The Precise Service System of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has been used in the construction of 317 smart cities across China, according to the Smart BDS Precise Application Summit, which opened on Monday.

The technology is also expected to provide precise positioning and navigation services to all countries along the Belt and Road by 2018.

The China-developed satellite navigation system can be used in many fields such as household gas and heat, power grid, water supplies, drainage and smart transportation.

BDS is expected to provide precise positioning services to all countries along the Belt and Road by 2018. /VCG Photo

BDS has played a very important role in optimizing infrastructure and modernizing the construction of cities in China. The technology has been used by Beijing Gas Group to detect and locate gas leaks in pipelines.

Sun Jiadong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the First Chief Designer of the BDS Project, said that what makes BDS special is the usability of the system in a wide range of fields, especially in those related to everyday life. He noted that BDS should be developed practically.

Farmers adding fertilizers and seeds to large planters equipped with satellite navigation systems. /VCG Photo

With the development of the Internet of Things, big data and artificial intelligence, there will be an increasing need for precise positioning in industries like unmanned vehicles, drones and robots, said Ran Chengqi, an official at Beidou Navigation Satellite System, adding that the value of BDS industrial chain could reach up to 240 billion yuan by 2020.