Media Releases

PolyU develops Highly Flexible High-energy Textile Lithium Battery to cope with surging demand for Wearable Electronics

Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have developed a highly flexible, high-energy Textile Lithium Battery that offers more stable, durable and safe energy supply for wearable electronics with a myriad of applications, such as in healthcare monitoring, intelligent textiles, smartphones, Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking and Internet of Things (IoT). PolyU’s novel lightweight Textile Lithium Battery demonstrates high energy density of more than 450 Wh/L, and excellent flexibility — with a bending radius of less than 1mm, and foldability of over 1,000 cycles with marginal capacity degradation. In comparison, the existing bendable lithium battery can only reach a bending radius of about 25 mm, and with much lower performance of less than 200 Wh/L. The Textile Lithium Battery, of less than 0.5 mm thick, also possesses fast charging/discharging capability, and long cycle life comparable with conventional lithium batteries. [Please refer to the Annex for detailed comparison of performance between PolyU’s Textile Lithium Battery and other batteries] The innovation developed by the research team of PolyU’s Institute of Textiles and Clothing (ITC) has snatched three prizes at the 47th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva held in April this year, namely a Gold Medal and two Special Merit Awards. Professor ZHENG Zijian, who leads the ITC research team, said, “Wearable technology has been named as the next global big market opportunity after smartphones. Global market revenues for wearable devices are forecasted to grow by leaps and bounds, of over 20% annually, to reach US$100 billion by 2024. [1] As all wearable electronics will require wearable energy supply, our novel technology in fabricating Textile Lithium Battery offers promising solution to a wide array of next-generation applications, ranging from healthcare, infotainment, sports, aerospace, fashion, IoT to any sensing or tracking uses that may even exceed our imagination of today.” Lithium battery is currently the dominant rechargeable battery in the market due to its relatively high energy density and long cycle life. As conventional bulky heavy lithium battery is hard for use in wearable devices, over the past decade, scientists have put in efforts in developing bendable lithium battery, often by using metal foils as current collectors. However, it is only until the emergence of PolyU’s Textile Lithium Battery that the bottlenecks over energy density, flexibility, mechanical robustness and cycling stability being able to be addressed. Applying PolyU’s patented novel technology of Polymer-Assisted Metal Deposition (PAMD), highly conductive metal, copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) are uniformly and conformally deposited onto pre-treated fabrics. Such fabricated metallic fabrics, featuring low sheet resistance [2] and large surface area [3], serve as current collectors in battery. After adding active materials to act as cathode and anode, the metallic fabrics, together with separator and electrolyte, are assembled into the Textile Lithium Battery. Laboratory tests conducted by the ITC team have proven the extremely high mechanical stability, durability and safety of the Textile Lithium Battery under deformation. When the battery is repeatedly folded in half, twisted at different angles or freely crumpled, its voltage window remained unchanged. Bending test showed that the battery can be bent over 1,000 times with marginal capacity degradation. Safety tests conducted by continuous hammering, trimming with scissors and penetrating with nail proved the battery can stably provide power output for the electronic components with no risk of catching fire or burst. [ Note: The findings are published in Nature Communications, a world's leading multidisciplinary scientific journal:- Chang et al. Flexible and stable high-energy lithium-sulfur full batteries with only 100% oversized lithium. Nature Communications, 2018, 9(1): 4480. Video on PolyU's Textile Lithium Battery:- https://youtu.be/oGRW9SKmay8 ]   ---- End ----- [1] IDTechEx. ‘Wearable Technology 2018-2028: Markets, Players, Forecasts’. Retrieved 8 May 2019 from https://www.idtechex.com/research/reports/wearable-technology-2018-2028-markets-players-forecasts-000606.asp?setlang=en [2] Sheet resistance is an important property of conductive materials, quantifying the ability for transporting charges of the materials. The lower the sheet resistance, the faster is the transportation. [3] In general, the larger the surface areas for loading anode and cathode materials, the greater stability, higher charge/discharge speed and better flexibility is the battery. Applying the PolyU patented PAMD technology to control the deposition time, the thickness and sheet resistance of the metallic yarns can be easily controlled. By weaving the metallic yarns into a 3D metal fabric, its surface areas for loading the active materials, in comparison of a 2D metal foil sheet of the same size, is much enhanced.

PolyU develops a high-efficiency, high-quality ultra-precision polishing technology for different kinds of freeform surfaces

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) developed a novel curvature-adaptive multi-jet polishing (MJP) technology for different kinds of freeform surfaces, i.e. surfaces without symmetry axis, which are widely used in high end products such as compound lenses in 3D imaging, Head-up display (HUD) lenses used in automotive, optical components for augmented reality and virtual reality headsets, etc. Time efficiency and surface quality improvement are the main goals of the technology research. This technology can meet the stringent requirements for ultra-precision and high efficiency in polishing to reduce the surface roughness in high-value-added products, such as artificial joints, turbine blades of aeroplanes and other components with complex geometric shapes. PolyU’s technological breakthrough in high quality polishing will add great value to the high-end precision equipment manufacturing in the Greater Bay Area. The cutting-edge technology is developed based on the current Fluid Jet Polishing (FJP), an ultra-precision non-contact polishing technology that pumps the pre-mixed slurry, i.e. abrasive particles and water, through an adjustable nozzle directly towards a target surface at appropriate speed to polish the surface of the freeform products to the desired finish. PolyU’s research team customised multi-jet nozzles and developed a computerised system to automate the process and to control the fluid pressure and processing time of each jet according to the shape, variation of curvature and surface polishing requirements of a workpiece. The technology can thus be applied to most of the freeform products, including products with various complex curved designs and inner surface finishing of pipe-shaped products. Similar to FJP, MJP is also of high machining accuracy, suitable for polishing complex surfaces, and will not cause tool wear and temperature increase of the workpiece during polishing. MJP, however, has additional advantages in ultra-precision polishing. It can overcome the limitations of FJP to improve the material removal rate, and the polishing efficiency particularly for large-scale surfaces, lens array surfaces and inner surfaces polishing. The higher efficiency of MJP compared with that of FJP tool has been validated through an experiment. In the experiment, the FJP polishing procedure on a 4x4 lens units array took about 320 minutes as the lens in the array was polished one after another and each unit requires 20 minutes. However, if a MJP tool is used, it only takes 20 minutes to polish all the lens because they were polished simultaneously. In this case, the processing time for using the MJP tool has been significantly improved by about 16 times as compared to FJP. Leading this innovative project, Ir Professor Benny CHEUNG, Head of State Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology, PolyU, said, “Surface finishing especially for freeform surfaces can be expensive, time consuming, labor intensive, and error prone. FJP has its limitation in efficiency, so it has only been used in small size surfaces. MJP can be applicable to various industrial fields, such as high-precision optical components and moulds, aerospace components, automotive systems, semi-conductor plants, as well as biomedical engineering industries. The beauty of MJP solution includes high efficiency and lower cost without compromising on the polishing quality. We believe the technology could bring substantial benefits to the advanced manufacturing industries.” In terms of cost-saving, it will usually cost several millions (HK$) to purchase a FJP machine. However, the design and production cost of a MJP machine innovated by PolyU will only be at about two-third of the cost for the commercialized FJP machine. Moreover, the MJP system can be adapted and integrated into the existing polishing machines or robotic arms, which will further cut down the set-up cost. The novel technology has recently won a Silver Medal as well as two Special Merit Awards at the 47th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, 2019. The research team plans to further enhance the technology by developing apparatus fit for plugging in 3-dimensional (3D) printers for enhancing the efficiency of post-process finishing of 3D-printed complex components. Note: Video on “Ultra-precision polishing technology”   *****END**** About The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) While boasting a proud history of 80 years, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is a vibrant and aspiring university with a forward-looking vision and mission. Committed to building a talent pipeline and research strength for advancing the development of Hong Kong, the Nation and the world, PolyU provides the best holistic education to nurture future-ready global citizens and socially responsible leaders; conducts high-impact interdisciplinary research and proactively transfers knowledge to create value and build impact. We embrace internationalisation and engage the Nation for education and research through strategic partnerships and collaborations. With “Opening Minds. Shaping the Future” as our brand promise, the University is currently offering more than 160 taught programmes via six faculties and two schools, engaging in 3,200 exciting research projects and partnering with over 660 institutions overseas and in mainland China on a wide variety of initiatives. We have over 400,000 alumni around the globe and 28,000 students. PolyU website: www.polyu.edu.hk

PolyU to hold "PolyU JUPAS Consultation Day 2019: Admissions Strategies"

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) will hold the "PolyU JUPAS Consultation Day 2019: Admissions Strategies" in the afternoon of 18 May 2019 (2-5pm, Saturday) on PolyU campus. In the Consultation Day, JUPAS applicants will obtain the latest update on PolyU’s programmes, which will be useful for them to re-evaluate the programme choices they made and amend their programmme choices by 22 May before the release of HKDSE results. Academic Secretariat of PolyU will arrange a seminar during the Consultation Day on “admissions strategies and interview skills” which covers the latest admissions arrangements, key considerations in programme selection and essential interview skills. Registration in advance for the seminar is advisable as the seats are limited and are offered on a first come, first served basis. Moreover, the academic units will organise consultation sessions, programme information seminars and other activities during the Consultation Day. JUPAS applicants will have ample opportunity to interact with professors and academic staff members from their preferred disciplines/programmes to better understand the entrance requirements, curricula and programme features, and campus life. “PolyU JUPAS Consultation Day” has been held for many years. Over 3,000 attendees, including JUPAS students, parents and teachers, were drawn to the event last year. To know more about the Consultation Day and to register for the seminar, please visit the event website: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/conday. JUPAS programme details are available at Study@PolyU website: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/study. Enquiries on the event should be directed to (tel) 2333-0600 or (email) asevents.enquiry@polyu.edu.hk.   *****END**** About The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) While boasting a proud history of 80 years, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is a vibrant and aspiring university with a forward-looking vision and mission. Committed to building a talent pipeline and research strength for advancing the development of Hong Kong, the Nation and the world, PolyU provides the best holistic education to nurture future-ready global citizens and socially responsible leaders; conducts high-impact interdisciplinary research and proactively transfers knowledge to create value and build impact. We embrace internationalisation and engage the Nation for education and research through strategic partnerships and collaborations. With “Opening Minds. Shaping the Future” as our brand promise, the University is currently offering more than 160 taught programmes via six faculties and two schools, engaging in 3,200 exciting research projects and partnering with over 660 institutions overseas and in mainland China on a wide variety of initiatives. We have over 400,000 alumni around the globe and 28,000 students. PolyU website: www.polyu.edu.hk

PolyU develops Palm-sized 3D Ultrasound Imaging System for Scoliosis Mass Screening and Frequent Monitoring

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today shared that more youngsters can have their scoliosis conditions detected early and monitored frequently, thanks to the portable imaging system developed by PolyU’s experts in scoliosis research. The first-of-its-kind palm-sized 3D ultrasound imaging system for radiation-free scoliosis assessment, named "Scolioscan Air", can bring accurate, safe and cost-efficient mass screening to schools and anywhere in the community. The portable Scolioscan Air developed by the research team of PolyU’s Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) was recently awarded Grand Award, Gold Medal with the Congratulations of Jury, and Special Merit Award at the 47th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva held in April. Scoliosis is one of the most prevalent spinal diseases affecting adolescents. It is estimated that about 3% to 5% of adolescents in Hong Kong suffering from scoliosis, with increasing prevalence in recent years.1 A recent study in Guangzhou indicated that for girls aged 14 and 15, the prevalence is as high as 13.8%. About 15% of the adolescents with scoliosis would have condition deteriorating, and bracing or surgery would be required when curves progress to moderate or severe status. Early detection of scoliosis conditions and regular check-up during the rapid growing period of adolescent school-children is thus crucial. At present, X-ray imaging is the clinical gold standard for scoliosis assessment, but radiation exposure may pose increased risk for cancer. PolyU-developed scoliosis imaging technology Ir Professor ZHENG Yong-ping, Head of BME and Henry G. Leong Professor in Biomedical Engineering, who leads the research, said Scolioscan Air is a further advanced system based on the PolyU-developed 3D ultrasound imaging technology under the trademark “Scolioscan” (weighed about 150 kg). “Scolioscan” was successfully commercialised into a clinic-based facility in 2016. Being radiation-free and more cost-effective than prevailing X-ray imaging technologies, Scolioscan can facilitate mass screening and frequent follow-up monitoring. Clinical trials have proven the novel technology is very reliable, with accuracy of curve measurement comparable to X-ray assessment.2 3 Moreover, it can obtain image in any postures, provide vertebra rotation and muscle-related information, and form a 3D spinal model for the three-dimensional analysis of deformity of spine. All these cannot be achieved by X-ray imaging systems commonly used at present. Scolioscan can also be applied to conducting prognosis and monitoring treatment outcomes for each scoliosis patient so as to establish personalised treatment plan. Palm-sized Scolioscan Air facilitates screening anywhere, anytime The research team has recently applied the novel technology to a portable palm-sized Scolioscan Air they further developed, which weighed only 5 kg. “With this innovation, we can now literally bring the device and mass screening service to the youngsters anywhere, anytime. It would facilitate the implementation of school-based scoliosis screening to detect and treat spinal curvatures before they become severe enough to cause chronic pain or other health issues among adolescents,” said Professor Zheng. “Moreover, when providing non-surgical treatment for scoliosis patients, healthcare personnel can use Scolioscan Air to conduct real-time assessment, so as to optimise the treatment outcome.” Scolioscan Air consists of three hardware components: i) a palm-sized wireless ultrasound probe with an optical marker mounted at its bottom; ii) a depth camera; and iii) a laptop or tablet computer with dedicated software. The compact optical marker and depth camera replace the spatial sensor used in Scolioscan and thus help dramatically downsize the device. In addition, the technology for 3D ultrasound image reconstruction, visualisation and measurement, including a fully automatic curvature measurement method and 3D spinal deformity analysis software, developed by the team earlier can also be applied to Scolioscan Air. The newly developed optical 3D spatial tracking method for Scolioscan Air achieves a high degree of accuracy, which is comparable with Scolioscan. Moreover, the technological compatibility makes Scolioscan Air readily available for commercialisation for popular use. With dramatically reduced material cost, size and weight compared with other scanning systems, Scolioscan Air can be carried within a suitcase. Scolioscan has been registered as a medical device in different countries since 2016, including European Union and Australia. A total of 23 patents globally for the related technology have been awarded to, or filed by, PolyU and the collaborating company. The clinic-based systems have been installed in clinics in Hong Kong, Macau, the Mainland, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, etc; and have been used for scoliosis scanning for over 4,000 patients. Members of the PolyU research team of Scolioscan Air include Mr MENG Qiang, Mr Derek YANG De, Mr Joseph HUI Chi-ho, and Mr Henry WONG Yiu-hang. Note: Video on “Scolioscan Air”:- https://youtu.be/UQEWbaE3aOU   *****END**** [1]Fong , et al. A population-based cohort study of 94401 children followed for 10 years exhibits sustained effectiveness of scoliosis screening. Spine Journal. 2015;15:825–33 [2]Zheng et al. A reliability and validity study for Scolioscan: a radiation-free scoliosis assessment system using 3D ultrasound image. Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders (2016) 11:13 [3]Brink et al. A reliability and validity study for different coronal angles using ultrasound imaging in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The Spinal Journal 18(6), 2017.

PolyU and CTM join hands to develop Macau into a smart city for tourists

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Companhia de Telecomunicações de Macau (CTM) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conduct a spatial big data analytics study on the needs and preferences of tourists in Macau with an aim to improving Macau's tourism service and enhancing tourists' experience through innovative services. The MoU was signed by Ms Eunice Cheang, Vice President, Strategic Programs ofCTM and Professor John Shi, Head of PolyU's Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI) ina ceremony held on PolyU campus.  "PolyU is devoted to cutting-edge smart city technologies, including spatial big data analytics, smart navigation and positioning, and smart sensing. The University's Laboratory for Smart City and Spatial Big Data Analytics (the Laboratory) aims to develop and transfer these technologies to industry. This collaboration, between an academic institute and industry from Hong Kong and Macau, will not only facilitate the development of smart city in Macau, especially in tourism, but also serves as a testbed for the development of smart cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA)," Professor John Shi said. The goal for the initial collaborative research program between the two entities is to develop a suite of analytical methods for visually exploring and quantitatively analysing tourist activities and behavioural patterns. This will include Wi-Fi facility optimisation, the development of data-mining algorithm and tools, and the mobile and Wi-Fi users behaviour-based study for the purpose of Macau's urban planning and tourism management enhancement. Backed by the research expertise and facilities of the Laboratory, PolyU will develop machine learning models to analyse data collected through user surveys in predicting user satisfaction in telecommunication facility optimisation and service enhancement. In the meantime, spatio-temporal data mining of tourist activity patterns will be conducted to help identify different types of tourists (such as solo or group travellers; on business or leisure trips) and understand their different needs and preferences. With that, new solutions will be developed to guide them explore Macau and enhance their travel experience. Ms Eunice Cheang said that, at the current era of Internet of Things with the availability of massive data, data analysis is becoming more and more complicated and pressing. With the support of PolyU's advanced models, algorithm and platforms for big data analysis, CTM hopes to identify the trend of smart services that its clients need so as to further promote the smart city development of "Digital Macau". Macau is a popular tourist destination in the region, it attractedmore than 35.8 million visitors in 2018. The available big data in Macau enables PolyU researchers to develop and deliver data-driven smart city solutions for Macau as well as customised solutions for tourists in the city. CTM can better understand the point of interest of different types of tourists according to their origin, traveling frequency, mostly visited places, and stay periods so that they can plan relevant content for different tourist groups. The research will also be helpful in the prediction of tourism trends and its correlation with economy and public policies and the development of intelligent applications capable to providing personalised information for tourists.   *****END****

PolyU holds Translational Research Forum on Sustainable Urban Development in the Greater Bay Area

The Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) organised an international forum, titled "Translational Research Forum on Sustainable Urban Development in the Greater Bay Area" on 26 and 27 April 2019  for academics and researchers from different countries to explore latest research results and best practices of sustainable urban development especially for urban infrastructure development that takes smart city and mobility, smart construction, energy, environment, urban informatics, and urban hazard mitigation into account. The forum also identified challenging issues in the development of the Greater Bay Area with a view to achieving win-win cross-sector collaborations. Officiating the opening of the Forum were Prof Philip C. H. Chan, Interim President of PolyU; Mr Jian-xiang JIANG, Deputy Director General, Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs, Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in HKSAR; and Mr Ka-kui CHAN, SBS, JP, Chairman, Hong Kong Construction Industry Council. The Forum brought together renowned academicians, including three academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences: Prof Cheng-hu ZHOU of the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research; Prof Anthony YEH of The University of Hong Kong; and Prof Jin-guang TENG, PolyU President Designate. "At PolyU, research on sustainable urban development has long been one of our top priorities. We are keen to leverage our research strengths in areas such as construction, energy, environment, smart city, urban informatics and urban hazards mitigation, to support the development of the GBA. With concerted efforts, we will be able to translate these results into practical use that can benefit the GBA sustainable development," said Professor Philip C. H. Chan in his welcome speech. Three fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering delivered keynote speeches in the Forum. Prof David NETHERCOT, Emeritus Professor of Imperial College London, shared his insights on translation as a fundamental component of research, especially in the area of civil engineering. Prof Roger FALCONER, Emeritus Professor of Cardiff University in the United Kingdom, talked about flood modelling and hazard risks for extreme events in urban environments, and the development and application of new formulae for the movement of vehicles and the stability of human beings in flood events. Prof Richard JARDINE of Imperial College London highlighted the industrial, social and environmental benefits generated from research with the engagement of industry on offshore foundations in the area of offshore geotechnical engineering. A typical example is the UK achieving costs around 50% lower than new nuclear power stations by having the world's largest installed offshore energy capacity and applying advances in foundation research. He urged the geotechnical engineers in the GBA and other ASEAN countries to engage with the new developments. Among the local keynote speakers was Ir Sai-Hung LAM, Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) of the Hong Kong Government, who enthused about the opportunities for the local construction industry in the GBA. He said that the GBA will foster huge investment demand and strong economic growth. The local construction industry could seize the opportunities by offering seamless professional services to other GBA cities. Separately, Mr Quanke Su, Chief Engineer of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority, shared the successful experience of the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge construction project, a sound case study for the collaborations in science and technology innovation among the cities in the GBA. The Forum also included three parallel sessions in the afternoon with rich topics that covered environment, atmosphere & energy, smart city and mobility as well as smart construction. Prof. You-Lin Xu, Dean of FCE, attributed the success of the forum to the concerted efforts of many honourable speakers, "Many thanks go to our presenters, especially the keynote speakers who came to share their work, experience and insight at the forum," said Prof. Xu. Financially supported by the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund, the Forum had the staunch support of various professional organisations as well as local and mainland universities. About 600 participants, including more than 30 government officials, over 200 industry professionals, and around 180 participants from the mainland, attended and have greatly benefited from the two-day Forum.   *****END****

PolyU honours nine outstanding alumni

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) will present the "Outstanding Alumni Award 2019" to nine alumni in recognition of their distinguished professional accomplishments and significant contributions to the community and their alma mater. The award presentation ceremony will be held on 30 April 2019 (Tuesday). The award recipients, in alphabetical order of last name, are: Mr CHU Chen-on, Co-founder, October Pictures Limited Dr Herman LAU Mun-cheung, Hospital Chief Executive, Bradbury Hospice, Cheshire Home, Shatin, and Shatin Hospital Sr LAU Ping-cheung, GBS, JP, Managing Director, Biel Asset Management Company Limited and Member, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Council Ir Arthur LEE Kam-hung, Founder and Chairman, Kolinker Group and Member, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Council Mr Alex LUI Chun-wan, a renowned architect and city planner, andMember, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Court Mr Elton NG Chun-ting, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Centre of Rehabilitation & Exercising Specialist Mrs Natalia SENG SZE Ka-mee, Vice Chairman of Tricor HK and Offshore, Member of Tricor China Management Committee, Tricor Group and Tricor Services Limited  Mr Dominic TAM Jo-tak, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Combine Will International Holdings Limited Mr Marcellus WONG Yui-keung, Vice Chairman, AMTD Group (Please refer to the Appendix for the biodata of the recipients.) Jointly organised by PolyU and the Federation of PolyU Alumni Associations, the biennial Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award aims at honouring outstanding graduates of PolyU and its forerunning institutions – the Government Trade School, the Hong Kong Technical College and the Hong Kong Polytechnic – for their remarkable professional achievements and contributions to the community and their alma mater. The Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award was first launched in 1996 and this year marks the 12th award presentation. So far, more than 70 distinguished alumni in various professions have been honoured and they are fine testimony of PolyU's accomplishments in nurturing professional talents for the community. The seven-member Panel of Judges is chaired by Dr the Hon Victor LO Chung-wing, Chairman of University Court, PolyU. Members, in alphabetical order of last name, include: Dr Hubert CHAN Chung-Yee, Former Deputy President of Outstanding PolyU Alumni Association; Prof Philip C. H. CHAN, Interim President of PolyU; Mr Jimmy KWOK Chun-wah, Chairman of Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Dr Edwin LEONG Siu-hung, Chairman of Tai Hung Fai Charitable Foundation Limited; Dr Eric LI Ka-cheung, President of Hong Kong Family Welfare Society; and Mr Alex WONG Chun-bong, President of Federation of PolyU Alumni Associations.   *****END****

PolyU wins big with 18 Prizes in Geneva Inventions Expo

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) was among the big winners in the Hong Kong delegation this year at the 47th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva (Geneva Inventions Expo), the exhibition regarded as the most important specialist event of its kind in the world. Among the nine Grand Awards Hong Kong delegation took home, PolyU was awarded four of them. PolyU garnered 18 awards altogether, including four Grand Awards, two Gold Medals with the Congratulations of Jury, three Gold Medals, two Silver Medals, and seven Special Merit Awards. "PolyU's researchers exhibit remarkable expertise and competence in scientific research and technological development. Of the seven projects we presented in the Geneva Inventions Expo in Switzerland, most of them earned multiple prizes. The awards recognise projects that stand out for their innovative approaches. PolyU constantly pushes the boundaries of technological innovation with a view to bringing positive impact to our community and making people's lives more fulfilling," said Dr Miranda LOU, Executive Vice President of PolyU. The winning projects of PolyU cover a variety of applications, ranging from healthcare, wearable energy sources, green living, smart city, to manufacturing spectrum in textile and precise polishing, showcasing the University's distinguished capabilities and accomplishments in innovation and technology. The seven projects are (project details in Appendix): Project  Principal Investigator Awards  WiseEye: AI-based Textile Material Inspection System Professor Calvin WONG Wai-keung, Institute of Textiles and Clothing 2 Grand Awards (Prize of the Italian Delegation of the Exhibition; Prize of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca of Romania) Gold Medal with the Congratulations of Jury Special Merit Award WiseEye: AI-based Textile Material Inspection System [Principal Investigator: Professor Calvin WONG Wai-keung, Institute of Textiles and Clothing] The innovation wins four prizes at the 47th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zg5OBsySMA     Professor Calvin WONG Wai-keung with WiseEye in real-life operation   Palm-sized 3D Ultrasound Imaging System for Radiation-free Scoliosis Assessment Ir Professor ZHENG Yongping, Department of Biomedical Engineering Grand Award (Prize of the Legal Company "Gorodissky & Partners", Russia) Gold Medal with the Congratulations of Jury Special Merit Award Palm-sized 3D Ultrasound Imaging System for Radiation-free Scoliosis Assessment [Principal Investigator: Ir Professor ZHENG Yongping (3rd from right), Department of Biomedical Engineering] Mobile Exo-neuro-musculo-skeleton for Self-help Post-stroke Upper Limb Rehabilitation Dr HU Xiaoling, Department of Biomedical Engineering Grand Award (Prize of the Polish of Patents Office) Gold Medal Special Merit Award Mobile Exo-neuro-musculo-skeleton for Self-help Post-stroke Upper Limb Rehabilitation [Principal Investigator: Dr HU Xiaoling, Department of Biomedical Engineering] Video: https://youtu.be/IICTvXjyscw       Mobile Exo-neuro-musculo-skeleton         Flexible, Stable, High-energy Textile Lithium Batteries  Professor ZHENG Zijian, Institute of Textiles and Clothing Gold Medal 2 Special Merit Awards Flexible, Stable, High-energy Textile Lithium Batteries [Principal Investigator: Professor ZHENG Zijian (left), Institute of Textiles and Clothing] Indirect Evaporative Cooler for Efficient Energy Recovery Professor YANG Hongxing, Department of Building Services Engineering  Gold Medal Indirect Evaporative Cooler for Efficient Energy Recovery [Principal Investigator: Professor YANG Hongxing (right), Department of Building Services Engineering] Curvature-adaptive Multi-jet Freeform Polishing System for Precision Manufacturing Ir Professor Benny CHEUNG Chi-fai, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Silver Medal 2 Special Merit Awards Curvature-adaptive Multi-jet Freeform Polishing System for Precision Manufacturing [Principal Investigator: Ir Professor Benny CHEUNG Chi-fai (3rd from left), Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering] An Industrial IoT-based Smart Robotic Logistics Management System Dr Carman LEE Ka-man, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering  Silver Medal An Industrial IoT-based Smart Robotic Logistics Management System [Principal Investigator: Dr Carman LEE Ka-man (left), Department of Industrial and Systems] Video: https://youtu.be/1-o6tBhEHOU     Mobile robot controlled by advanced intelligent robotic algorithms   The 47th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, held from 10 to 14 April, has attracted over 800 exhibitors from more than 40 countries/regions. It was organized under the patronage of the Swiss Federal Government, the State and the City of Geneva as well as the World Intellectual Property Organization. For details, please visit the event organizer's official website:-  www.inventions-geneva.ch  

PolyU and Hebei Province sign agreement to advance exchanges, talent nurturing and technology development

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Hebei Province entered into an agreement today to establish a long-term province-institution collaboration mechanism. Under the agreement, both parties will proactively enhance their cooperation in talent nurturing, knowledge exchanges, sharing best practices in teaching, student internship, as well as advancing science and technology research and the development of related industries. Dr XU Qin, Mayor of Hebei Province, led a 15-member delegation of the Hebei Provincial Government to attend the agreement signing ceremony on PolyU campus. Together with senior management members of PolyU, they witnessed the agreement signing by Professor Philip C. H. CHAN, Interim President of PolyU, Dr YANG Yong, Director of Education Department of Hebei Province, and Mr ZHANG Yongqiang, Deputy Director of Science and Technology Department of Hebei Province. Addressing the signing ceremony, Dr LAM Tai-fai, Council Chairman of PolyU, said "Hong Kong has been integrating into the rapid development of the Nation. Under the mega national development plan, the collaborations between Hong Kong and other provinces, cities, as well as universities in the Mainland will achieve win-win situations in strengthening innovative research and talent cultivation by leveraging each other's strengths." He pointed out that PolyU is a global pioneer in a number of advanced technology research areas. PolyU has cooperated with Hebei institutions in promoting academic exchanges since 2012. PolyU can further contribute its expertise to support the Hebei Province's efforts in developing the Xiong'an New District into an international city of high-tech industries. The further collaboration can help PolyU turn its research results into applications, while supporting the transforming and upgrading of enterprises in Hebei. Mayor Xu said, "Hebei Province is in the historical period of opportunities". While making the steel industry, logistics and cultural tourism central to the provincial development, Hebei has a large-scale advancement in science and technology industries in recent years. "We highly value the cooperation with PolyU and look forward to promoting the development of education, and technology research with the University." A PolyU alumnus, graduated from the University's Business Administration Doctoral Programme in 2004, Mayor Xu has extensive experience in promoting advanced technologies. Under the agreement, Hebei Province will support PolyU to translate its scientific research achievements into applications in Hebei through offering funding, strengthening connections and encouraging enterprises to participate in projects, etc, while PolyU will offer high-end technologies and talent supply to support Hebei in developing its innovation capabilities. Both parties will cooperate in the development of science, technology and related industries, in particular for advanced engineering materials, food safety, bioengineering technologies, etc. PolyU will work on collaborating with the enterprises, universities and research institutes in Hebei to establish innovation platforms for sharing large-scale research equipment and jointly undertaking the Nation's major science and technology projects. Both parties will also collaborate in nurturing talents and facilitating exchanges. Hebei Province will designate outstanding personnel from institutions, enterprises and science and technology units to study at PolyU, so as to nurture high quality management talents and technology teams in innovation for the province. The provincial government will also help PolyU to establish bases in Hebei for teaching and student internships. PolyU students can participate in the winter camp in Hebei and serve their internships in the Xiong'an New District. Reciprocally, PolyU will send delegations of experts and scholars for study tours to offer consulting services and training in Hebei.

PolyU hosts the first-of-its-kind international Marine Robotics Forum in HK • Exploring disruptive robotic technologies to be deployed under the seas

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today organised The 1st International Forum on Marine Robotics for international and local experts to share insights on how to advance marine robotic technology and its applications in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA). This is one of the major events initiated by PolyU to foster closer collaborations and explore innovative technologies with top-notch universities and institutes around the world through forming strategic research and development alliances.  In his welcome remarks, Professor Ping-kong Alexander WAI, Vice President (Research Development) of PolyU, said, "We are very pleased to work with robotics experts from different places to collaborate in the research, development, and deployment of marine robotics so that we can innovate ground-breaking applications of robotic systems to explore oceans in a new way." Experts speaking at the Forum included Dr. Ravi VAIDYANATHAN, Senior Lecturer in Bio-Mechatronics, Director of International Collaboration, Imperial Robotics Forum, Imperial College London, UK; Dr Ahmed CHEMORI, Senior Scientist in LIRMM-CNRS University of Montpellier, France; Proessor Shuo LI, Deputy Director of Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Professor David M LANE, Professor of Autonomous Systems Engineering, Director of Edinburgh Centre for Robotics, Heriot-Watt University, The University of Edinburgh. They shared themes that covered bio-mechatronic sensory motor control, autonomous underwater vehicles, marine robotics for deep-sea exploration and operation. The professionals exchanged valuable views and experiences on marine robotics technologies. Dr Xing-jian JING, Associate Professor of PolyU's Department of Mechanical Engineering and a seasoned researcher on bio-inspired dynamics, control and robotics, highlighted that, "Technologies related to underwater exploration and manipulation as well as new bio-inspired underwater robots would be two important areas to be explored in marine robotics. These key marine robotic technologies are important to ocean exploration and exploitation. They also contribute enormously in environmental and pollution study, critical underwater infrastructure inspection, natural resource exploration, and sensing and mapping of ocean for specific tasks and missions". Professor Hau-chung MAN, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, PolyU, said, "PolyU is committed to conducting impactful research and promoting knowledge transfer. While we are situated in a coastal city like Hong Kong, we can leverage our geographical advantage as we conduct research on ocean exploration. Capitalising on our solid network with leading researchers in the world, we strive to pioneer in developing marine robotic technologies and deliver global results". PolyU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ICL and SIA last month respectively. The two MoUs reinforce the partnership between PolyU and the top research institutions of related areas and firmly declare the intentions of advancing joint research, particularly in the areas of innovative robotics technologies in relation to ocean exploration as well as ocean exploitation for scientific research and civilian applications.  Committed to supporting the HKSAR Government's InnoHK initiative in developing Hong Kong as the hub for global research collaborations, PolyU has submitted a proposal to the HKSAR Government under the AIR@InnoHK research cluster initiative for setting up an international joint research centre with top-notch research institutes on marine robotics.  PolyU also plans to launch a series of events on this emerging research area, targeting to explore and promote high impact maritime robotic applications in various industries, bringing extensive benefits to the society.