From rickety bikes to automated strollers, modernization transforms county

Innovation drive

The bicycle and child vehicle industry in Pingxiang has undergone remarkable modernization in recent years. "The county has strengthened its technological innovation drive, and accelerated the upgrading of industrial clusters," according to Chai.

At Hebei Kexin Electronic Technology Co, an engineer demonstrates an AI-controlled child's car — a miniature version of a cross-country vehicle.

At the verbal instruction "Xiao Wei, turn on the car lights", the vehicle, named Xiao Wei, turns on its lights right away.

When the vehicle is told "Xiao Wei, please read aloud the poem Jing Ye Si (Quiet Night Thought)", the vehicle obliges. "All right, please listen carefully," the vehicle replies and starts reading the famous poem.

Jin Yu, the company's general manager, said the vehicle's intelligence is due to the installation of a "smart brain" AI controller. Its chip can handle voice commands, issue collision alerts, and has GPS tracking, just like a real smart car.

"With the AI controller, this electric toy car has achieved various functions such as human-machine interaction, automatic obstacle avoidance, Bluetooth connectivity, and online information exchange," Jin said.

"Although the technology has become relatively common, its application to toy cars is not yet very widespread," he added.

Nearby, another company Hebei Fubei Bicycles Co is creating an industrial ecosystem where research and development is seamlessly integrated with production.

The company's vehicle sales manager, Xin Lei, said thanks to Kexin's AI controller they were able to launch electric child cars with collision prevention features, and quickly seize the market opportunity.

Digitalization is playing an important role in the transformation of the child car industry.

The county has established an industrial development fund to target key aspects of digital transformation of equipment and production lines, according to the local government.

A smart connected platform has been established for the bicycle and child car industry to accelerate deep integration of digital technology with the real economy.

So far, 20 companies have embarked on the journey of "smart transformation and digital conversion", with 61 companies completing digital transformations, according to a report by Hebei Daily. "This has significantly enhanced the industry's competitiveness," Chai said.

As a result, the industry in Pingxiang has gradually shifted from a focus on low-cost assembly toward technological innovation and high-quality development.

This transformation is exemplified by the story of Wang Zhanying and his company — Xingtai Hengpeng Bicycle Industry Co.

The latest Xiaokabu AI interactive baby stroller developed by the company is about to be launched on the market in a few months.

This stroller not only features functions like voice and gesture control, but also includes capabilities such as automatic following, obstacle avoidance navigation, precise positioning, and anti-loss functions.

"When a child is sitting in the baby stroller, adults don't need to push it by hand. The stroller will automatically follow the footsteps of the adult. Even when encountering slopes or obstacles, it will navigate around them automatically," Wang said.

According to Wang, his factory used to be an original equipment manufacturer, with a low profit margin of less than 8 percent.

However, with the support of the Pingxiang County Bicycle Industry Research Institute, the company underwent a major transformation.

"The research institute has helped my company overcome the lightweight dilemma (of the stroller) and the issue of single-function products by introducing optimized structures," Wang said, adding that the curvature of the stroller's seat cushion has been designed to mimic the shoulder and neck curve of a sleeping baby.

Structural analysis conducted by 3D "stress software" resulted in a design where the entire vehicle can be folded up to resemble an elegant travel bag when not in use.

By constructing innovative support structures in key parts of the frame and removing 60 percent of non-load-bearing materials, the company successfully reduced the weight of the stroller from 12 kilograms to 6 kg, achieving a 50 percent weight reduction.

"These technological innovations enabled the company to gain a significant competitive edge in the market," Wang said.