FUTURE CAR: Ruf Greenster is the electric car used by the imaginary future family in the "We Are the World" Pavilion (LU LING)

Making the best use of sunlight, Siemens' building management system opens or shuts the window shades according to the intensity of sunlight through a precise sunlight sensing system. Electric lights also adjust their intensity to that of natural sunlight. In completely dark areas, the electric lights will be on full power. In areas well lit by sunlight, electric lights will automatically switch off. By making electric lights close to windows dimmer than those close to interior walls, the system saves energy and extends the life of electric lights.

"Siemens' integrated building solution improves the energy-efficiency of the Hamburg House, and we have used some of these technologies in some office buildings in Beijing," said Hausmann.

Future life

Scenarios of future family life are showcased at the "We Are the World" Pavilion. Siemens, in partnership with the pavilion, has constructed its version of the future.

The pavilion brings visitors into the life of an imaginary family in 2015. Visitors can experience how differently people will use energy, get medical care, communicate and cook.

The story unfolds around the male protagonist named Michael, who is an industry designer living in Shanghai. His parents Mr. and Ms. Bei live in Beijing, while his sister Cindy and her family live in Milan, Italy. Though thousands of miles apart, the family members are well connected through Siemens' innovative technologies. They live a happy and "green" life.

Outside Michael's residence in Shanghai are three windmills that power his home and the neighborhood. Power supply and consumption at home are clearly visible. People have a good idea about electricity prices at different times, and about the electricity consumption of family members and friends. They can then adjust their electricity usage and sell their surplus electricity back to the grid or give it to family members or friends.

Cindy and her husband live in Italy, far away from her parents in Beijing. Not long ago, her father had a heart operation and is recuperating. With the imaging solution and cutting-edge medical IT system, Cindy can access the electric case history record of her father in Beijing, and can scroll through the high-fidelity medical images with her iPhone. Hence, Cindy is well informed of her father's condition.

Some concepts about remote medical treatment exhibited in the "We Are the World" Pavilion are being put into practice, said Bernd Ohnesorge, President and CEO of Siemens Healthcare Sector, Northeast Asia. He added green technologies have been used to produce Siemens' medical products, and the company has partnered with the Chinese Hospital Association to build paperless hospitals, which will increase the accuracy of diagnosis, reduce patients' waiting time and enable patients to get medical reports sooner.

In Michael's garage sits a gorgeous sports car called Ruf Greenster. It is an electric car powered with a bidirectional lithium ionic battery. The car, which has strong power to store electricity and can be recharged, symbolizes automobiles' future.

Another feature is the Siemens' Virtual Telepresence System, which keeps

family members updated with other members' whereabouts in real time. The secret about the system lies in a magic fish tank at Michael's home.

The tank is far more than decoration, for it can help family members in different places connect with each other around the clock.

If the seahorse sinks to the tank's bottom and curls up its tail, Michael in Shanghai knows that it is raining in Beijing. If the fish representing his parents disappear, he knows that his parents are not at home. If bubbles suddenly appear in the tank, he knows that his parents might have guests. If the fish swims to the seashell, he knows that his parents miss him and want him to call them on the videophone. At that time, the seashell will slowly open and turn into a small screen. The sea urchin in the tank looks like a clock and changes its size in coordination with the hour.

The "We Are the World" Pavilion aims to tell young people that traditional family ties will be very important in the future, said Jiang Tongqing, the general designer of the pavilion.