News

PolyU develops and manufactures space instruments for the Nation’s Chang’e-6 mission, successfully completing the first lunar far side sampling in human history

In support of the Nation’s landmark sample return mission from the far side of the moon, the PolyU research team led by Prof. YUNG Kai-leung, Director of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE), Sir Sze-yuen Chung Professor in Precision Engineering, Chair Professor of Precision Engineering and Associate Head of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, collaborated with the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) to develop and manufacture the “Surface Sampling and Packing System” for this historic task. On June 3, the PolyU-developed system accomplished the tasks of automatic sample collection and packaging on the lunar surface, following the soft landing of the Chang’e-6 probe, marking a milestone in human space exploration. The probe has already taken off from the moon with the cargo of the first-ever lunar soil samples from the far side set to return to Earth on June 25. Unlike previous methods adopted by other countries involving drilling or manual excavation, PolyU’s “Surface Sampling and Packing System” is designed as fully automated multi-point lunar surface sampling and with a packaging mechanism. In Hong Kong, PolyU was involved in the design and manufacturing of Samplers A and B, together with two accompanying high temperature Near-field Cameras for multiple-point surface sample collections, and automatic vision guidance of the sampling, sample deposition and sample container pickup and precision placement into the ascender. The PolyU-designed and manufactured flight units also included a primary sealing and packaging system that consisted of a sample container and its sealing mechanism. The sampling process briefly started with the Near-field Cameras mounted on the robotic arm next to Samplers A and B. These Cameras guided the sampling and sample deposition into the PolyU sample container in the primary sealing and packaging system. Upon the completion of the sampling process, the sample container was sealed by the sealing and packaging device for picking up by the sampler which was vision-guided by the Near-field Cameras for automatic precision insertion into the ascender for transporting back to Earth. Press release: https://polyu.hk/MakDV   Online coverage: TVB - https://polyu.me/4bL5TK6 i-Cable - https://polyu.me/3KBGGpD Now.com - https://polyu.me/3Kvz1ZY RTHK - https://polyu.me/3ySG7oG CRHK - https://polyu.me/3yMr5ke China Daily Hong Kong Edition - https://polyu.me/4bPWnp1 Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/4c5JcRf Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/3VeoMxZ Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/3Rj6eLY Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/3z33b40 am730 - https://polyu.me/4bPzDp4 Headline Daily - https://polyu.me/4c1GWtI Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/45cYEs3; https://polyu.me/3XcDKHm Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3xfdMbC Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/4aVhvJj; https://polyu.me/3VcMfQ8 HK01 - https://polyu.me/3Kz1G01 Bastille Post - https://polyu.me/3KAnM2w; https://polyu.me/45hyFzO Dot Dot News - https://polyu.me/3RkqH34 Orange News - https://polyu.me/4efV2K2 Bauhinia - https://polyu.me/45cR4gZ Unwire - https://polyu.me/4aX0ZIS Yahoo HK - https://polyu.me/4aRmISr CCTV - https://polyu.me/3RdNugD Xinhua Net - https://polyu.me/4bKur5Y Hong Kong China News Agency - https://polyu.me/45dY9xH China News Service - https://polyu.me/3yZCXPW; https://polyu.me/3XcWlTC China Review News - https://polyu.me/4ccRWo0 Global News - https://polyu.me/3KAFsuS People.cn - https://polyu.me/4aPcAcQ ifeng.com - https://polyu.me/4egjxqb 21st Century Business Herald - https://polyu.me/3X9FtgN JSTV - https://polyu.me/3yPVePV SZ News - https://polyu.me/3RhPOU2 Science Net - https://polyu.me/3RiaknF Lianhe Zaobao - https://polyu.me/4c8345C Jornal Va Kio - https://polyu.me/3VdVlw3 Cheng Pou - https://polyu.me/3RjdHue Today Evening News - https://polyu.me/3VeWV0D Chinese Press - https://polyu.me/3KwVUfF 國際金融報 - https://polyu.me/3yWge7G East Money - https://polyu.me/3ySXvK9 NetEase - https://polyu.me/3Vwh1ol

Prof. WENG Qihao develops deep learning-based super-resolution method for building height estimation

A study by Prof. WENG Qihao, Associate Director of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS), Director of Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Geomatics, Member of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute (SCRI) and Chair Professor of Geomatics and Artificial Intelligence, and his research team, titled “A deep learning-based super-resolution method for building height estimation at 2.5 m spatial resolution in the Northern Hemisphere” was recently published in the journal Remote Sensing of Environment. Building height is an important indicator for assessing the level of urban development along the vertical dimension. Existing large-scale building height estimation studies focusing on coarse spatial resolution cannot reveal height variations across buildings in urban areas. The team proposed a deep learning-based super-resolution method to generate building height maps. The researchers created an open building height dataset with 45,000 samples covering 301 cities in the Northern Hemisphere, including China, the conterminous United States, and Europe. The dataset generated provides great potential in high-resolution database updating, urban planning, and natural disaster assessment, as well as a new perspective of how cutting-edge satellite imaging technology can be utilised in urban observation, measurement, monitoring, and management. Read the full paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0034425724002591

PAIR Newsletter · Issue 10 · June 2024 is now available online

We are thrilled to publish the 10th Issue of the PAIR Newsletter with captivating updates showcasing the extraordinary accomplishments of our PAIR members. Dive into profound insights from distinguished scholars Prof. Wang Zuankai, Prof. Eugene B. Chang, and Prof. Li Qing, and discover our ground-breaking research advancements! We encourage you to share valuable articles and links from our Newsletter with your friends and colleagues. Please feel free to spread knowledge and promote interdisciplinary excellence by sharing PAIR's impactful stories! Happy reading! https://www.polyu.edu.hk/pair/publications/

Dr SHOU Dahua shares on novel nature-inspired sweatable fabrics

Dr SHOU Dahua, Member of the Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR), the Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology (RISports) and the Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion (RCTFF), Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Advanced Textiles Technologies and Associate Professor in the School of Fashion and Textiles, was featured on i-Cable’s TV programme “InnoAction”, to introduce his two inventions supported by the Innovation and Technology Fund. The innovation, “Omni-Cool-Dry”, is a premium anti-heat skin-like fabric that provides wearers with all-day cool, dry, breathable and comfortable feel, by quickly dissipating liquid sweat as water droplets to prevent the sensation of wetness and saturation, and selectively reflecting solar radiation and emitting body heat to the cold universe for cooling. Another invention, “iActive”, an intelligent, electrically activated activewear designed for sweat management, uses nature-inspired technologies, including low-voltage-driven artificial “sweat glands” and a root-like branching liquid transport system that aligns with the body’s sweat map, for removing sweat effectively and programmably.   Online coverage: i-Cable - https://polyu.me/3wYPuTf (12:32 - 21:20) (Chinese only)

Prof. HE Mingguang shares with Nature on repeated low-level red-light therapy for myopia control in children

Prof. HE Mingguang, Director of the Research Centre for SHARP Vision (RCSV), Chair Professor of Experimental Ophthalmology, was interviewed by the journal Nature on his study about using repeated low-level red-light (RLRL) therapy to reduce the prevalence of myopia in children. Prof. He and his collaborators conducted a year-long study at ten primary schools in Shanghai. Results showed that children at risk of developing myopia (premyopia) who received the RLRL therapy for three minutes twice per day, five days per week, were half as likely to develop myopia than children who did not receive the therapy, demonstrating the promising application of RLRL therapy for controlling and preventing myopia. Online coverage: Nature - https://polyu.me/4bH1ojO NetEase - https://polyu.me/3Kp6ODR (Chinese only)

RILS scholars win two Smart Living Partnership Awards 2023/24

Congratulations to Prof. DING Xiaoli, Director of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS), and Dr Wallace LAI, Core Member of RILS, for winning the awards “Outstanding Land Subsidence Monitoring Technology by Integrating Satellite Remote Sensing & Mobile Surveying” and “Outstanding Imaging Technologies for Rapid Leakage Diagnosis of High-Pressure and Large Water Mains” respectively, in the Smart Building / Environment Technology / Green Technology category of the Smart Living Partnership Awards 2023/24. Co-organised by ETNet and Hong Kong Cyberport, the Award aims to recognise, promote and support outstanding companies or organisations which demonstrate commitment to promoting Hong Kong as a Smart City, improving the society’s competitiveness and increasing public awareness of digitalisation.   Online coverage: ETNet - https://polyu.me/4e0Kw94 Anue - https://polyu.me/3UVQmju

PolyU research projects in advanced manufacturing, new materials and new energy receive funding from RAISe+ Scheme

The Innovation and Technology Commission of the HKSAR government announced the results of the first batch of approved projects under the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus (RAISe+) Scheme on 28 May 2024. Two research projects led by PAIR members have been awarded RAISe+ funding. They are: Innovation and Technology Field Project Title Person-in-charge Advanced Manufacturing Energy-Efficient Liquid Cooling System for Data Centres Prof. WANG Zuankai Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation), Kuok Group Professor in Nature-Inspired Engineering, Chair Professor of Nature-Inspired Engineering of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Member of the Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) and the Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology (RISports) New Materials and New Energy Pilot and Mass Production of Next-Generation Composite Current Collectors for Mobility and Energy Storage Batteries Prof. ZHENG Zijian Chair Professor of Soft Materials and Devices,Professor in the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, Associate Director of RI-IWEAR, Management Committee Member of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), and Member of the Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT), the Photonics Research Institute (PRI) and the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD).   Inaugurated in 2023, the RAISe+ Scheme aims to provide funding, on a matching basis, for at least 100 research teams from universities funded by the University Grants Committee which demonstrate strong potential to evolve into successful startups. Each approved project will receive funding support ranging from HK$10 million to HK$100 million. Press release: https://polyu.hk/qJTzK   Online coverage: Mirage - https://polyu.me/4bUkSky Ming Pao Daily News - https://polyu.me/3yLIglU Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/4bBXAjA (subscription required) Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/4aDQKsK Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3R2LFTM Yahoo HK - https://polyu.me/3UUFSkm

MHRC Member awarded HMRF grant to investigate factors of help-seeking behaviours for insomnia

Dr XIN Meiqi, Member of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) and Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, was awarded a grant of about HK$500K from the Health and Medical Research Fund of the Health Bureau, HKSAR, for her project “Understanding professional help-seeking behaviours for insomnia and the associated factors in the community-dwelling older population having insomnia symptoms”. The research is a collaborative project by PolyU and the Department of Psychiatry and The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Insomnia is prevalent among community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong but most of them do not actively seek help from healthcare professionals. The project aims to investigate the factors that influence the professional help-seeking behaviours among community-dwelling older adults with chronic insomnia symptoms. The findings are expected to help inform the development of evidence-based interventions and programmes to encourage help-seeking behaviours among elders with chronic insomnia symptoms.

Prof. CAO Shi-Jie of Southeast University delivers a PAIR seminar on urban environment systems engineering for sustainable development

Prof. CAO Shi-Jie, Chief Professor of Southeast University (SEU) and Director for Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Urban Heat and Pollution Control, China, delivered the PAIR Seminar titled “Urban Environmental Systems Engineering for Sustainable Development: Digital Modelling and Intelligent Control” on 22 May 2024. The seminar attracted about 40 participants in person and captured an online viewing audience of over 10,500 who watched the live broadcast on multiple social media platforms, including Bilibili, WeChat and Weibo. The seminar commenced with a welcome speech and speaker introduction by Prof. CHEN Qingyan, Director of the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR). In his presentation, Prof. Cao stated that urban environment engineering seeks to apply system engineering to solve complex urban problems. He highlighted that interdisciplinary research that combines scientific and mathematical approaches is crucial for understanding the mechanisms and laws concerning the complex interactions between humans and the ecological environment. Prof. Cao emphasised that the modelling of urban pollution involves a mix of techniques, including remote sensing, big data, computational simulation, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, digital twins, etc. He gave various project examples to explain how different techniques can be used for scientific monitoring, fast prediction, assessment and regulation of urban pollution. To conclude, Prof. Cao pointed out that advancements in urban environment modelling and intelligent control can build the scientific foundation for sustainable urban development. Following the presentation, Prof. Chen moderated a lively question-and-answer session. The audience engaged in a fruitful discussion with the professors Please click here for an online review.  

PolyU develops intelligent traffic monitoring system

Prof. Alan LAU, Management Committee Member of the Photonics Research Institute (PRI), Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) and Associate Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and his team have developed an Intelligent Real-time Traffic Monitoring System (ITMS) that harnesses fiber optic sensing technology to monitor the traffic flow without any additional hardware. Prof. Lau explained that the ITMS leverages deployed fibre optic network for telecommunications that covers major roads in Kowloon and Hong Kong to collect location-specific vibration signals generated by vehicles that drive through these busy areas in real time. He believes the real-time data collected by the system could be used to monitor and reduce traffic congestion, and provide valuable information for road maintenance.     Online coverage: Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/4dM4qVf Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/44PfhtF (subscription required) am730 - https://polyu.me/3wKespc Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/4bJRVrx Quamnet - https://polyu.me/3ypWKYF Line Today - https://polyu.me/3wGphZB