by sportswriter He Leijing
NANJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- As dusk settles over a bustling sports park in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, runners weave along a glowing track embedded with infrared sensors. With every stride, a ribbon of intelligent LED lights flares ahead, tracing a luminous path through the night, like something out of science fiction.
"Night runs used to be a bit risky when the paths were dim," said local resident Zhou Qian. "Now the track lights the way and can even sync with my phone to show my heart rate, speed and calories burned. It's safer and a lot more fun."
The park is Wuxi's first AI-powered urban sports facility, a pioneering blend of the Internet of Things, big data and fitness-for-all initiatives, which is transforming public spaces into futuristic playgrounds accessible to all ages.
Within the park's AI-monitored long jump zone, digital screens can instantly display leap distances and motion analysis. Smart fitness facilities for sit-ups and parallel bars connect seamlessly with mobile devices, enabling users to archive achievements, share snapshots and even challenge friends to virtual contests.
As China accelerates toward becoming a sporting powerhouse, the infrastructure supporting everyday exercise has proliferated apace, and the facilities are increasingly turning intelligent, drawing in a new generation of tech-savvy fitness enthusiasts.
FUTURISTIC FITNESS
China has ushered in large-scale, high-tech athletic applications, as the country unveiled a list of 100 flagship smart sports projects for 2024 this March, spanning AI posture correction systems, tactical football analytics and VR-based fitness programs.
The trend reached a milestone in April when Beijing hosted the world's first half-marathon run jointly contested by humans and humanoid robots, offering an intriguing glimpse of future sporting landscapes. The capital also plans to stage the inaugural humanoid robot sports games later this year.
AI-driven human-machine collaborations are bearing fruit. In scenic spots like Mount Tai, elderly hikers now strap on exoskeleton robots that resemble trekking poles. The smart devices can bear bursts of 200 kg and adjust assistance dynamically, reducing exertion by up to 50 percent and allowing seniors to conquer even steep peaks with newfound ease.
Meanwhile, wearable tech like smartwatches and fitness bands, once novelties, have become indispensable companions for Chinese exercise enthusiasts to track health metrics and workout efficiency.
The government's initiatives, like the national fitness plan, underscore the country's commitment to smart sports, aiming to spawn a wealth of new products, business models and innovation. Industry reports predict that China's smart fitness sector could reach 82 billion yuan (11.3 billion U.S. dollars) by 2025.
Tech firms are racing to carve out their niche, as many have integrated large AI models such as DeepSeek into smart treadmills, offering tailored training plans based on personal metrics. "My AI fitness coach's plans are spot on, blending cardio and strength training perfectly," said Liu Xiaopeng, a frequent gym-goer.
"And with VR integration, I can work out in virtual arenas. Exercising has never been so engaging," Liu added. "I love kickboxing, but real sparring is risky and hard to find a partner. VR combat feels authentic and safe."
AI is also reshaping physical education. At a middle school in Jiangsu's Nanjing, an AI playground system captures data on sprints, long jumps and rope-skipping, correcting students' technique and tailoring training plans. Coupled with wristbands that monitor heart rate and other indicators, these innovations are also alert to potential safety risks.
"Exercise feels so cool now," said Wu Jun, an eighth grader at the school. "And the facility is available all day, so we can practice whenever we want to track our progress."
EMPOWERING COMPETITIVE SPORTS
Beyond mass fitness, AI is also transforming elite athletics. From talent scouting and training to equipment, refereeing and rehabilitation, technology is rewriting the playbook.
In its Olympic AI Agenda, the International Olympic Committee hailed the potential of AI to foster fairness, excellence, unity and a richer Olympic experience, accelerating the transformation of global sports.
The most conspicuous impact of sports tech could be in officiating. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Chinese-made footballs, embedded with chips and motion sensors, worked in tandem with body-tracking systems, helping referees make instant, accurate calls on handballs and offsides.
And on the assembly line at a Wuxi-based sports tech firm, AI referee robots -- armed with high speed cameras and pressure sensors -- have undergone thousands of test runs, demonstrating split-second precision in sports like fencing and taekwondo.
China's national diving team now trains with a "3D + AI" system that captures every movement mid-air. The system analyzes posture and entry angles in real time, feeding coaches data-driven evaluations to fine-tune performances.
The national archery squad has embraced AI-assisted ranges. Cameras and motion-capture systems record over 10,000 data points per arrow. "These insights help coaches refine each athlete's technique down to the smallest detail," said data analyst Xiu Yu.
According to Chen Xiaoping, a sports science researcher at the General Administration of Sport of China, AI-led data analysis is now central to personalized training regimens, allowing coaches to efficiently monitor training duration, intensity, performance and recovery.
"The overall elevation of scientific training is crucial to improving performances," Chen said, adding that the contest in elite sports today is as much about tech prowess as athletic skill.
Even more futuristic scenarios are also materializing. A robotics firm in Jiangsu has developed a humanoid robot capable of fluid Tai Chi sequences -- a harbinger of robot training partners to come.
"Robot trainers can be available around the clock," said Ruan Qiang, a technical expert at SoftStone Tianqing Robotics. "They can precisely correct muscle dynamics, and even recognize fatigue through micro-expression analysis to tailor training in real time."
"We'll gradually see more cutting-edge technologies and methods permeate athlete training," Chen said, noting that these innovations will also soon filter down to everyday fitness, making workouts safer, smarter and more effective for all. Enditem
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