At the 2026 China International Digital Economy Expo on September 24, a staff member held a plush smart-agent toy and gave it a voice command, and K Bao immediately responded. Its crisp and playful voice drew smiles from nearby visitors, and many stepped forward to try talking with the soft and cute little companion.
Walking through the exhibition hall, such interactive scenes were everywhere. At the expo, AI innovations gathered in Shijiazhuang. Many exhibits broke away from the traditional static display model and put experience front and center, so visitors could do more than just look and listen. They could also try things themselves and feel the new changes brought by digital technology up close.
Technology Performances Draw Crowds
K Bao is a smart-agent toy brought by Hefei Ruitang Culture Media Co., Ltd. It is equipped with a camera and touch-sensing device and can communicate with people through voice. "This is the first time the company has brought a smart-agent toy to Shijiazhuang, and we hope to use the expo to help more consumers learn about related products," said General Manager Peng Fahui. He introduced that this smart-agent toy supports 36 languages and can be used in scenarios such as children's companionship and communication with older adults.
"Robots can conduct cruise displays, song-and-dance performances, and human-machine interaction, while robot dogs can complete site patrols, video calls, music playback, and other functions, and can also be used in life scenarios such as family companionship and package pickup," said Guo Kaiming, a staff member in the robotics division of Xinxiang Dingsheng Technology Co., Ltd. He told reporters that the smart devices brought by his company can be used in commercial activities, exhibitions, and other scenarios.
The exhibition area of the Qinhuangdao Xiaodao Space Intelligent Robot Industrial Base was equally lively. A cargo-handling robot simulated factory material transfer, a housework robot collected scattered dolls one by one, and another robot demonstrated the skill of making candied hawthorn skewers. In the center of the exhibition area, commercial performance robots such as Expedition A3 and Lingxi X2 appeared in turn. They could not only dance and conduct voice interaction, but also take on tasks such as exhibition hall guidance. The robots' smooth movements drew rounds of applause. Emily, a foreign teacher from Hebei Normal University, took out her phone to record the scene. "Here, I feel like I have seen the future," she said.
Immersive Experiences Offer Rich Fun
After putting on VR glasses, visitors were still in the expo hall under their feet, but before their eyes was an ancient bridge, a river, and busy craftsmen. In front of the immersive VR large-space project "Zhaozhou Bridge: Reappearance of the Miracle" brought by Shijiazhuang Deep Animation Technology Co., Ltd., visitors lined up continuously. After putting on the equipment, people walked and looked around the display area, occasionally turning and looking up to find story details in the virtual scene. The roughly 28-minute story centered on Li Chun, the builder of Zhaozhou Bridge, telling of his growth and the design and construction of the ancient bridge, while also incorporating folk legends such as Zhang Guolao and Prince Chai testing the bridge. "I had only visited the Zhaozhou Bridge scenic area before, but this time it felt like I personally experienced the entire construction process of the bridge," said sixth-grade student Zhang Yuhan after the experience, still wanting more.
In another experience area, visitors held simulated guns and charged forward with the Red Army. The VR immersive experience drama "Follow the March: The Long March" launched by Shenzhen Sai'aining Technology Culture Co., Ltd. uses large-space VR technology to turn the story of the Long March into an experience scene where people can walk, observe, and participate. "We hope to use technologies and formats that children like to provide a new vehicle for inheriting and spreading red culture," said Senior Vice President Gao Feng of the company.
Put on the glasses and step into history; take them off and return to the exhibition hall. One immersive experience after another made historical scenes from books appear more intuitively before visitors' eyes.
AI Doctor Assistants Are Highly Efficient
Inside the exhibition hall, a small brain-computer eye mask attracted many visitors to stop. It looks similar to an ordinary eye mask, yet it can collect the user's EEG signals in real time. "This brain-computer eye mask can collect the user's EEG signals in real time, analyze the current stress and sleep state, and then regulate them through music, vibration, infrared heat therapy, and other methods," said Sun Guangbin, technical director of Beijing Silipu Technology Co., Ltd. He introduced that the product can be used in short rest scenarios such as lunch breaks and travel, helping users improve their sleep experience.
At the exhibition area of Hebei Huazheng Information Engineering Co., Ltd., AI became a doctor's "assistant." Business manager Zhao Zhihua opened the AI voice medical record transcription system and simulated a doctor-patient consultation with a reporter on site. The system converted the consultation content into text in real time and extracted key information such as the chief complaint and medical history, automatically filling it into the corresponding sections of the electronic medical record. "The system can assist doctors in writing electronic medical records and improve work efficiency," Zhao Zhihua said.
The concentrated appearance of innovative achievements also allowed people to directly feel that digital innovation continues to empower all industries and outlines a picture of a smart and convenient better life.