Beijing Winter Olympics Serve as High-Tech Showcase for Chinese Innovation
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics highlight Chinese technological advancements through automated catering, smart athlete beds, and digital currency trials instead of the cultural focus seen in 2008.
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics showcase Chinese technological advancements rather than the cultural emphasis seen during the 2008 games. The organizing committee officially dubs this event the "Science and Technology Winter Olympics" to demonstrate how far China's tech sector has progressed over the last fourteen years.
Athletes and visitors experience this high-tech environment through a variety of automated systems. Catering robots handle all food preparation and table delivery in the Olympic Village, while athletes sleep on smart beds equipped with sensors that monitor breathing and heart rates. Additionally, smiling robots patrol the sporting grounds to enforce mask mandates.
China also uses the global event to introduce its digital currency to an international audience. Athletes and spectators are encouraged to download an app to trial the digital yuan. Government officials describe these deliberate technological deployments as successful and much anticipated features of the games.