While some argue there is much overhype around the current capabilities of artificial intelligence, AI could be set to transform the world of travel and tourism, as witnessed during a recent Travel Tomorrow visit to the Lenovo Future Centre in Shanghai.
We’ve heard a lot about AI-generated itineraries and even AI travel guides, but Lenovo, a 40-year-old firm with over 33,000 patent approvals and applications worldwide, is taking things further, showcasing in their Shanghai base a range of cutting-edge tech concepts to reveal how AI can assist both travellers and destination managers.
Alongside 18 others around the world, Shanghai is an important research and development hub for Lenovo, with a majority of employees there engaged in R&D work. Alongside a concept vehicle infotainment system that will take a photo on a gesture signal when passing famous landmarks so that tourists do not have to clog roads or park badly to get that shot, their products include a dog-like service robot that can cope with rugged terrain, metaverse technology to create digital records of ancient monuments, and innovative AI displays to bring rare species to life.
The Lenovo Daystar Legged Robot GS
Looking and moving like a faithful canine friend, Lenovo’s first self-developed legged robot promises high mobility and stability across complex terrains thanks to its six-limbed design. It is able to complete routine and specialised tasks and can carry up to 100kg upstairs. It can also monitor equipment and conduct site inspections in a variety of environments, from industry to wilderness surveying, as well as potentially performing emergency rescues where needed. And it can work for 24 hours a day and never get tired.
The implications of the Daystar Legged Robot for how we access, visit, and inhabit remote and rugged parts of the world, from the poles to the highest mountains (and why not the Moon?) could be groundbreaking.
Digital twinning to preserve sensitive sites for the ages
Sensitive archaeological or architectural sites, such as the Pagoda of Fogung Temple in China’s Ying County, often have suffered over the centuries due to a range of factors, from natural erosion to human-induced damage. In such fragile places, access can be difficult and dangerous both for the artefacts themselves and for today’s researchers and restorers, who are sometimes prevented by these issues from being able to gather accurate information, in this case, about the Fogung Temple structure and the Buddha statues within.
But thanks to a collaboration between Lenovo and the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University, a full lifecycle digital conservation plan has been created. Metaverse technology has allowed a digital twin of the pagoda to be created in the virtual realm, ensuring the long-term preservation of the architectural information and decorative knowledge held there.
From Türkiye’s underground city of Derinkuyu, in Cappadocia, to the delicate ecosystem in France’s Lascaux Caves, this is an application with potential use-cases in similar prestigious heritage sites around the world.
Resurrecting rare species to enhance public awareness
Lenovo has also partnered with the Shanghai Museum of Nature to launch an AI display project that “resurrects” rare biological specimens such as fin whales, mammoths, and baiji dolphins. Advanced AI technology and Lenovo’s bespoke spatial computing and AI-generated content have been deployed to create an immersive visitor experience.
By bringing ancient specimens “to life,” the museum has been better able to showcase the beauty of biodiversity, plunging its guests into a more emotive, interactive setting. The approach, Lenovo says, could be a game-changer for enhancing cultural and scientific exhibitions and raising public awareness.
Smart avionics
During aircraft assembly, multiple functional tests must be carried out, including complex and time-consuming operations, and involve a vast amount of data recording, sorting, and analysis.
Lenovo’s smart avionics function detection system provides intelligent guidance for these test operations, drawing on augmented reality technology. This not only improves time efficiency by automatically checking and analysing output results with AI recognition, but also improves detection quality, improving the safety of the aircraft they deliver to airlines and passengers.
