SHANGHAI — Exhibitors at this year’s China International Import Expo (CIIE) are promoting new technologies that they say can improve business operations and education in the country.

The booth of Eyexpo Technology Corporation, a Canadian tech company, is showcasing “digital twin” technology, highlighting its potential applications for schools and businesses. Digital twinning refers to creating a virtual representation of a real-world product, service, or process.

Zheng Shaojie, one of the engineers working on the tech, said his team has developed a scenario in which digital twinning can be used to replicate lab experiments for middle school students, who could input reagents — their properties and quantities — and immediately view the result. Zheng cited reduced health and safety risks as one advantage of digital twinning.

“Most school lab environments aren’t ideal for allowing students to experiment with the scientific laws,” Zhang told Sixth Tone at the expo Friday. “Take Newton’s first law of motion, for example. Students should be able to observe how objects’ movements might change on surfaces of different textures. In the real world, it’s hard to provide an accurate comparison. But the virtual world can: You can set a precise friction value and observe the changes it might cause.”

Zheng said digital twin technology — which is already used in factories and other industrial environments — will hopefully enter the country’s schools next year.

Also at the expo, Japanese medical technology company Invel showcased its noninvasive thermal physiotherapy products for pain relief. The products, which are designed to be worn, help “stimulate nitric oxide production, improving blood circulation and providing oxygen to muscles and tissues,” according to the company’s website.

Moses Virella, Invel’s marketing director, told Sixth Tone that the company sees great potential for the physiotherapy products in China, given the country’s aging population. By 2020, there will be 255 million people aged 60 or above living in China, according to official estimates.

“We’re targeting the elderly and people with pain issues,” Virella said. “We’ve observed a growing need for wellness products in this country.”

(Header image: A woman hugs a robot at the 2nd China International Import Expo in Shanghai, Nov. 7, 2019. VCG)