Innovative technology set to transform lives

Chen Haibo, founder and CEO of DeepBlue Technology

A1: DeepBlue Technology is an AI company that specializes in researching fundamental technologies and using them to create useful products that will serve the public by making everyday life better.

A2: Public transport is a critical part of a city's infrastructure and also is fundamental to a city's growth, yet it has not innovated together with technology. As a result, cities are getting overcrowded, public transport services are straining under the load and commuters are driven to consider other forms of transport in urban environments.

For transport providers such as city government or bus operators, one major pain point is that public transport is considered a loss-making venture in order to benefit the wider public. Some efforts have been made to address this issue - such as privatization and fare discrimination pricing - but these solutions do not tackle the root cause, which is that the bare-bones services offered often do not meet commuter needs.

A3: Using a combination of AI technologies such as computer vision, biometrics, autonomous driving and voice recognition, our service - known as Panda Bus - can be a source of revenue through onboard retail and personalized advertising. Commuters can also enjoy a better ride experience through personalized content and convenience through vending machines in the buses themselves.

Based on tests, commuter feedback and market research, we've found that each bus can generate up to 30,000 yuan in retail sales per month. Adding in revenue from advertising content, bus providers can turn a traditionally loss-making venture into a profitable one, and that's where we believe the real innovation lies.

A4: In China, there is a receptive attitude to new technologies that are fueling a lot of fast expansion and uptake of our buses by city governments, private companies and commuters alike.

We are now present in eight cities and regions around China including Guangzhou, Tianjin, Deyang and Changzhou. We look forward to expanding to at least 20 cities by the end of 2019, as well as looking overseas and more in 2020.

A5: The local government has been responsive and proactive in allowing us to flourish and expand, and working together with organizations here in Shanghai such as Shanghai Jiaotong University and Shanghai University, with whom we have created research centers, large corporations and a huge interested customer base has helped us reach great heights in a relatively short amount of time.

Shanghai is also a focal point for major events such as China International Import Expo, Word Artificial Intelligence Conference, International Consumer Electronics Show and many other conventions, allowing us to quickly spread our message to a wide international audience, and also to receive many visitors.