PolyU has inaugurated the Research Centre for Assistive Technology (RCATech) to advance the development of assistive devices and rehabilitation through cross-disciplinary collaboration. As the first such research centre in Hong Kong, RCATech aims to help create an inclusive society through interdisciplinary efforts in applied research and technology commercialisation.

The Centre brings together PolyU experts from rehabilitation, health sciences, design, engineering and environmental fields and has formed partnerships with local NGOs supporting disability and elderly communities. Internationally, RCATech collaborates with research centres in Canada and Singapore to conduct projects that include the establishment of an Asian normative database for individuals with movement disorders.

RCATech provides a coordinated platform for assistive device, system and fundamental research that leads the region and benefits society. It is honoured to have Prof. Frank Chan Fan, former Secretary for Transport and Housing of the HKSAR government and the current Hong Kong Deputy to the National People’s Congress, as Honorary Advisor.

With international collaborations and support from clinical experts and engineering professionals, RCATech aims to optimise research applications and outcomes for the elderly and people with disabilities. The research centre is chaired by Director Prof. Kenneth Fong of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences.