People in Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Hebei and Sichuan provinces are spending the seven-day National Day in various ways, having a good time on the New China's 75th birthday.
In ancient Zhenze Town in east China's Jiangsu Province, parent-child activities are held in paddy fields for holidaymakers to appreciate a pastoral lifestyle.
"Breathing fresh air in fields with children in autumn and embracing the nature, I feel very pleasant and light-hearted," said a visitor surnamed Shen.
In Taizhou City of Jiangsu, 100 primary school pupils gathered around a large canvas to paint the sceneries of the country and new outlook of their native town on the theme of "growing together with the motherland."
"I am so proud that I can express my love for the motherland with my paintbrush," said Yin Tianci, a pupil from Hailing District of the city.
In Xianyang City of Shaanxi Province in northwest China, people spontaneously sang in chorus during the holiday, holding national flags in their hands.
"This generation of ours catches up with a great era. I wish the motherland prosperity, and our life better and better," said Bai Yinping, a local resident.
In Chengde City of Hebei Province in north China, Mountain Resort, once a summer retreat for the imperial families during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), tourists are enjoying the refreshing autumn breeze.
In Xiong'an New Area of the province, its first youth art festival offers many novel interactive experiences to visitors.
At the Jianmen Pass scenic area in southwest China's Sichuan Province, anyone who is able to recite "Hard Is the Road to Shu," a classic poem by Li Bai (701-761), one of greatest Chinese poets, can get a free admission to the park, worth of some 90 yuan. While Shu is a poetic term for Sichuan, Li Bai's poem of the Shu road comprises of 294 characters in 40 lines, which dedicates a section to specially describe the precipitous Jianmen Pass.
And in Jiajiang County of the province, various cultural activities held on the county's century-old main street attract both residents and tourists.
"I specifically brought my child to experience the traditional quarter. It is special. We not only tasted delicious Sichuan food, but also felt the nostalgic cultural memories," said Jiang Danxue, a tourist.
National Day holiday events in 4 provinces
A robot security guard that can operate both on the ground and in the water with the ability to track, combat, and capture, has recently been on patrol side by side with police officers in a crowded commercial district in Wenzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, as part of the country's efforts to deploy advanced technology to aid public security work.
The spherical robot, decked out with cameras and flashing lights, rolled and tilted around without tippling over, drawing public attention with its futuristic shape and functions.
"I felt very safe when I saw police officers on patrol. Now with high-tech products, I think it can be even safer," said Gao Jun, a resident.
The robot's design and mobility enables it to reach many corners which traditional patrol equipment cannot get to.
"Its maximum speed is 35 kilometers per hour. If the operator pushes the lever very hard, its instantaneous acceleration can reach the maximum speed in about two seconds," said Hu Dongming, a SWAT officer.
In addition, the robot can drive itself by collecting and transmitting GPS coordinates information on site.
And it is mounted with net guns to aim at a suspect and fire a net to entangle the target.
"Its biggest feature is that it can be used in a confrontational environment. Even if it is being hit at close range, it will not lose its function. It can improve the public security officers' on-site handling capabilities in extreme environments or when there are crowds of people," said Huang Sufeng, another SWAT officer.
According to Wang You, an associate professor from the College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, who led the research team for the project, they came up with the idea of designing a fully-sealed spherical robot as they hoped it can be amphibious and capable of working in special and harsh environments.
Wang said the robot can be equipped with different sensors and devices, so as to adapt to demands under any circumstance.
"Different external devices can be mounted onto the robot. Police officers want to increase deterrent effect when patrolling, so they equip the robot with net guns. And at airports, the robot can be equipped with a loudspeaker to drive birds away. We research and development team defines the robot as an intelligent, mobile vehicle," said Wang.
The robot's spherical shape, however, makes it shake constantly, leaving it unable to perceive the external environment and difficult to control its route accurately.
The researchers finally found a solution to the challenge after six-year efforts, said Wang.
"One of my PhD students came up with a great idea. Based on the control of the momentum wheel, we add motion control with induction motors onto the robot, greatly improving its motion performance. The spherical robot is also equipped with lidar and cameras. In open areas, it can achieve a near-L4 level of unmanned driving, and can automatically move along the set route and avoid obstacles," he noted.
Now, the robot can not only adapt to harsh environments and complex terrains, but also operate normally under corrosive, radioactive, flammable and explosive dangerous conditions, making it particularly suitable for tasks of countering terrorism and maintaining stability.
China's high-tech spherical security robot enhances policing in crowded wenzhou streets
