue.
9. World’s first trackless smart train and virtual railway
Another global first, a fully automated trackless smart train that runs on a virtual railway was launched in the city of Zhuzhou in October 2017. Cheaper than a tram system and more eco-friendly than buses, the smart train could make both modes of transportation a thing of the past.
10. World’s first warship-mounted railgun
In March 2018, the Chinese military tested a new superweapon: the world’s first warship-mounted railgun. The electromagnetic canon can project shells at hypersonic speeds of up to 6,710 miles per hour.
11. World’s first forest city
China is a notoriously polluted country but it is in the process of building the world’s first forest city. Home to 30,000 people, the verdant urban area in Guangxi Province will boast 40,000 trees capable of absorbing 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year.
12. World’s first solar expressway
Solar roads provide cheap renewable power where it’s needed and have the added bonus of melting ice and snow. France built the first solar road in 2016, but China has completed the world’s first solar expressway, which is situated in the city of Jinan.
13. World’s first 4K virtual reality headset
Taking the whole virtual reality experience to the next level, streaming company iQIYI, which is China’s answer to Netflix, unveiled the first-ever VR headset with 4K resolution in April 2018. The QIYU VR II is future-proofed to support 8K display when it arrives and promises unparalleled VR visuals.
14. World’s first third-generation AP1000 nuclear reactor
China is the first country to construct a third-generation AP1000 nuclear reactor – this new generation of reactors has higher capacity, more advanced safety features and enhanced fuel efficiency. Unit 2 in Sanmen completed a full-power demonstration test run in November 2018, and is now considered to be in commercial operation.
15. World’s first 3D-printed electric car
Chinese 3D printing firm Polymaker has partnered with Italy’s X Electrical Vehicle (XEV) to manufacture the world’s first 3D-printed electric car. The vehicle, which will cost around $10,000, is slated to go on sale in spring 2019.
16. World’s first deep sea mining vessel
As well as boasting the most advanced deep sea submersible, China has also brought the world the very first deep sea mining vessel. Launched from Fuijan’s Mawei shipyard in March 2018, the Nautilus New Era can function at a depth of 8,000 feet.
17. World’s first fully electric cargo ship
Staying with nautical technology, the world’s first all-electric cargo ship set sail from Guangzhou Shipyard International in December 2017. Ironically, the battery-powered eco-vessel is being used to transport coal along the Pearl River.
18. World’s first automated dental implant
Robot dentists could be coming to a surgery near you sooner than you might imagine. In September 2017, a particularly nimble robot fitted two 3D-printed implants in a woman’s mouth at a hospital in the city of Xi’an.
19. World’s first AI teaching assistant
In April 2018, software and game developer NetDragon showcased the world’s first AI teaching assistant. Qiqi can check for absentees, help with marking and set customized projects for individual students. This has since been followed by the world’s first AI news reader, with China’s state news agency Xinhua introducing AI anchors who can work 24 hours a day, in November 2018.
20. World’s first amphibious drone
UVS Intelligence System, a drone-maker based in Shanghai, introduced the world’s first amphibious drone in September 2017. The unmanned U650 aircraft has a cruising speed of 112 miles per hour and can carry up to 552 pounds of cargo.
21. World’s largest air purifier
This colossal air purifier could be another solution to China’s pollution problems. Designed by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Xi’an, the 328-foot (100m) tower has improved local air quality significantly since it was installed in 2017 and several larger towers are currently in development.
22. World’s first ultrafast 3D microscope
In early 2018, a team at the Chinese University of Hong Kong presented the world’s first ultrafast 3D microscope. The futuristic medical device has the potential to transform the study of eye and neurological diseases such as glaucoma and Alzheimer’s.
23. World’s first electric bus fleet
The southeastern city of Shenzhen got a little bit quieter at the end of 2018. Its 16,000 buses have switched from diesel to electric, creating the world’s first fleet of 100% electric buses. Not only does this mean that CO2 emissions are expected to drop by 48% – the equivalent of 440,000 tons a year – but with these almost silent buses life for the megacity’s 12 million inhabitants will be a little quieter too.
24. World’s longest sea bridge
The $20 billion Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau sea bridge, spanning 34 miles connects Hong Kong to Zhuhai on the Lantau island, as well as the gambling region of Macau. Undersea for four miles, the bridge reduces the four-hour car journey to Zhuhai from Hong Kong to 30 minutes.
25. World’s largest single-dish radio telescope
Catching up with the United States and Russia, China has established itself as a leading player in space exploration in recent years. In 2016, for instance, the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope was completed in Guizhou Province. The supersized device is monitoring the cosmos for signs of alien life.
26. World’s first quantum satellite and unhackable computer network
Steaming ahead of the U.S., China launched the world’s first quantum communications satellite in 2016 and is developing a quantum-based computer network that will send data on photons of light, making it 100% unhackable.
27. World’s most sensitive dark matter probe
China launched Wukong (Monkey King), the world’s most sensitive dark matter probe in 2015 and has come tantalizingly close to proving the existence of the mysterious substance. Discovering dark matter would be a huge scientific coup for the country.
28. World’s first landing on the far side of the moon
On Jan. 3 China announced that it had landed the Chang’e 4 spacecraft called Yutu 2 on the far side of the moon. This image of the previously unseen side has put China on the map of space exploration. NASA described it as a “first for humanity and an impressive accomplishment.”
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Source: MSN