(Yicai Global) June 16 -- Nearly 1,000 Chinese and foreign companies are showcasing their fresh innovations, including an electric aircraft and an unmanned rice transplanter, at the ninth China Shanghai International Technology Import and Export Fair.

The CSITF, a trade fair that was postponed for one year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, opened in the eastern city yesterday and continues till tomorrow. 

One of the highlights of the event designated to technology trade is the E20, a pure-electric aircraft developed by TCab Technology. The fuselage is made of lightweight carbon fiber, which makes the performance better, Huang Yongwei, founder and chief executive of the Shanghai-based company, pointed out to Yicai Global.

The first five-seat E20 is expected to complete its maiden flight in the second half while the maximum range is 200 kilometers and the maximum speed is 320 km per hour, per TCab.

Another next-gen product is a driverless rice transplanter made by Dian Tian Network Technology. The machine only requires monitoring via a computer or a mobile phone. The average cost is about one-tenth of that of a corresponding machine without artificial intelligence, according to an exhibitor at the Shanghai-based firm's booth.

This year’s CSITF covers 35,000 square meters, divided into five exhibition areas: themed pavilions, energy and low-carbon technology, digital technology, biomedicine, and innovation ecology services, according to official data.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Emmi Laine