BeiDou buoys bike-sharing companies

China's homegrown BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, which is currently used for weather and earthquake forecasts, land surveys and mapping as well as for navigation of taxis, buses and trucks, has found a new home in the bike-sharing sector as companies are using the technology for better operations and user experiences.

Bike-sharing companies have started using the system in a big way after the final satellite in the BeiDou navigation system was launched last week. Shanghai-based bike sharing company Hello Global has brought all its sharing bikes under the BeiDou umbrella, while Qingju Bike, owned by ride-hailing major Didi Chuxing, has put into operation shared bikes using the BeiDou services in Shenzhen of Guangdong province, Wuhan of the Hubei province and Beijing. Meituan Bike (formerly Mobike) has established an internet of things platform with millions of shared bikes backed by the BeiDou technology.

Li Kaizhu, co-founder and executive-president of Hello Global, said: "The application of the BeiDou system is the first large-scale attempt in the shared travel sector. It will help shared bicycles better integrate into the urban public transportation ecology."