On October 25, during an interview with Zhang Xueying from China News Service, we explored an innovative coffee delivery system in Zhuzhou. Imagine ordering a cup of coffee through your smartphone and having it safely delivered to your hands by an “air delivery personnel” just 3 to 5 minutes later, without any spills.
This futuristic scenario has become a reality in Zhuzhou thanks to the continuous advancements in the core technology of China’s BeiDou Satellite Navigation System.
Lu Jun, Executive Director of the Zhuzhou “Drone + BeiDou” Low-altitude Comprehensive Service Center, explained, “The ‘Ark 40 drone’ combines BeiDou’s high-precision service, visual navigation, and laser radar technology, achieving landing precision down to the centimeter level. This method of delivery can reduce shipping times by more than 80% compared to traditional road transportation.” He further mentioned that the company has launched 21 routes for medical transport, express delivery, and agricultural product transportation. “When hospitals urgently need blood, it only takes three or four minutes to deliver it by drone from the blood bank,” he added.
From October 24 to 25, the third International BeiDou Large-scale Application Summit was held in Zhuzhou, showcasing the Ark 40 drone among other technological innovations. The summit featured indoor scenario demonstrations and outdoor static exhibits. Attendees discovered various applications using BeiDou technology, including a smart farming system for rice, an autonomous cleaning vehicle with a precision of up to 5 centimeters, and a BeiDou satellite emergency rescue watch that can send distress signals. These advancements show how the once distant capabilities of the BeiDou system have quietly integrated into everyday life.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the BeiDou system’s development. Since its inception in 1994, it has achieved significant milestones: transforming from a non-existent concept to a global positioning system, now providing services to over 200 countries and regions with all-weather, all-time, and high-precision navigation and timing.
Public transportation challenges like long wait times and slow operations can hinder people’s mobility. Within a 10-square-kilometer area in Zhuzhou’s Vocational Education and Innovation City, passengers can now book buses in real time through a mini-program. The compact 5.33-meter BeiDou cloud bus arrives in just 5 minutes, with an average trip time of 10 minutes to the destination.
This new type of bus, developed by the Zhuzhou Public Transport Company in collaboration with CRRC Times Electric Vehicle Co., utilizes the BeiDou system. According to Wen Jianfeng, Deputy Director of the CRRC Electric Foundation and Testing Research Institute, “The platform enables real-time tracking of the cloud bus, allowing for the merging of orders based on passenger needs to create efficient routes and provide point-to-point travel services.”
As hiking becomes increasingly popular, so do the risks associated with it. “We partnered with Zhongbing Weitong Co., Ltd. to create the BeiDou Badge,” explained Yan Zhiwei, Chairman of Hailiao Satellite. The BeiDou Badge is the first consumer device in China that supports BeiDou text, voice, and image functions simultaneously. It remains functional even in remote areas without ground network access, enabling emergency communication through satellite networks to ensure safety.
According to official data, the overall output value of China’s satellite navigation and positioning service industry reached 536.2 billion yuan in 2023, marking a 7.09% increase from 2022. The BeiDou system has found extensive applications across agriculture, forestry, fisheries, hydrology monitoring, meteorological forecasting, disaster relief, and public safety, leading to new business models, emerging industries, and economic growth.
