News

Five PolyU research granted RGC Research Impact Fund Leading local universities in number of funded projects

Five projects led by researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have received funding from the Research Grant Council (RGC) Research Impact Fund (RIF) 2023/24, leading the way among local universities in terms of the number of funded projects. The five projects have been granted total funding of HK$20.9 million. Embracing diverse research areas, the funding will support PolyU researchers in translating scientific findings into real-world applications and providing more impactful solutions to benefit society. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, said, “We are pleased to have attained such encouraging results, which recognise our scientific research prowess. PolyU’s research excellence in the fields of microbiology, construction and environment, geoinformatics technology and intelligent wearable textiles will continue to make influential contributions to society. Furthermore, collaboration between academia and industry will leverage synergistic strengths and facilitate the translation of research into real-world applications.” The five funded projects are: “Development of Bacterial Pseudaminic Acid-based Vaccine to Combat Infections Caused by Multidrug Resistant Bacteria”, led by Prof. CHEN Sheng, Head and Chair Professor of Microbiology of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition; “Digital Twin-enabled Intelligent Assessment and Maintenance of Offshore Wind Turbine Structures in a Life-cycle Context”, led by Prof. ZHU Songye, Associate Head and Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; “An AI-enabled Geospatial Platform for Smart Facility Management and Smart Mobility of People with Disabilities, led by Dr LIU Xintao, Associate Professor of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics; “Durable Low-carbon Asphalt Pavement Built with Recycled Waste Polyolefin Plastics through Reactive Extrusion”, led by Prof. LENG Zhen, Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; and “Developing a New Generation of Pressure-controlled Wearable Soft Braces to Improve the Efficiency and Compliance in Treating Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis”, led by Prof. YIP Yiu-wan Joanne, Associate Dean and Professor of the School of Fashion and Textiles. The RIF encourages academics to harness the potential of their research to deliver benefits to the wider community, spurring impactful and translational research projects. The Fund also promotes collaboration between academia and government departments, the business sector, industry and research institutes. Successful projects are granted funding of up to HK$10 million per project for a three to five-year period. In total, 14 projects were supported by the RIF in the 2023/24 exercise.   For further information of these PolyU funded projects, please refer to the appendix.

Media Interview: PolyU's Intelligent Robotic Firefighting Project - Air Cannon Extinguishes Fires Without Water

On average, more than 30,000 fire calls occur in Hong Kong every year. Some serious fires not only endanger the public but also pose significant risks to firefighters who enter the fire scene. Dr Xinyan Huang, Deputy Director of the Research Centre for Fire Safety Engineering and Associate Professor of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering of PolyU, is committed to researching and developing a number of intelligent fire-fighting solutions and products. Among them, the "Toroidal Vortex Cannon", commonly known as the "Air Cannon", can extinguish fires from a distance without the need for water. When combined with intelligent robots capable of locating and autonomously extinguishing fire source without manual operation, it is expected to be applied in dangerous fire situations in the long run, where water is unsuitable or personnel cannot get close to the fire scene. This application could better protect the public and firefighters. Dr Huang's research project, titled "Smouldering Wildfire," has also been awarded the "Excellent Young Scientists Fund” from the National Natural Science Foundation of China this year. In a recent interview with Wen Wei Po, Dr Huang revealed that the team’s intelligent robots can automatically identify flames, fuels and personnel in darkness and smoke through sensors, eliminating the need for manual operation. The team is designing different options, such as the use of new materials to enable the robots to travel through fire scenes. They are also exploring the use of equipment to hoist the robots into position, allowing them to carry out works such as personnel search and fire extinguishing fires, and so on. Please click here for details: Full interview (Chinese only): 智能機械人闖火場 空氣炮可無水滅火 | 智慧消防系統預測60秒火勢助逃生  PolyU’s Excellent Young Scientists Fund projects

PolyU Students and Researchers Awarded in The First Greater Bay Area Data Application Innovation Competition

PolyU achieved outstanding results in The First Greater Bay Area Data Application Innovation Competition, winning several First Prizes, Second Prizes, Technical Excellence Awards, Creative Excellence Awards, Outstanding Awards, and Data (Commodity) Listing Certificates. In addition, PolyU also received the Outstanding Contribution Award and Excellent Organization Award, and Prof Xiao Fu, Associate Dean and Professor of the Faculty of Construction and Environment, is honoured with the Outstanding Guidance Teacher Award in this competition. The competition was jointly organized by the Development and Reform Commission of Shenzhen Municipality, the Government Services and Data Management Bureau of Shenzhen, and The People's Government of Futian District. It aims to create a top-level platform in the field of data elements and build an innovative, open, and prosperous ecosystem for data application developers. Additionally, the competition is expected to fully open the data resources, computing power facilities, and trading platforms of the Greater Bay Area Data AI Center and Shenzhen Data Exchange, providing a top-notch communication platform for data developers. It also encourages data developers to unleash their imagination and innovation in order to discover outstanding projects and cultivate talents in data application innovation. The competition consists a creative design competition and a technical challenge competition, covering six application scenarios including digital decision-making, smart supply chain, technology finance, digital energy, intelligent manufacturing, and smart cities. Universities, research institutions, and enterprises actively participated in the competitionAmong them, 227 teams entered the preliminary round, and 35 teams advanced to the finals. A total of 19 teams were awarded first, second, and third prizes, including PolyU, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Sun Yat-sen University, and South China University of Technology. Congratulations to all PolyU's winning teams for the outstanding performance and providing innovative, practical, and technologically advanced solutions in data application.

Media Interview: PolyU project assesses typhoon path impact on high-rise building resilience

The increasing frequency of extreme weather events around the world not only disrupts people's daily lives, but also brings significant economic losses to the society. Prof. Yi-Qing NI, Chair Professor of Smart Structures and Rail Transit in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of PolyU leads a project aimed at mitigating the risk of tropical storms for high-rise building clusters in coastal cities through the development of a real-time early-warning and resilience system. The project titled “INTACT: Intelligent Tropical-storm-resilient System for Coastal Cities,” has been received funding of almost HK$50 million from the Research Grants Council’s Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) 2023/24. In a recent interview with Wen Wei Po, Prof. NI shared that the project will devise a framework that can effectively and accurately assess turbulence and quantify the risks arising from complex urban aerodynamics using sparse measurements. It also quantitatively evaluates the resilience of the city. This could comprehensively anticipate the potential risks and consequences of windstorms on critical buildings and enable the implementation of precautionary measures.  Please click here for details: Full interview (Chinese only) PolyU’s RGC Theme-based Research Scheme funding project

Visit by Delegation of Fujian government

A delegation led by Mr. LIN Ruiliang, Vice Governor of Fujian Provincial People’s Government visited PolyU on 18 December to exchange views on deepening collaboration between Hong Kong and Fujian on technology and innovation development. Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU; Prof. Wing-tak WONG, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU and Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU welcomed the delegation, comprised of Mr. LIN Ruiliang, Vice Governor of Fujian Provincial People’s Government, Mr. CHENG Qiang, Director of Civil Affairs Department of Fujian Province; Mr. SHI Huicai, Chief Engineer of Industry and Information Technology of Fujian Province; Mr. ZHANG Dingfeng, Deputy Mayor of Fuzhou Municipal Government, and other senior officials. Prof. Jin-Guang TENG highlighted PolyU’s latest development in his speech including the university ranking, leading research areas and new remarkable achievement. He expressed PolyU’s dedication to promoting innovative technology and its societal application in conjunction with industrial development for the benefit of society. The University looks forward to collaborating with the Fujian Provincial Government in expanding the scope of partnership from Jinjiang to various regions within the Fujian Province. Mr LIN Ruiliang stated that Fujian has strong private enterprises in the traditional garment, footwear, electrical, and chemical industries. In the future, the Fujian Government will accelerate the development of the digital economy, maritime economy, sustainable economy and cultural and tourism economy. Through this meeting, both sides have deepened mutual understanding and established a solid foundation for future cooperation. During the meeting, the two parties reviewed the progress of the PolyU-Jinjiang Technology and Innovation Research Institute (Research Institute) and exchanged views on laboratory management, collaboration with leading enterprises, and the recruitment of global professionals to contribute to Fujian’s development. Prof. YU Changyuan, Professor of Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering of PolyU, who has been appointed as the Dean of the Research Institute, also gave a brief introduction to the delegation. Members from the Research Institute also joined the discussion and devised future collaboration plans between Jinjiang and Hong Kong.

PolyU received a delegation from Hubei Government

A delegation led by Ms ZHANG Xiaomei, the Director of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the Hubei Provincial People's Government visited PolyU on 18 December. The delegates were received by Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) and members of PolyU. Discussions were held to review the major collaboration projects including the establishment of the PolyU-Wuhan Technology and Innovation Research Institute (Research Institute) and the joint laboratory between PolyU and Wuhan University of Technology. Both sides expected that the Research Institute will serve as a platform to further facilitate the technology innovation, technology transfer and talent development to a new level with national and international vision, and contribute to the Nation's high-quality development with breakthrough research results. The delegation also visited the University Library to learn about its modern facilities and systematic user services. In October, PolyU and Wuhan Municipal Government had signed a framework agreement to establish PolyU - Wuhan Technology and Innovation Research Institute, marking the official launch of the significant industry-academic-research cooperation between PolyU and Hubei Province.

Nature’s inspiration spurs breakthrough on advanced materials for a sustainable living

Scientific researchers draw inspiration from nature’s brilliance as they seek to develop transformative solutions to unresolved challenges. Prof. WANG Zuankai, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation) and Chair Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has meticulously explored the intricacies of nature and made remarkable findings with very significant real-world applications. His recently published research on cooling ceramic successfully translates novel discovery into sustainable applications. Findings from his research project “Hierarchically structured passive radiative cooling ceramic with high solar reflectivity” were published in the journal Science. Together with Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation), Chair Professor of Thermal and Environmental Engineering of PolyU and co-author of the paper, Prof. Wang collaborated with a research team from the City University of Hong Kong on this innovation.   With unwavering commitment to transformative research, the research team led by Prof. Chao and Prof. Wang has developed a passive radiative cooling ceramic (cooling ceramic) that can achieve highly efficient light scattering and a near-perfect solar reflectivity of 99.6%. This passive radiative cooling material demonstrates promising energy-saving potential with weather resistance and high mechanic strength, reducing the cooling demand of an indoor environment.  “Our work on cooling ceramic exemplifies the power of learning from nature. It addresses a significant research gap in passive radiative cooling, specifically high solar reflectivity. Taking inspiration from the bio-whiteness observed in the whitest beetle, the researchers optimised the design of the scattering system, leading to a significant increase in solar reflectivity,” said Prof. Wang.  Beetle-inspired material to achieve 99.6% solar reflectivity This innovation was derived from the intricate biological structure of Cyphochilus, the whitest known beetle. Based on investigation of the scattering system found in the beetle's scales, the cooling ceramic was engineered with a hierarchically porous structure. This nature-inspired system is easily fabricated and boasts excellent daytime cooling performance, thus reducing energy consumption for indoor cooling.  “Nature offers us an abundance of intricate designs, efficient systems and sustainable solutions that have evolved over millions of years. Through careful study of these natural phenomena, we can uncover innovative ideas and principles that can be translated into practical applications,” said Prof. Wang.  This cooling ceramic also exemplifies Prof. Wang’s pioneering structured thermal amour (STA), which has the potential to enable efficient water cooling at ultra-high solid temperatures - an uncharted property. His previous research project, “Inhibiting the Leidenfrost effect above 1,000°C for sustained thermal cooling”, tackled the longstanding challenges posed by the Leidenfrost effect.  When the temperature surpasses the Leidenfrost point, a continuous vapour layer forms between a solid and a liquid, resulting in a decrease in heat transfer due to increased thermal resistance. Prof. Wang’s innovative STA holds the potential to implement efficient liquid cooling at extremely high temperatures.  First-time investigation into the Leidenfrost effect In applications involving evaporative cooling, the interaction between water and surfaces at high temperatures is a critical yet frequently overlooked phenomenon. Therefore, the suppression of the Leidenfrost effect is a major milestone in the successful development of this cooling ceramic, in addition to the bio-inspired whiteness and high solar reflectivity. The cooling ceramic exhibits super-hydrophilicity, enabling immediate droplet spreading and facilitating rapid impregnation of the droplets through its interconnected porous structure. As a result, the cooling ceramic inhibits the Leidenfrost effect at temperatures above 800°C during the evaporative cooling process.  “One of the key factors contributing to the success of the cooling ceramic is its hierarchical porous structure, akin to the porous membrane used in the STA design. It is this intricate structure that enables the ceramic to effectively draw in and evaporate liquid, thereby efficiently inhibiting the Leidenfrost effect,” said Prof. Wang.  It is the first time that the Leidenfrost effect has been investigated within the realm of passive radiative cooling materials. This novel exploration broadens the horizons of passive radiative cooling material design and also provides new insights for STA development and application. The cooling ceramic’s ingenuity lies in its ability to achieve multiple functionalities through simple fabrication and manipulation. Its key features, including high weather resistance, mechanical robustness, the ability to depress the Leidenfrost effect, favorable recyclability and its colour, contribute to its practical applications in diverse scenarios and building constructions. With its suitability for commercialisation and long-term outdoor applications, it also possesses advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness, durability and versatility.    Nature inspires scientific discovery and drives the development of impactful solutions through new materials, devices and systems. This is also the vision of the Research Centre for Nature-Inspired Science and Engineering at PolyU, led by Prof. Wang. The Centre is envisioned as a dynamic hub for innovation and collaboration, leveraging nature’s brilliance to create transformative solutions for societal and environmental challenges.   “This cooling ceramic research breakthrough illustrates the practicality and versatility of our approach. The cooling ceramic not only exhibits exceptional cooling performance through its bio-inspired structure from the white beetle but also possess valuable features such as self-cleaning properties, robust mechanical strength and Leidenfrost effect depression. All these characteristics make it ready for real-world applications,” said Prof. Wang.   

HOYA Vision Care Offers HK$3.8M glasses and instrument to the School of Optometry at PolyU

A six-year follow-up clinical study published in 2022 on MiYOSMART, the myopia control spectacle lens co-developed by HOYA Vision Care and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has shown that the patented Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (D.I.M.S.) technology is a simple, safe, effective and non-invasive way to slow the progression of short-sightedness in children. The myopia management effect among children aged 8-13 after cessation of MiYOSMART is also proven to be continuously sustained over time with no rebound effect. Following the success of the collaboration, HOYA Vision Care has, this year, provided HK$3.8 million of in-kind support to the School of Optometry at PolyU to fund a new research project entitled “Effectiveness of the Defocus Incorporated Spectacle Lenses on Fast Progressing Myope: A Randomised Control Trial”, with an aim of enhancing the myopia management solution and help children with rapid myopia progression. A New Study to Develop a More Effective Evidence-based Myopia Management Solution Prevalence of myopia in Asia prompted the aforementioned new study to closely examine children in Hong Kong aged between 4-12, whose cumulative myopia progression had drastically increased by more than -0.5/D in a year, or whose axial length had increased significantly by 0.27mm in a year. This kind of fast progressor is associated with greater risk of sight-threatening complications and poor quality of future vision, even when corrected. Timely treatment for this group of young patients is crucial, because myopia is best treated early to avoid vision complications in the long run. George KWAN, Managing Director of HOYA Lens Hong Kong Limited and HOYA Lens Taiwan Limited says, “Myopia has become a global concern. An estimated five billion people, that is half the global population, could be affected by myopia by 2050. HOYA Vision Care has always been committed to ensuring that evidence-based myopia treatment is available to meet the growing needs of the public, the younger generation in particular. Since its launch in 2018, the MiYOSMART spectacle lens has gained the trust of parents of over 2 million children across the world.” In the new two-year clinical study, HOYA Vision Care is offering about 700 pairs of glasses to participating children. “The children have to get a new pair of glasses about every six months during the two-year assessment. We hope our in-kind donation will encourage participation and strengthen the validity of the study, while helping more children in need,” Mr Kwan added. Dr Dennis TSE, Associate Professor of the School of Optometry at PolyU shared his view that, “Although, in Asia, myopia is most common among young children due to hereditary, lifestyle and environmental factors, prolonged reading, screen time, the lack of outdoor activities and insufficient lighting at work are also considered to be factors that contribute to the rapid progression of myopia.” Dr Tse also explained that, “The purpose of the current research is to examine the effectiveness and performance of Defocus Incorporated Spectacle lenses on controlling myopia progression in fast-progressing myopic children. We are grateful for the collaboration with HOYA Vision Care, especially for the in-kind donation of spectacle lenses and professional advice that are critical to the discovery of a more effective treatment for myopia.” Promoting axial length monitoring for myopia progression management The LENSTAR Myopia by HOYA and MiYOSMART spectacle lenses will be mutually complementary for the promotion of the accuracy of data collection in related research studies and efficient myopia management. LENSTAR Myopia by HOYA helps monitor and manage the results of myopia management cases through biometrics and analytical visualizations. Furthermore, its new Age-Match Myopia Control (AMMC) module provides the eye care professional with a tool which gives a clear treatment goal: keeping axial length growth at a physiological emmetropic rate. Axial length is found to be a key driver for the development of myopia and the measurement of axial length is an excellent way to predict the onset and progression of myopia. To encourage axial length monitoring, one set of LENSTAR Myopia has been donated to the School of Optometry of PolyU by HOYA Lens HK Limited. The set was also introduced to Hong Kong optical stores, enabling access to easy and fast axial length measurement to ensure the wider public's myopia progression is better predicted and controlled with tested and trusted solutions.

PolyU and National Eye Institute of NIH co-hosted global ophthalmology workshop, focusing on the standardisation of AI clinical practices

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) recently co-hosted a US-Asia Pacific panel workshop with the National Eye Institute (NEI) of National Institutes of Health (NIH) from the United States. This marked  NEI ‘s first global effort to organise a workshop on standardising methodology for integrating artificial intelligence into clinical practice in ophthalmology. The workshop aimed to establish a standardised approach in defining diseases, generating ground truths, and developing AI models, taking intoconsideration the unique healthcare systems across the Asia Pacific region and beyond.  With the theme on “Standardisation of Methodology in Ophthalmology : From Disease Definition to Ground Truth and Artifical Intelligence,” the workshop was chaired by Prof Mingguang HE, Chair Professor of Experimental Ophthalmology and Director of Research Centre for SHARP Vision at PolyU and Dr John Prakash, Director of International Program of NEI/NIH.  The panel workshop also hosted esteemed speakers and panelists, including Dr Michael Chiang, the Director of NEI/NIH, along with numerous highly accomplished clinician scientists from China, the United States, Singapore, the United Kingdom, India and other countries. Together, we addressed challenges, explored innovative solutions, and set best practices in this rapidly evolving field. The discussions yielded valuable insights, and we eagerly look forward to fostering further collaborations with our international partners.  

Smart Traffic Fund supports two PolyU projects on long-span bridge health monitoring and parking management

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has secured funding support for two innovative projects from the Smart Traffic Fund. Total funding of around HK$17.36 million has been granted for these projects which aim to enhance health monitoring of long-span bridges and optimise urban parking management respectively. Details of the two PolyU projects: Digital Twin-based Long-span Bridge Health Monitoring  Led by Prof. Yong XIA, Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the project has secured funding of approximately HK$13.4 million for a duration of 24 months. The project aims to develop a digital twin-based long-span bridge health monitoring platform. The Tsing Ma Bridge will serve as the testbed for this project, focusing on the development of an automatic traffic monitoring system, a bridge fatigue damage assessment and prediction system, a vehicle-barrier collision monitoring system and a vehicle safety assessment system in high winds. Sensors on the bridges, cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, finite element analysis and Bridge Information Modelling will be integrated into the monitoring platform to enhance the efficiency of the road network and road space, as well as to improve driving safety. Blockchain-enabled Cyber Physical System for City-wide Parking Management  Led by Dr Yung Po TSANG, Research Assistant Professor of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, the project has received funding support of approximately HK$3.95 million for a duration of 24 months. The project utilises Web 3.0 and blockchain technology to establish decentralised identity for drivers, enabling intelligent access control to car parks. Additionally, an AI-powered spatiotemporal clustering analysis system will be developed to evaluate the supply of and demand for parking spaces.   Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, said, “PolyU researchers have been contributing to smart traffic development projects, receiving robust support for their ongoing endeavours. We are dedicated to accelerating our research efforts, aiming to improve road and infrastructure safety while enhancing traffic commuting efficiency within our communities. This funding support reaffirms our commitment to advancing technology and conducting innovative research for the betterment of society.” PolyU has long been committed to the research and application of vehicle-related innovation and technology, with a total of 17 projects receiving grants from the Smart Traffic Fund to-date. More information on other approved projects is available at https://stf.hkpc.org/list-of-approved-projects/