A planned city explores how real-time data and automation can shape everyday urban systems
Updated
April 13, 2026 3:26 PM
A package being delivered by drone using the Meituan app. PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
A newly built district in northern China is being used to test how cities function when infrastructure, data and automation are integrated from the ground up. In Xiong'an New Area, traffic systems, public monitoring and urban services are designed to respond in real time rather than operate on fixed rules.
At the centre of this is a traffic management system powered by more than 20,000 roadside sensors. These track traffic flow, vehicle types and congestion levels, feeding data into an AI system that adjusts signals in milliseconds. Official figures show this has reduced the average number of stops per vehicle by half. The system also detects equipment faults, sends alerts and generates maintenance requests without manual input.
Automation extends beyond roads. Drones are deployed across the city for routine monitoring. In the Rongdong district, roadside units release drones that follow fixed patrol routes of around 1.27 kilometres, completing each run in about five minutes. They are used to monitor traffic, detect illegal parking and inspect public spaces. Similar systems operate in parks to track water levels and issue flood alerts, while in some work zones, drones transport packages of up to five kilograms between buildings.
These applications reflect a broader approach: integrating multiple systems into a single, connected urban framework. Unlike older cities where infrastructure evolves in layers, Xiong’an has been built with coordinated digital systems from the outset. This allows transport, maintenance and public services to operate through shared data systems rather than in isolation.
Alongside this, the area is being developed as a technology and innovation hub. Since its establishment in 2017, it has attracted more than 400 branches of state-owned enterprises and over 200 companies working in sectors such as artificial intelligence, aerospace information and digital technology.
This ecosystem supports projects like the “Xiong’an-1” satellite, which completed research, design, production and testing within eight months of regulatory approval in 2025. The satellite is currently undergoing testing, with a planned launch expected in the second quarter of 2026. It forms part of a broader push to build an aerospace information industry in the region.
The area is also structured to bring companies, research and production closer together. At the Zhongguancun Science Park in Xiong’an, which spans 207,000 square metres, 269 technology companies operate across sectors including AI, robotics and biotechnology. The park hosts more than 2,700 researchers and industry professionals, with companies organised into sector-specific clusters.
Policy support continues to shape this development. In early 2026, the State Council approved the upgrade of Xiong’an’s high-tech industrial development zone to national level status, with a focus on attracting high-end research and strengthening links between scientific development and industrial output.
Xiong’an is positioned as a testing ground for how smart city systems can be deployed at scale. The model depends on coordinated planning, integrated infrastructure and sustained policy support. Whether these systems can be adapted to existing cities, where infrastructure and governance are more fragmented, remains an open question.
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From pre-orders to market entry, Rokid’s Taiwan campaign reflects how AI hardware is being introduced to consumers today.
Updated
January 8, 2026 6:30 PM
Rokid Glasses, a pair of AR glasses from Rokid. PHOTO: ROKID
Rokid has reached a significant crowdfunding milestone in Taiwan. Its Rokid Glasses campaign surpassed NT$62 million in pre-order funding on zeczec, Taiwan’s creative-oriented crowdfunding platform. The campaign ranked No. 1 across all categories on the platform in 2025 and entered the Top 10 funded campaigns in zeczec’s history, setting new records for AI and XR-related projects.
The campaign launched on October 28 and became one of the platform’s most prominent technology initiatives of the year. According to the company, the outcome followed growing visibility for Rokid Glasses after product showcases in New York, Berlin, Singapore and Paris, positioning the Taiwan campaign within a broader international rollout.
The crowdfunding achievement coincided with Rokid’s official market entry in Taiwan. On December 10, the company debuted Rokid Glasses locally, introducing the product to media, partners and early users in the region. The Taiwan launch mirrored earlier international events and connected the online crowdfunding campaign with a physical market presence.
Rokid Glasses combine augmented reality displays with built-in AI functions, including real-time multilingual translation, live transcription, navigation, object recognition and voice assistance. These capabilities were central to how the product was presented during both the crowdfunding campaign and the Taiwan launch, without framing the project as a traditional consumer electronics release.
The Taiwan campaign builds on Rokid’s prior crowdfunding history. The company previously raised more than US$4 million on Kickstarter, where Rokid Glasses became the highest-funded XR wearable project on the platform. The zeczec campaign extends that track record into one of Asia’s most established consumer electronics markets.
“Taiwan has one of the world's most mature and discerning consumer electronics markets”, said Said Justo Chang, Head of Global Channels at Rokid. “Reaching the top of Taiwan's crowdfunding platform is a great commercial achievement. We are excited to finally introduce Rokid Glasses to Taiwan”.
More broadly, the campaign highlights how crowdfunding platforms continue to function as launch and distribution channels for emerging AI and XR hardware. In Rokid’s case, product rollout, market entry and public participation converged within a single campaign, marking a notable moment for AI-enabled wearables in Taiwan’s technology landscape.