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PAIR researchers shine at International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) won a total of 36 accolades at the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva (Geneva Inventions Expo), a widely recognised annual event devoted exclusively to invention. This remarkable achievement highlights the University’s strong research capabilities and commitment to innovation on the global stage. Thirty-three PolyU innovations seized 36 accolades, including 2 Special Prizes, 10 Gold Medals with Congratulations of the Jury, 8 Gold Medals, 11 Silver Medals, 4 Bronze Medals and 1 Special Merit Award. The project titled “Surface Sampling and Packing System for Chang’e-5 and -6 Lunar Sample Return Missions”, developed by the research team led by Prof. YUNG Kai-leung, Director of Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE), Sir Sze-yuen Chung Professor in Precision Engineering and Chair Professor of Precision Engineering, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, in collaboration with the China Academy of Space Technology, garnered the Saudi Arabia Award for Excellence in Innovation – Ministry of Education Prize and a Gold Medal with Jury Commendation. This is the first space-qualified robotic Sampling and automatic packaging system of its kind, and had successfully collected over 1.5kg of surface samples on the lunar front side and 1.6kg on the far side. On the Chang’e-6 mission, this system also marked the first-ever lunar far-side surface sampling. Another project titled “Hearing Hope: A Smart Sensor for Enhanced Safety and Precision in Hearing Restoration Procedures”, developed by the research team led by Prof. TAM Hwa-yaw, Associate Director of Photonics Research Institute (PRI) and Chair Professor of Photonics, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, won the Thailand Award for Best International Invention and Innovation as well as a Gold Medal with Jury Commendation. This medical device enhances surgical precision and reduces trauma in cochlear implantation by incorporating an optical fibre sensor within the electrode array.  Projects led by PAIR researchers: *In order of prize level and alphabetical order of project names Project Principal Investigator(s) Saudi Innovation Excellence Prize – Ministry of Education Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury Surface Sampling and Packing System for Chang’e-5 and -6 Lunar Sample Return Missions Prof. YUNG Kai-leung Director of Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations; Sir Sze-yuen Chung Professor in Precision Engineering; Chair Professor of Precision Engineering and Associate Head of Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Thailand Award for the Best International Invention & Innovation Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury Hearing Hope: A Smart Sensor for Enhanced Safety and Precision in Hearing Restoration Procedures Prof. TAM Hwa-yaw Associate Director of Photonics Research Institute; Chair Professor of Photonics, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Special Merit Award from French Inventors Federation and Europe-France Inventors Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury Seeing the Invisible: Generating Non-invasive Angiography as an Alternative to Invasive Retinal Examinations Dr SHI Danli Member of Research Centre for SHARP Vision; Research Assistant Professor, School of Optometry   Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury A Customisable Wearable Saliva Sensing Platform Prof. YAN Feng Associate Director of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems; Member of Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy; Chair Professor of Organic Electronics, Department of Applied Physics Smart Fire Extinguisher for Spacecraft Prof. HUANG Xinyan Member of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development, Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality and Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy; Associate Professor, Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering; Co-founder, Widemount Dynamics Tech Limited (a PolyU startup) CO2-driven Superhydrophobic Carbon-sink Concrete Prof. POON Chi-sun Director of Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality; Michael Anson Professor in Civil Engineering; Chair Professor of Sustainable Construction Material and Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering SweatMD: Health-monitoring Wearable Sweat Sensor Prof. SHOU Dahua Associate Director of Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion; Member of Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy; Member of Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality; Associate Director of PolyU–Xingguo Technology and Innovation Research Institute; Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Advanced Textiles Technologies; Associate Professor, School of Fashion and Textiles Gold Medal A Multi-objective Yaw-control System for Wind Farm Optimisation Based on Novel 3D Wake Model   Prof. YANG Hongxing Management Committee Member of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development; Member of Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy; Professor, Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering AI-empowered Digital Twin for Smart Building Management Prof. XIAO Fu Associate Director of Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy; Management Committee Member of Research Centre for Digital Transformation of Tourism; Member of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development; Associate Dean, Faculty of Construction and Environment; Professor, Department of Building Environment and Energy Multi-mode Optical Characterisation Interferometer (MOCI) Prof. CHEUNG Chi-fai Benny Associate Director of Research Centre for SHARP Vision; Management Committee Member of Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality; Member of Research Institute for Advanced Manufacturing; Chair Professor of Ultra-precision Machining and Metrology, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering; Director, State Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology   Smart Structural Integrity Monitoring Syste Prof. WONG Man-sing Charles Associate Director of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development; Associate Dean, Faculty of Construction and Environment; Professor, Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics Mr CHAN Pak Kwan Managing Director & Co-founder, LeafIoT Technology Limited (a PolyU startup) Behaviour Recognition Method, Device and Wearable Device Prof.HE Mingguang Director of Research Centre for SHARP Vision; Henry G. Leong Professor in Elderly Vision Health; Chair Professor of Experimental Ophthalmology, School of Optometry Dr TO Yuen-ying Elaine Postdoctoral Fellow in Ophthalmology, School of Optometry Eye-on-a-chip Device Dr ZHOU Liping Member of Research Centre for SHARP Vision; Research Assistant Professor, School of Optometry and Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology; Principal Investigator, InnoHK Centre for Eye and Vision Research; Director, Eyenova Biotech Limited (a PolyU startup) Dr PHAN Chau-Minh Research Assistant Professor, School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo; Principal Investigator, InnoHK Centre for Eye and Vision Research; Director, Eyenova Biotech Limited (a PolyU startup) Silver Medal Last-centimetre Drone Delivery in Urban Environments   Prof. HUANG Hailong Member of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development, Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology, Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things and Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute; Assistant Professor, Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering IHAC Film: Intelligent Humidity Control and Atmospheric Water Collection Film Prof. YAN Jinyue Jerry Management Committee Member of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development; Member of Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy; Chair Professor of Energy and Buildings, Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering AI-based Railway Obstacle Intrusion Detection System with Multimodal Transformers Prof. NI Yiqing Member of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development; Yim, Mak, Kwok & Chung Professor in Smart Structures; Chair Professor of Smart Structures and Rail Transit; Director of National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Engineering Technology Research Centre (Hong Kong Branch); Director of PolyU–Hangzhou Technology and Innovation Research Institute LungRT Pro: Advanced Radiotherapy Support System     Prof. CAI Jing Management Committee Member of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems and Research Institute for Smart Ageing; Head and Professor, Department of Health Technology and Informatics; Technical Advisor, InsightRT Limited (a PolyU startup)   EmoFriends Prof. WANG Jia Stephen Member of Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things, Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems and Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute; Professor, School of Design The EyeFatigue Tracker: Exploring Visual Health through Wearable Devices and Deep-Learning Technology Dr CHEN Yanxian Member of Research Centre for SHARP Vision; Research Assistant Professor, School of Optometry   STARS: Smartphone AI Refraction System Prof. DO Chi-wai Member of Research Institute for Future Food, Research Institute for Smart Ageing, Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation and Research Centre for SHARP Vision; Associate Professor, School of Optometry Prof. Grace NGAI Member of Research Centre for SHARP Vision; Associate Professor, Department of Computing Biomimetics Nanoplatform for the Treatment of Retinal Diseases     Prof. DO Chi-wai Member of Research Institute for Future Food, Research Institute for Smart Ageing, Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation and Research Centre for SHARP Vision; Associate Professor, School of Optometry Prof. Emmanuel HO Professor, School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo; Principal Investigator, InnoHK Centre for Eye and Vision Research Wellsees Orthokeratology Contact Lens Dr Jason Ki-Kit LAU Technical Director, Wellsees Technologies Co Ltd Mr Roger Jing ZHANG Founder, Wellsees Technologies Co., Ltd. Prof. KEEChea-su Associate Director of Research Centre for SHARP Vision; Member of Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things Head, School of Optometry; Co-Founder, Wellsees Technologies Co., Ltd. Dr Andy WANG Associate Professor, College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University; Co-Founder, Wellsees Technologies Co., Ltd. (a PolyU startup) BronzeMedal Advanced Self-cleaning Oil Fume Purification System for Commercial Kitchens Prof. LEE Shun-cheng Member of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development; Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Technical Advisor, AeroGreen Technology Company Limited (a PolyU startup) Dr LI Xinwei Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Founder, AeroGreen Technology Company Limited (a PolyU startup) Dr HAN Shuwen Alumnus, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Chief Technology Officer, AeroGreen Technology Company Limited (a PolyU startup) Next-generation Sportswear with Polylactic Acid, Auxetic Knitting Structure and Ergonomic Design Prof. Erin CHO Member of Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion; Dean of School of Fashion and Textiles; Limin Professor in Integrated Strategies and Leadership in Fashion; Advisor, Leopitorca Global Limited (a PolyU startup)   3D-printed Superior Light and Breathable Wearable Textiles Prof. JIANG Shou-xiang Kinor Member of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems and Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion; Professor, School of Fashion and Textiles   Press release: https://polyu.me/4ii7Sb7   Online coverage: The Standard - https://polyu.me/4ijMEKe Ming Pao Daily News - https://polyu.me/44s3T8L Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/3Re2Fq3 Headline Daily - https://polyu.me/4lJ7ndo Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/42HIWW1 Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/44s3e7h; https://polyu.me/3RL0hHo Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/3EjtdTP Bastille Post - https://polyu.me/4j6SVKe Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/3G7yWwy (subscription required) HK01 - https://polyu.me/4jkux8b      

Ir Dr ZHENG Pai honoured with “HKIE Young Engineer of the Year Award 2025”

Congratulations to Ir Dr ZHENG Pai, Member of the Research Institute for Advanced Manufacturing (RIAM), Wong Tit Shing Young Scholar in Smart Robotics and Associate Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, on being conferred the Young Engineer of the Year Award 2025 by The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE).  The award presentation took place at the HKIE Grand 50th Annual Dinner on 3 April 2025 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.  The Award is organised to recognise local outstanding young engineers who have made valuable contributions to the continuous development of Hong Kong through their engineering achievements.  It stands as a prestigious accolade within the engineering profession, honouring the dedication and innovation of emerging leaders in the field.  

Prof. Daniel LUO named distinguished member of Association for Computing Machinery

Prof. Daniel LUO Xiapu, Member of the Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT) and Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute (SCRI), Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences and Professor in the Department of Computing, has been inducted as a Distinguished Member of the Association for Computing Machinery for 2024, in recognition of his seminal contributions to safeguarding blockchain and smart contracts along with Android and its applications. A total of 56 scholars were awarded this prestigious honour, and they were selected by their peers for their significant technical achievements and volunteer service to the professional community.   Online coverage: ifeng.com - https://polyu.me/3Qj2EjT NetEase - https://polyu.me/41gnqqM Sina - https://polyu.me/4gI5rOk Sohu - https://polyu.me/4hEcxos

Prof. DUAN Huan-feng honoured with “2024 Dayu Water Conservancy Science and Technology Progress Award”

Congratulations to Prof. DUAN Huan-feng, Member of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) and the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, on receiving the “2024 Dayu Water Conservancy Science and Technology Progress Award (2nd Class)” by the Ministry of Water Resources of China, for his project titled “Key Technologies for Real-time Hydraulic Simulation and Precise Regulation of Complex Urban Water Supply Networks”. This accolade is given to individuals who have made exceptional technological innovations and significant contributions to the advancement of water science and technology, bringing substantial economic and social benefits. Prof. Duan’s research focuses on the critical areas of hydraulics and water resources, including urban hydraulics, urban asset management, coastal urban flooding, hydro-environmental management and computational fluid mechanics. He has spearheaded numerous significant research projects and secured grants from various funding bodies in Hong Kong and the Mainland China.

Prof. Nathanael JIN receives AAEES “40 Under 40 Recognition Program” Award 2025

Prof. Nathanael JIN Ling, Member of the Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood) and the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), and Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Health Technology and Informatics, has been recognised by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES) as one of the recipients of the “40 Under 40 Recognition Program” Award for 2025. Prof. Jin’s interdisciplinary research focuses on the intersection of environmental chemistry, toxicology and microbiology. His works addresses critical planetary health challenges, including air pollution’s impact on human health and marine pollution’s effects on wildlife. Prof. Jin’s research has been recognised by multiple Best Paper and Most Popular Paper Awards. He was invited by Nature to contribute commentaries to discuss global issues such as microbial hazards in plastic waste and health disparities from air pollution. Full list of the award recipients: https://www.aaees.org/40under40

Three PAIR academics honoured as Fellows of Hong Kong Academy of Engineering

Congratulations to Prof. TAO Xiaoming, Management Committee Member of PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) and Director of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR), Ir Prof. YIN Jian Hua, Management Committee Member of Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS), and Ir Prof ZHAO Xiao Lin, Associate Director of RILS, on their elections as Fellows of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering (HKAE). An induction ceremony was held on 20 January 2025 at Hotel ICON. The HKAE is a prestigious organisation dedicated to promoting and advancing the engineering field in Hong Kong. The Academy aims to foster collaboration, innovation, and excellence in engineering, contributing to the advancement of society and the development of Hong Kong and the Nation. It comprises a distinguished group of Fellows from various disciplines, recognised as leaders in their profession, with remarkable achievements in engineering sciences and applications.  Full list of the new Fellows: https://hkae.hk/en/hong-kong-academy-engineering-welcomes-eleven-new-fellows

Prof. XIA Yong awarded ASCE Greater China Distinguished Leadership Medal 2025

Congratulations to Prof. XIA Yong, Member of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE), and Professor of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, on receiving the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Greater China Distinguished Leadership Medal at the 3rd ASCE Greater China Conference held at Guangxi University from 10 to 12 January 2025. This award recognises Prof. Xia’s exceptional innovative contributions and outstanding leadership in advancing the ASCE Greater China Section and the civil engineering profession in the region. The selection process for this award involved a comprehensive evaluation of criteria such as professional contributions, academic influence and international engagement. The ASCE Greater China Section serves as a vital platform for fostering the growth of civil engineering in Greater China. It facilitates knowledge exchange, networking opportunities and professional development among its members, uniting engineers across diverse disciplines within civil engineering, including structural, geotechnical, construction, environmental, materials and water resources.

PolyU-invented Mobile Ankle-foot Exoneuromusculoskeleton wins CES 2025 Innovation Award in US

The Mobile Ankle-foot Exoneuromusculoskeleton developed by Prof. HU Xiaoling, Associate Professor of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Co-founder of PolyU startup Thecon Technology (HK) Limited, and her research team, received the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025 Innovation Award in the Accessibility and AgeTech category at the CES 2025 held in Las Vegas, United States.  Prof. Hu is a Member of the Research Institute for Smart Ageing (RISA) and the Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology (RISports). The award-winning innovation is a multimodal robot rehabilitation designed for ankle-foot rehabilitation, specifically aimed at improving the motor function and walking ability of stroke patients.  Organised by the Consumer Technology Association, CES is the world’s largest and most influential consumer electronics technology exhibition. This year’s event features over 4,500 global exhibitors, showcasing innovations demonstrating the integration of cutting-edge electronic technology with modern living. Press release: https://polyu.me/4gFquC5 Online coverage: KTSF26 - https://polyu.me/3WaypyT The Sun Daily - https://polyu.me/3C3ukGa Sina HK - https://polyu.me/40uDlRR Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/3E4pfxG Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/40cAQSN Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/403wlda HK01 - https://polyu.me/4jbzgcI Dot Dot News - https://polyu.me/4fNvaVn Hong Kong China News Agency - https://polyu.me/4hc8f7k Forbes - https://polyu.me/3WgK2V6

RIAIoT member Dr ZHANG Shuowen recognised as “N²Women Rising Star”

Congratulations to Dr ZHANG Shuowen, Member of the Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT), for being recognised by N2Women (Networking Networking Women) as one of the ten “N²Women 2024 Rising Stars in Computer Networking and Communications”, for her outstanding contributions to solving challenging beamforming and resource allocation optimisation problems in various wireless communication systems. N2Women is a discipline-specific community of researchers in the fields of networking and communications. It encourages diversity and aims at fostering connections among under-represented women in the computing sub-field. Its annual list of rising stars recognises women who have outstanding research outcomes and/or service contributions in the field. Full list: https://n2women.comsoc.org/awards/rising-stars/2024-rising-stars-in-computer-networking-and-communications/

Prof. CHAI Yang elected as IEEE Fellow

Prof. CHAI Yang, Management Committee Member of the Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR), Member of the Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT), Photonics Research Institute (PRI) and Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Science, and Professor of the Department of Applied Physics, has been elected to the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Fellow Class of 2025 for his contributions to bioinspired in-sensor computing.  Headquartered in the United States, IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organisation dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. The IEEE Fellow grade recognises unusual distinction in the profession and is awarded to persons with outstanding record of accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest.    Online coverage: The Paper - https://polyu.me/3ZJRtXf NetEase - https://polyu.me/41lYdeY Sina - https://polyu.me/3ZKXrXW Sohu - https://polyu.me/4f4aub7 qq - https://polyu.me/3OHl90P