A "smart restaurant" for athletes at the Sports Services exhibition area of China International Fair For Trade in Services (CIFTIS).(Xinhua photo)

The ongoing 2020 China International Fair For Trade in Services in Beijing showcases the latest products and services in the sports tech sector.

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Featuring facial recognition, dish recognition, nutrition computing, and self-service dining, a "smart restaurant" for athletes at the Sports Services exhibition area of China International Fair For Trade in Services (CIFTIS) has aroused considerable interest.

Fan Yichen, sales executive for manufacturer China Competitor (CPT) said that the "smart restaurant" is combination of sports and technology, equipped with a diet and nutrition management system for athletes.

According to Fan, the system effectively combines sports nutrition, sports training, functional monitoring, weight control and other technologies, as well as image recognition, face recognition and cloud computing.

"At the CIFTIS, many university teams and public fitness organizations have inspected this 'smart restaurant'. This service has obvious advantages. In the past, some sports teams used the method of weighing food to prepare meals, which was not only inconvenient, but also inaccurate. At present, the whole service solution has been applied to Hebei athletes preparing for the Winter Olympics," Fan added.

As one of the eight exhibition areas of the CIFTIS, the Sports Services exhibition has attracted guests and merchants from more than 40 countries and regions, and more than 100 Chinese and foreign sports service institutions. Compared with previous years, this year's exhibitors are paying more attention to the integration of sports with science and technology, and many of them have set up their own digital technology teams to explore information products.

"With the rapid development of information technology, the integration of sports and science and technology has become a necessary means of sports development," said professor Li Xiangru of the Capital University of Physical Education and Sports.

"During the pandemic period, the rise of various online sports accelerated the integration of sports and technology," Li added.

Fitness equipment with LCD screens also attracted many visitors. "This is different from the fitness equipment in our community. There will be a display on the screen. For example, the three circles on the screen will be full only when the action is in place and the strength and persistence time are in place," a Beijing resident surnamed Zhao said.

One of Swiss company Sorehsa AG's wholly owned subsidiaries in China, Soreha Beijing, has brought a number of intelligent physical training systems, including systems for respiratory function test training and intelligent hypoxia recovery.

Wang Yu, marketing director of Soreha Beijing, said the products provide "a closed-loop training process of detection, warm-up, training and recovery, covering four core training modules of strength, endurance, coordination and flexibility, and intelligent equipment guides trainers to train independently and accurately."

Soreha Beijing has provided similar exercise systems for hospitals to customize rehabilitative training for patients. "Due to the impact of the pandemic, our business has declined significantly. But I believe that with the economic and social recovery, the broad domestic market will release more potential in the future," Wang said. ■