SEVERAL advanced products, including a virtual system to test new drivers in Shanghai and the latest 3D printers, will be the highlights of the China (Shanghai) International Technology Fair, which opened yesterday in the city.

The tech fair, the first of its kind to be held in China, attracted 800 high-tech projects covering a wide range of industries from advanced manufacturing, information technology, clean energy to biotechnology.

Shanghai Infrared displayed two virtual learning devices equipped with simulation software to help train new drivers in various environments such as highways or mountain roads at night or in rainy or foggy weather.

"The device and system will be introduced in local driving schools to help new drivers probably in the second half after being adopted in Zhejiang Province on a small scale now," said Yu Hao, sales manager of Shanghai Infrared.

Suzhou-based OptoTrace, which provides a rapid test device for food and drug safety, hopes to diversify from its current customers of mainly government regulators to new enterprise customers such as big drug and food firms for the self-testing device, said Ma Ning, its research manager.

Firms also displayed the latest 3D printing technology, often called the "third industrial revolution." 3D printing refers to a process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital model.

In 2011, the global 3D printing market revenue was US$1.7 billion, with US$3.7 billion seen by 2015, according to Wohlers Associates.