Changsha paving way for 'smart cities'

CHANGSHA－In an intensive care unit in Changsha, capital of Hunan province, a computer is busy doing its work. However, there's something unusual about this normal-looking computer－it can predict a patient's risk of death.

Based on big data and artificial intelligence, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in Changsha has developed a mortality risk prediction system. "The system can tell us the patient's death risk after one week of analysis and analyze the factors that influence that risk. This helps us plan and improve effective treatment," said Yu Bo, an attending physician at the hospital.

Besides intelligent medical treatment, self-driving technology, intelligent logistics, intelligent hydraulic engineering, other cutting-edge tech are also gradually playing leading roles in the "smart city".

Changsha was the first city in China to roll out a self-driving taxi service for the public in April last year. Users can hail the taxis using Baidu Maps in some selected areas in the city, covering residential communities, commercial areas and industrial parks.

Logistics is also becoming more intelligent. Combining 5G, autonomous driving and other high-tech systems, Changsha's Xiangjiang New Area and Sany Group will build "smart" transportation lines on urban roads and expressways to increase transportation efficiency and save fuel consumption.

At the opening ceremony of the 2021 Internet Yuelu Summit in Changsha, experts said they believed that cities with a good manufacturing foundation like Changsha could take an intelligent "application scenario-driven" path.