Building on three years of breakthrough innovations in smartphone imaging, PolyU and Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corp., Ltd. (OPPO) are taking their research collaboration to new heights by establishing the “PolyU-OPPO Joint Innovation Research Centre” (Joint Innovation Research Centre) in January 2025. This significant upgrade from their existing “PolyU-OPPO Joint Innovation Lab” (former Joint Lab) marks a more comprehensive and in-depth approach to AI-driven computational imaging research, supported by OPPO’s substantial commitment of no less than RMB 30 million in funding over the next five years.

The partnership has already demonstrated remarkable success in advancing smartphone imaging technology. PhD students from PolyU, collaborating closely with OPPO engineers, have successfully developed sophisticated Generative AI algorithms that can instantly transform unclear pictures into high-resolution, realistic images – an innovation that has been integrated into OPPO’s flagship smartphones.

Expanding research in mobile imaging

As mobile video filming and multimedia content creation continue to grow in demand, the Joint Innovation Research Centre will expand its research scope to address more complex challenges. Future research directions will encompass video algorithms, album editing, and lightweight Generative AI models, all while maintaining high-quality image output on mobile devices. The Joint Innovation Research Centre remains committed to fostering talent cultivation, strengthening academia-industry cooperation, and advancing technological innovation.

The collaborative framework agreement was formally signed in early November at the PolyU campus. Professor Zhang Lei, Chair Professor of Computer Vision and Image Analysis of the Department of Computing, will serve as the Director of the Joint Innovation Research Centre.

Professor Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU, emphasised the strategic timing of this partnership, coinciding with PolyU’s establishment of the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences in January 2025. “This new structure will effectively promote in-depth exchanges and collaboration among research teams, creating more impactful outcomes,” he said.

Mr Jason Liao, President of the OPPO Research Institute, reflected on the partnership’s achievements, stating, “In the three years of collaboration between OPPO and PolyU, we have witnessed significant technological breakthroughs and notable achievements in talent cultivation through the former Joint Lab.”

This enhanced partnership represents a significant step forward in mobile imaging technology development while nurturing the next generation of AI talent, demonstrating the powerful impact of academia-industry collaboration in driving technological innovation.

The former Joint Lab utilised large-scale Generative AI models to process pictures in real-time on mobile devices, and the image shown is a comparison of the photos before and after processing.