Smart billiard table capable of assembling balls in 18 seconds showcased at exhibition

A smart billiard table that can arrange balls in just 18 seconds was displayed at the 20th World Billiards Exhibition (GBE 2026), showcasing cutting-edge innovations in the sport.

The exhibition was held from May 10 to 12 at Area B of the Canton Fair Complex on Pazhou Island, Guangzhou City, south China's Guangdong Province.

A company from Shenzhen City of Guangdong, whose main products include smart billiard equipment and ball arrangers, brought four self-developed competitive products to the exhibition.

"Three of them are our main intelligent ball arrangers, and the other is an intelligent ball-arranging table. They can arrange balls in various patterns including 'three', 'four', 'six', 'nine', 'fifteen', or even customized arrangements. It takes only about 18 seconds from pressing the button to being ready to break," said Du Keming, technical director of the exhibiting company from Shenzhen.

According to the company, the principle of the smart table is similar to that of an automatic mahjong table. While players are using one set of balls, another set is already being arranged underneath, enabling a near-instant response and greatly saving ball-arranging time.

"I think it's a good system because [it's] very convenient for players," said a foreign visitor.

Another company presented a newly launched cue with adjustable stiffness, which is said to be capable of adjusting the flexibility of the front part of the cue to better suit the player.

Besides the table and cue, gloves are also important for proficient play.

A company from east China's Shandong Province brought several new products, each with its own advantages.

"The material is a newly developed 'three-proof' fabric that is water-resistant, stain-resistant, and anti-static. This is a pair of 360 degrees all-round anti-slip gloves with inner silicone on the palm and fingers. When playing, the glove might slip down, but with this design, when you push forward, the glove does not slide down. Moreover, this new fabric allows snags to be restored," said Yu Hang, founder of the exhibiting company from Shandong.

The exhibition area of GBE 2026 exceeded 80,000 square meters, bringing together hundreds of domestic and international exhibitors, along with exhibition matches featuring star players.

Smart billiard table capable of assembling balls in 18 seconds showcased at exhibition

A dazzling lineup of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies was on display at an immersive tech fair that just concluded on Tuesday in Guangzhou City, south China, captivating visitors with true-to-life and thrilling game experiences.

Held inside the China Import and Export Fair Complex, the three-day World VR/AR/XR/MR Industry and Smart Glasses Exhibition drew exhibitors from around the world to showcase their hottest immersive products, and tech enthusiasts couldn't wait to test the gadgets and gear firsthand.

"I just experienced the VR skydiving. The sense of weightlessness is very strong, and my experience is fantastic. It feels like real skydiving, but you can't stay for too long, as it's so real that you might get a bit dizzy," one visitor said.

A local company presented several products including a dome-screen theater that delivers glasses-free 3D visuals ideal for tourist attractions.

"The highlight is that we have turned the track-based theater into a dome theater. It offers a 3D audio-visual experience with 8K high-definition images. Our exclusive footage is incredibly sharp, and we've added immersive motion effects along with special effects like wind, rain, thunder, snowflakes, and bubbles," said Liu Jiale, sales manager of the exhibiting company.

The company landed an overseas order on the very first day of the expo, and saw a steady stream of curious visitors stopping by to try out the products.

Another overseas company showcased a VR large-space arena that allows multiple visitors to experience it at once. The game has already attracted players from 35 countries and regions.

"We come here every year to introduce new games. We have many clients, both Chinese and international, from countries like Kazakhstan, Spain, France, and many others. We offer seven VR games with new maps, and our games currently support eight foreign languages," said Denis, the company manager.

China is now home to over 35,000 VR firms, and the whole VR industry is forecast to exceed 350 billion yuan (about 50 billion U.S. dollars) by 2026.

Immersive VR games wow crowds at Guangzhou tech expo