SHANGHAI, China – On Day 2 of the mobile expo, Thursday, June 29, Huawei invited the press to visit its research and development (R&D) center in Shanghai. The tech giant prepared an exhibit featuring potential applications of newer, faster, lower latency 5G networks, making use of a variety of products from collaborators such as Microsoft, Amazon, drone maker DJI, and VR device makers Oculus and HTC. 

The exhibit was, in fact, a showcase for Huawei’s “Xlabs,” an arm of its R&D department that focuses on conceptual applications for latent technologies, which at this time, is 5G. Here’s what we saw at the Huawei center:

The Hololens, Microsoft’s mixed reality device, was also shown off during the tour.

There was also a smart, connected helmet equipped with cameras and earphones. It was primarily designed to help blind people navigate.

 A Mini Cooper was also in the room and it held a virtual reality (VR) simulation of a race.

Aside from Microsoft’s Hololens, the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive also got their own time to shine among visitors. 

Huawei showed new telecommunications equipment meant for 5G:

Here are a few more scenes from the Xlabs showcase: 

After the presentation, Huawei chief marketing officer Yuefeng Zhou and Chris Locke explained what Xlabs is about. Zhou said that Xlabs’ clear purpose is to “stimulate the mobile industry.”

They are attempting to accomplish that, for one, by building an advisory committee represented by many industries. 

The Xlabs showcase was meant to show the use cases for 5G in order to push for its adoption, ultimately. 

Here’s a look at the reception desk at the research center and the briefing center where Huawei executives and partners hold meetings and presentations: 

After the Huawei showcase, it was back to the exhibition center for many of the press people. We were able to see what Halls W4, W3, W2, and E2, where drone races were being held over the course of the expo: 

– Rappler.com