The top 10 global engineering projects of 2023

This year has witnessed a host of technological breakthroughs and The Chinese Academy of Engineering has put together a list of its top 10 global engineering projects. Let's take a look at the advancements that made the cut...

ChatGPT

ChatGPT was one of the biggest innovations of 2023. The chatbot system can read, write, learn and even generate computer code by itself. In a sense, it’s the face of artificial intelligence right now. And it seems the sky is the limit - who knows how the technology will develop in 2024?

Tiangong space station

The Tiangong space station has been up and running for just over a year. China is only the third country to build this type of structure. It orbits earth at an altitude of nearly 400 kilometers. And it’s just one part of an ambitious space programme - China is aiming to put astronauts on the moon in 2030.

Frontier supercomputer

The Hewlett Packard Enterprise Frontier, or OLCF-5, is the world's first exascale supercomputer. It is hosted at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility in Tennessee, United States and first operational in 2022. As of December 2023, Frontier is the world's fastest supercomputer.

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The double asteroid redirection test (DART)

On September 27, 2022, NASA used the DART spacecraft to impact a smaller asteroid in a group of near- Earth double asteroid systems, 11 million kilometers away from the Earth. This was the first test mission to protect the Earth from the threat of asteroid impact and proved a success.

Baihetan hydropower station

On December 20, 2022, all units of Baihetan Hydropower Station, which is located in the lower main stream of the Jinsha River in China, went into operation to generate electricity. For the first time in the world, low-heat cement concrete was used to pour an entire 300-m super-high concrete double-curved arch dam for a power station.

Malaria vaccine

And then there’s the vaccine for malaria - a deadly disease spread by mosquitoes. Experts approved the use of the life-saving drug in 2021. Now, countries are starting to roll it out. Malaria kills nearly half a million children every year. This vaccine could save lives on a daily basis.

The Harmony operating system

Harmony OS allows for fast and low-cost connections to users, smart devices like speakers, fridges and cookers of different brands powered by HarmonyOS to be connected and merged into a super device with a single touch of smartphone without the need to install apps.

The Spot and Atlas robots

Boston Dynamics' upgraded four-legged robot Spot, with a 360° obstacle avoidance function, can walk, run, climb, and so on in different terrains and environments. The new generation of the Atlas bipedal humanoid robot, with 28 degrees of freedom, can naturally and consistently complete jumping, tumbling, handstands, dancing, parkour, and other movements.

The lithium-ion power battery

With a lithium-ion embedded compound as the positive electrode material and carbon as the negative electrode material, the lithium-ion power battery has the advantages of high energy density, a long life, a light weight, and environmental friendliness.

Unmanned aircraft

Unmanned aircraft are unmanned aerial vehicles that are remotely operated by humans or controlled by autonomous programs and can perform a variety of tasks. DJI, Parrot,
3D Robotics, and other companies are taking the lead in global drone technology and industrial progress in this field.

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