Visitors explore future lifestyles at newly opened AI store in Shanghai

Visitors can now experience firsthand how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping future lifestyles at the newly opened AI Matrix Store "MetAI Hub" in Shanghai's Zhangjiang AI Innovation Town.

Opened on May 11, the nearly 2,000-square-meter space features more than 500 AI products from 100 brands. Unlike traditional "display-only" technology venues, the store encourages visitors to touch, test, and interact with the latest AI products.

The store houses six themed zones, including a curated product space, makers' workshops, and an AI health area. One of the most popular attractions is an AI health screening system that generates a rapid health assessment report within 90 seconds using non-contact sensing technology.

The store also functions as a makerspace for innovators, helping startups test products in real-life scenarios and shorten the time it takes to turn a concept into reality.

"Here we can see the advanced processing equipment, including 3D printer and laser engraver. We also have a highly experienced technical team that helps One-Person Companies quickly bring their ideas to life and conduct model testing," said Lan Chaoxiang, head of the Maker Area of MetAI Hub.

In addition, the AI Matrix Store aims to serve as a global launch platform for AI products and a gateway for startups expanding overseas.

"When their products are still in the prototype stage, we will build a complete funding mechanism for producers, allowing many global geeks to get a sneak peek. We also hope to combine online and offline channels for this overseas expansion platform," said Zhao Tongyang, an executive at the store.

Zhao said the store will be developed into an AI ecosystem center rather than a traditional retail outlet, combining experience, commerce, incubation, and social interaction.

Visitors explore future lifestyles at newly opened AI store in Shanghai

China launched the world's largest offshore converter station, "Heart of Offshore Wind", from Nantong, east China's Jiangsu Province, on Wednesday, marking the entry of the ultra-high voltage direct current transmission era for the country.

Weighing 25,000 tons, the platform set sail to an offshore wind farm in Yangjiang City in south China's Guangdong Province for installation.

An offshore converter station serves as the "heart" of an offshore wind farm, collecting and stepping up the alternating current generated by individual wind turbines, converting it to high-voltage direct current, and then transmitting it to the onshore grid via subsea cables.

With a length of 85.5 meters, a width of 82.5 meters, and a height of 44 meters, the station's floor area is equivalent to that of a standard football pitch, and its height is roughly equivalent to a 15-story residential building.

"This is the world's first flexible direct-current offshore converter station rated at plus or minus 500 kilovolts and 2,000 megawatts, adopting a domestically pioneering modular and compact) power transmission system. Under limited space and weight constraints, through compact design, the electrical energy from all wind turbines across both wind farms is fully collected into this single substation, where voltage step-up and power conversion are completed. This significantly reduces the overall project cost while also saving offshore area," said Yang Bin, manager of the "Heart of Offshore Wind" project for the Guangdong branch of China Three Gorges Corporation.

World's largest offshore converter station sets sail for installation