Contributing to Social Sustainability
Over the years, PolyU has witnessed and been part of significant developments across many areas of society. As we look to the future, the University envisages helping to maximize our societal impact by contributing to social well-being across Hong Kong with our research excellence and tackling the overarching challenges faced by different stakeholders of the society.
Breakthrough in Myopia Control for Children
Myopia, or short-sightedness, is becoming increasingly prevalent around the world. Around 40% of Hong Kong school children have myopia, with the condition worsening in adolescence, meaning that almost 80% of Hong Kong students require glasses or contact lenses to correct their vision by the time they reach university. To address this issue, PolyU researchers at the School of Optometry developed the novel Defocus Incorporated Soft Contact (DISC) lens and Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) spectacle lens to help control myopia development in children.
The DISC was the first soft contact lens with concentric dual-power rings to take advantage of the natural homeostasis of the human eye. Optical defocusing can be incorporated into widely-accepted types of contact lenses to provide clear vision while myopia development is being controlled. The DISC is widely recognized by international scholars and scientists, and the commercial production of the DISC lens was recently licensed to a market player – a strong example of how PolyU can successfully transfer technology and research results into commercialized contact lens products that benefit children in need.
The DIMS lens also won the Grand Prize (Overall Championship), the Grand Award and the Gold Medal with the Congratulations of the Jury at the 46th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva. Based on the same defocusing principles as the DISC lens, the DIMS spectacle lens incorporates myopic defocus optics all over the lens, and has been found to be effective in early myopic intervention. The DIMS spectacle lens was made commercially available in the summer of 2018.
Innovative Typographic Generator for People with Reading Disorders
“Easiread” is a smart typography system invented by a graduate from the PolyU School of Design. Easiread is designed to help people with dyslexia or reading difficulties improve the fluency and accuracy of their reading. The system works as an extension in Google Chrome with add-on functionality, including size and spacing adjustments, the cleanup of visual distractions and line-by-line tracking for users browsing the English version of the Wikipedia website. Users can also make customized adjustments to online text according to their needs.
Easiread helps to improve letter recognition and reading flow. To test the system’s effectiveness before its commercial release, two studies were conducted on around 30 students with mild to moderate dyslexia. The results revealed that their average reading time was shortened by using Easiread. In addition, their reading accuracy improved significantly, up from 8% to 14%.
A Multi-function Monitoring System to Care for Elderly People with Dementia
PolyU researchers from the Department of Biomedical Engineering have developed a monitoring system called “eNightLog” designed to improve quality of life for elderly people and decrease the workload of healthcare personnel. This multi-function nighttime monitoring system for elderly patients with dementia has numerous different functions to track patients’ vital signs, respiration and their movements in bed – all with the aim of preventing falls and stopping the patients from wandering away. This innovation won the Gold Medal at the 46th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva.
In order to meet the needs of the typical environment of nursing homes in Hong Kong, eNightLog has all-around functionality, with a non-contact, non-invasive design and has advanced habitation health technology embedded into it. For instance, the system’s infrared 3D sensor can track a resident’s position and posture to prevent them from falling. The system has been tested in a nursing home and achieved an accuracy rate of 100%.
Opening the Laboratory for Smart City and Spatial Big Data Analytics
PolyU has invested significant amounts in research and development efforts which support the development of smart city technology and pioneering cutting-edge data analytics technology. Opened officially on 20 March 2018, the Laboratory for Smart City and Spatial Big Data Analytics is equipped with state-of-art facilities and backed by top-notch research expertise. The laboratory is currently exploring key technologies in spatial big data analytics and modeling, smart navigation, and mobility.
