OlymPicks: The Deep Tech of the 2022 Games

Irene Li, Associate Editor | Jul 27, 2021 2:58 pm | Add a comment | 89 reads

The 2020 Olympics may still be ongoing, but in OlymPicks, we're looking forward to the next Beijing games

Chinese media is touting – 黑科技 Hēi kējì at 2022 Beijing Olympic facilities, a term used to describe cutting-edge and particularly impressive technologies. Like what, you ask? We're here to answer.

A sleeping capsule for recovery

Athletes may never get the chance to spend a night in space, but at least they will get to rest and recover in the newly-designed sleeping capsule that will help them get a swift physical recovery — and maybe pretend that they're on a trek to another universe. The sleeping cabin has a "water-flow-like" experience (don't ask us what that means) that will ease the soreness in muscles and alleviate physical pain.

CO2 becomes an ice machine

Did you know that for the first time ever, carbon dioxide will be used as the refrigerant for making ice at The National Speed Skating Oval? As we previously reported in detail, the Ice Ribbon, covering an area of about 12,000 square meters, will be able to save about 30 percent of energy with the adoption of the least toxic cooling system.

What’s inside the torch?

Wondering what makes this year’s Olympic torch special? Well, for the first time ever, hydrogen will be used as the fuel that could enable the torch to withstand the cold and other effects extreme weather. The shell, made of aluminum alloy, is about 20 percent lighter than that of the same volume, making it more resistant to the wind than ever.

What? You mean a roof?

In a feat of architectural achievement, The National Snowmobile and Sled Center has adopted... a roof! The race track, combining sixteen curves, becomes the first Olympic track in Asia with a 360-degree roundabout roof, revolutionizing the way athletes train and compete. They now can train at different times of the day without worrying about strong radiation from the sun that might hurt their performances.