New services, tech-powered devices to facilitate 2022 Winter Games

As the 2022 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games approach, energy firms, banks, tax institutions, telecom providers, technology and sportswear companies have rolled out or will launch their latest services and products for the Games. Let's take a look.

Hydrogen fueling station

China National Petroleum Corp saw its first hydrogen fueling station in Beijing begin operations in August, to ensure clean fuel supply will be available during the 2022 Winter Olympics in the capital.

Located in Changping district, with an area of 1,700 square meters, the Futian hydrogen fueling station is dedicated to securing hydrogen supply for vehicles in Zhangjiakou for the 2022 Winter Games, the company said.

The station has an average filling capacity of 600 kilograms daily, capable of powering 50 to 60 hydrogen-powered buses, it said.

A hydrogen fueling station built by State Power Investment Corporation in Beijing's northwestern Yanqing district also went into operation in August.

The station is the second to open in Yanqing for the Games, the first having opened in July last year.

Wang said the new station can refuel 60 to 100 coaches or 200 small and medium-sized buses per day. On a full tank, a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle can travel about 500 kilometers.

A total of 212 fuel cell cars will be put into service in Yanqing. At the end of the Games, the vehicles will be used as buses to connect Yanqing with downtown Beijing.

E-CNY

Pilot scenario construction for using China's digital fiat currency, or the e-CNY, during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics has entered a final sprint as part of the country's efforts to promote the new payment form.

All construction of the digital yuan payment scenarios was completed in the offices of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, said the People's Bank of China, the central bank.

Payment scenarios are all in place for venues in the Zhangjiakou competition zone in Hebei province. Other venues in Zhangjiakou have seen contracts for payment scenarios signed or related arrangements with merchants made.

Consumers can use the e-CNY either through wallet apps installed on their mobile phones or via physical wallets in the forms of cards and wearables such as smart watches, ski gloves or badges to meet their diversified needs.

Sportswear with the latest warm technology

A sponsor for the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, Anta introduced its latest warm technology solution in sportswear during an Anta technology reveal event on Sept 27. The products are designed to support 12 national teams it sponsored and up to 30,000 service staff during the Games.

Retail minibus

Simply by waving their hands, consumers can call a 5G-enabled unmanned retail minibus. By clicking a virtual button on the vehicle's screen, consumers can buy anything they want. When the minibus is not around, consumers can also place an order on their smartphones, and the self-driving minibus will "find" them for delivery. Behind the vehicle is China Unicom's 5G-enabled intelligent vehicle networking system, deployed in the Shougang Industrial Park in Beijing's Shijingshan district.

The intelligent vehicle networking system can support four types of unmanned vehicles and enable the demonstration operation of 10 business scenarios such as unmanned ferry, unmanned retail and unmanned delivery, said Liu Qi, a senior technical expert at China Unicom's smart city research institute.

It is expected to realize the first systematic application of L4-level intelligent vehicle networking business to the Olympic scenes, China Unicom said. Level 4 autonomy means the car can drive itself in most conditions without a human behind the wheel.

Robotaxi

Robotaxis are becoming a reality in Beijing as the capital becomes the first city in China to allow the vehicles to operate on public roads.

Local authorities issued permits on Nov 25 to robotaxi service operators, whose vehicles can offer such services in a 60-square-kilometer zone, with 350 km of open roads, in its southern suburb of Yizhuang.

Baidu is among the first to receive the permits, now having 67 robotaxis in the zone. They can pick up and drop off passengers at 600 points in both commercial and residential areas.

These autonomous vehicles can be hailed via the smartphone app Apollo Go and the service is available every day of the week from 7 am to 10 pm, said the company.

Baidu was also approved in May to charge passengers for driverless robotaxi services in Beijing's Shougang Park, one of the sites for 2022 Winter Games.

Preferential tax services

China's tax authorities will provide innovative and convenient services to taxpayers during the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, officials said on Oct 29.

Measures are being taken by the local tax authorities in Beijing and Hebei province to benefit five groups of taxpayers, including the International Olympic Committee, the Beijing 2022 organizing committee, operators of venues, sponsors and broadcasting service providers. The preferential tax policies are related to value-added and individual income taxes, said Zhang Youqian, head of the Beijing Tax Bureau.

Tax refund services for the 2022 Winter Olympics will be provided online, without registration procedures, filing or physical contact, according to Zhang.

"We will continue to simplify the review procedures of external payments and the individual income tax exemption for foreigners. Some special services have been offered for providing tax payment certificates to foreigners involved in the Winter Games," he added.

Superfast 5G network

During the Winter Olympics, 5G signals will cover all Games venues and roads connecting them, including the Beijing-Zhangjiakou High-Speed Railway. Steady and continuous 5G signal coverage will be necessary for ultrahigh definition videos and smart services.

AI-powered skiing analysis model

Chinese athletes are getting a helping hand from artificial intelligence in their efforts to prepare for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. AI is being used in a visual scoring system to help them train for freestyle skiing aerials.

Xiaoice, a Chinese AI pioneer, has won a bid from China's sports administration to design the visual scoring system. Based on the unique characteristics of freestyle skiing aerials, Xiaoice is developing an original AI-powered skiing analysis model to help athletes improve training efficiency and to achieve scientific training.