Practical AI Applications Take Centre Stage at Hangzhou Digital Trade Expo

Dragon Media News Desk

Artificial intelligence products designed for everyday use drew attention at the fifth Global Digital Trade Expo, which concluded in Hangzhou, China, on Sunday. Exhibits ranged from translation glasses and a clothes-folding robotic arm to a system designed to help researchers trace historical documents.

Chinese company Rokid introduced its second-generation AI glasses, which add two-way translation and phone-call translation to functions including photography, navigation and payment. According to the company, translated text appears on the lenses, while an AI assistant can recognise situations and offer timely reminders.

Westlake Robotics demonstrated a robotic arm that identified and folded a garment in 36 seconds. A research team associated with Zhejiang University presented a system designed to answer questions about literature and history using traceable documentary sources. The exhibits showed how AI developers are addressing distinct needs in household tasks and academic research.

The five-day expo, held from September 23 to 27, featured 2,008 exhibitors, including 996 AI companies and 402 overseas companies, according to Zhejiang Daily. More than 47,000 professional buyers from 132 countries and regions registered for the event. Preliminary international procurement demand reached $1.085 billion.