Application Overview | How to Enjoy WAIC This Year? Three Major AI Circles for a Day-Long Futuristic City Tour!}

In the era when AI is accelerating out of labs and onto city streets, its true value lies not only in technological breakthroughs but also in how deeply it can integrate into urban life. At WAIC 2025, visiting the exhibition is not just about walking around but an immersive “Travelogue”. Today, let me, your smart guide—Hi! WAIC—take you on a tour of the three rings of WAIC 2025, exploring how AI blends into daily life, city, and industry. Join me to experience AI’s magic—touch and play, touch and use—everyday!

Inner Life of Smart Living: AI Close at Hand, Playable and Fun!

AI should not just be a display of technology but also useful, fun, and approachable.

My first stop is the smart living inner circle surrounding the Expo Pavilion. The large screen at the main entrance is my partner—the smart guide display—showing real-time maps, booth locations, and dining options to solve your “last hundred meters” navigation worries! Then, as we enter the smart living circle, you’ll find it’s not a cold exhibition stand but a place where you can watch shows and browse markets with robots, try new AI applications in food, clothing, and daily essentials, experiencing how AI transforms everyday life in a relaxed atmosphere.

Robot Stage: AI Version of Old Shanghai Streets

At the core of the smart living circle, the “WAIC Skills Stage” feels like a time-travel to old Shanghai alleys, but with a twist—familiar barber shops, convenience stores, and craft shops are now bustling with “robotic crews”.

• Neighborhood Art Station: Robots writing calligraphy, dragon dance, drumming—watch the lively performances as you stroll.
• Venture Snack Street: Robots mixing drinks and cooking—turn the exhibition visit into a food exploration.
• Smart Repair & Manufacturing Workshop: Fine repairs and industrial operations showcase AI’s “blue-collar” skills.
• Smart Retail Shop: Scan to pay at the smart convenience store, AI makes shopping effortless.

Application Market: Unlocking AI’s Versatile Uses

Don’t miss the “Application Market”, a playground for experiencing core AI technologies up close, with various interactive experiences that let you touch, listen, and feel the power of tech.

• Robot Tech Innovation: Tencent Robotics X and Foton’s TAIROS open platforms enable robots to understand commands, perceive environments, and plan actions—like making food just by talking.
• Aesthetic Tech Lab: China Academy of Art’s “Empathy & Growth” AI art therapy device resonates with emotions; “Scholar & ArtMuse” combines AI and art theory, creating a seven-dimensional aesthetic evaluation—upload your work for joint review by AI and experts, and see if you’re a composition master or style guru!
• Sensory Interaction: Experience XREAL One Pro’s “one-sentence virtual screen switch,” unlocking immersive viewing and gaming.
• VR/AR Large Space: Dive into “Fengshen Prequel” VR—wear a headset and instantly transform into Shang Dynasty characters, with AI restoring bronze artifacts and oracle inscriptions, even reading ancient wall inscriptions. Walk through the battlefield with the heroine Fu Hao, experiencing the ancient world firsthand. This summer, watch movies in VR!

AI Meets Intangible Cultural Heritage: Double Cultural & Tech Boost

In the smart living circle, a special zone is dedicated to youth—WAIC Young. Here, traditional culture and AI deeply merge, turning AI into a tool for cultural innovation, preserving heritage while bringing traditional culture into young people’s view.

• “Design a Cheongsam for Mom”: Choose styles, buttons, patterns—AI generates design sketches and even creates virtual runway videos of your mom in a cheongsam. Instantly become a young designer!

• “Make a Tea Set for Dad”: Pick a classic shape, AI customizes unique patterns, and adds warm slogans—perfect for gifting and experiencing tech’s warmth.
• “My Ethnic Music Talent”: AI offers 18 ethnic music styles from different provinces. Pick an instrument, tap virtual drums, and AI composes a performance—fun and a chance to debut as a musician!
• “AI Shadow Puppet Duel”: Recreate classic scenes from “Journey to the West,” “Water Margin,” and “Fengshen Yanyi” using motion capture to control shadow puppets, turning traditional shadow play into an interactive game.

The curatorial team of this zone is mostly post-2000s, bringing a fresh, young perspective to making “traditional culture + AI” more fun. They even designed an “AI Heritage Pass,” allowing visitors to complete challenges and collect stamps to exchange for limited-edition souvenirs.

Unexpected Surprises & Flash Performances!

Think there are only exhibits? No way! The entire walkway hosts over 29 flash shows with different themes.

• In Tour A, see robots, dog patrols, interact with Qu Yuan robots, and dance with robots.

• In Tour B, enjoy music performed by biomimetic hands and watch Yushu robots dance.

• There are also spectacular stage shows with robot and dog performances, including lion dance robots.

• In the robot sports arena, watch robots perform Tai Chi, face-changing, and lion dancing.

Visitors can encounter exciting performances anytime in the exhibition area, truly experiencing an “people walk, shows perform, AI serves” immersive tour.

City Service Core: Sky, Land, and Future Transportation Now!

After exploring daily life, let’s expand our horizons! Follow me out of the exhibition hall to the City Service Core at North Square, where you can experience smart autonomous driving, watch low-altitude drone formations, and feel the future of integrated urban mobility.

Autonomous Driving & Smart Shuttle

This year, SAIC Maxus, along with Xiaoma Zhixing, Chery, and Baidu, will bring L4 autonomous shuttles to Shanghai’s streets, enabling Robotaxi services on open city roads!

During the event, visitors can:

• Experience short-distance Robotaxi rides at the North Square bus stop.
• Use apps or mini-programs to book Robotaxi services within about 30 km around the Expo Pavilion.

Low-altitude Drone Show: Multi-Scenario Drone Matrix

The North Square transforms into a low-altitude economy test zone, where drones will soon shuttle between cities and serve various functions, including delivery, emergency rescue, and tourism.

• SMD Zhihang’s passenger drone eVTOL, like a sci-fi vehicle, redefines future transportation—imagine sitting in a city sky “alien ride-hailing”!

• Drones for delivery, rescue, tourism, and even “drone football”—spectacular flying shows with multiple companies’ drones performing at different times.

Industry Ecosystem Outer Ring: Citywide Walk, Turning Shanghai into a Super Cool AI Exhibition!

Finally, let’s explore Shanghai itself. Through WAIC CITY WALK, six districts—Pudong, Xuhui, Yangpu, Huangpu, and more—are connected, transforming city streets into open exhibition halls.

Choose from five themed routes to experience your preferred AI city journey!

• AI + Smart Life: Visit Meituan Command Center to see how AI manages city operations, or Tencent Binjiang to experience digital life—see how algorithms and smart tech make life tangible!

• AI + Smart Terminals: Explore Zhangjiang Robot Valley, USTC MARS Lab, Lujiazui Digital Port—get up close with robots and see how interactive AI terminals are redefining tech!

• AI + New Industry: Visit Shanghai Jiao Tong Robotics Institute, Fanuc, Yangpu Fuxing Island—see how factories are becoming smarter with AI.

• AI + Innovation Ecosystem: Check out the BRICS AI Center, Moli Community—discover new AI species and see how AI is innovating in startups!

• AI + Urban Imaging: Walk along Beihai Binjiang, Minsheng Art Museum, Yuyuan Garden—experience the beauty of technology and culture in sound and light art!

Tap to Experience AI Treasure Hunt Instantly

While exploring the three rings, you can also try the new AI check-in method—Alipay’s “Tap” feature—quickly starting your smart journey.

• One Tap, Worry-Free: Turn on NFC, aim at the “Alipay Tap” blue ring around the venue, and instantly unlock WAIC’s digital map. Ticketing, storage, restrooms, and booths—full route coverage, easy navigation.
• Check-in & Win Prizes: Multiple “Tap” check-in points at the venue, collect stamps, win WAIC souvenirs, and even lucky red envelopes. Every tap is an interaction with AI.