About 53 delegations from more than 41 countries and international organizations are participating in the 2020 China Hi-Tech Forum in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, despite the negative effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic. [Photo/chtf.com]

The 2020 China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF) has designed several themed routes for efficient visiting, among which a number of innovative products and technologies brought by selected companies are catching visitors' attention.

The 5G-powered unmanned ship developed by PowerChina Eco-Environmental Group Co. Ltd. is deployed to patrol on and support the maintenance of rivers.

According to the group's technical staff Xiao Chuhang, the second-generation unmanned ship is equipped with 5G technology, BeiDou Navigation System and autopilot, and powered by solar energy.

It can significantly save manpower in collecting water samples, water cleaning and detecting buried pipes for drainage.

With a 5G CPE technology, a high-resolution camera and a water quality sensor, the unmanned ship can be operated either remotely or on site with no limitations of time and distance.

Xiao said a first-generation version of the unmanned ship has been employed to patrol on the Dasha River in Nanshan District since August and has achieved satisfactory results.

An autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) brought by Guangxi Xiangyun Yihang Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd. is another highlight. Unlike the commonly seen drones for taking aerial photos, the AAV is mainly used for urban air mobility including transporting passengers and goods. The company’s technical staff Yang Li told Shenzhen Daily that they also have a firefighting AAV that has been put into service to aid firefighting in high-rise buildings.

A regular participant to the CHTF, Shenzhen GNM Group is bringing its newest graphene coating to the fair.

According to the group's marketing director Zhong Liang, their self-developed graphene composite ceramic anticorrosive resins and coatings have broken the monopoly of foreign high-end anticorrosive coating technology. At the same time, graphene modified coatings have officially entered the field of chemical anticorrosion, opening up an innovative road for the development of modified anticorrosive coatings in China.

Graphene is a form of carbon in a two-dimensional, honeycomb lattice. It has many extraordinary properties, such as super hardness, and is about 100 times stronger than the strongest steel. It also can conduct heat and electricity efficiently.

Zhong said that despite the COVID-19 uncertainties, this year's fair is as successful as its previous editions. "I thought this year there might be fewer visitors, but there are more people interested in our technology than I expected on the first day," Zhong said.