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21st Century Economic Report Exclusive Interview with Prof. Yi-Qing Ni from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University: AI Empowers Safety Monitoring for High-Speed Rail and Maglev

Prof. Yi-Qing Ni from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University has made remarkable achievcmtats in the field of structural health monitoring. The fiber Bragg grating sensors developed by his team have been applied to major railway lines such as the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Rail and the Lanzhou-Xinjiang Railway. This technology enables real-time monitoring of key indicators such as wheel flats and track deformation, thereby significantly enhancing the safety and operational efficiency of  high-speed rail services. In 2016, this technology was successfully used in the Singapore MRT and for monitoring structural components of train cars. Line 4 of the Rio Olympic Metro, The total length of tracks under monitoring reach 500 kilometers. Prof. Yi-Qing Ni has also led his team in establishing an object detection system based on images and LiDAR technology, which can accurately identify objects on railway tracks for ensuring the safe operation of trains. The AI-powered intelligent monitoring cloud platform developed by his team allows maintenance personnel to monitor train operation data in real time and to optimize the central control system. This platform has been implemented in the railway networks in Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as mainland China's high-speed rail lines. In the realm of railway noise control, the acoustic metamaterial sound-absorbing barriers and intelligent particle dampers developed by Prof. Ni's team can effectively mitigate the noise generated by rail transit, thereby enhancing passenger comfort. These technologies are currently undergoing testing and trial application in the Hong Kong and Shenzhen MTR. Furthermore, Prof. Ni has been actively promoting the integration of smart materials and AI. The self-sensing concrete he developed is currently undergoing application tests in collaboration with the Shanghai Railway Bureau. He is leading the project "INTACT: Intelligent Tropical Storm Disaster Mitigation System for Coastal Cities" which adopts LiDAR wind measurement technology as the core, for quantitative prediction of the potential destructive force of typhoons on buildings with a view to formulating solution for coping with extreme storms in coastal cities. Prof, Ni stresses the significance of cultivating interdisciplinary talents and recommends civil engineering students learning advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence to better adapt to the future development of the industry.  

Delegation from CRRC Corporation Visiting The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

On 6 June, 2025, a delegation from CRRC Corporation, comprising Mr. Yang Mingming (Deputy Director of CRRC Science and Technology Department), Mr. Zhao Mingyuan (Deputy Director of CRRC Research Institute), Mr. Liu Baibo (Deputy Director of Technology Department, CRRC Research Institute), and Mr. Zhao Jinfeng (General Manager of CRRC Sifang Hong Kong Branch), visited the CNERC-Rail Centre at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Prof. Yi-Qing Ni, Dr. You-Wu Wang (Senior Research Fellow), Dr. Si-Qi Ding (Research Assistant Professor), Dr. Vincent Wai Kei Ao (Research Assistant Professor), and Dr. Wen-Qiang Liu (Research Fellow) warmly received the delegation and gave an introduction of the Centre's cutting-edge research projects and achievements together with development directions in railway related fields. The visiting delegation highly praised the Centre's research capabilities and achievements They expressed strong interest in further cooperation and exchange with the Centre's research teams.

CNERC-Rail Research Seminar: Prof. Jun Yang from Southeast University, China

On May 21, 2025, from 1:45 pm to 2:45 pm, a research seminar entitled “Safety-Critical Control Under Disturbances: Foundation, Method and Robotic Application” was successfully held by CNERC-Rail in Room Z209, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Prof. Jun Yang, from Southeast University, gave a presentation in the seminar. Prof. Jun Yang, a distinguished academician in control systems, robotics, and automation, presented his latest research on safety-critical control for robotics and autonomous systems. His research findings demonstrate the importance of formal methods in ensuring the safety and reliability of control systems, especially under disturbances. He provided an inspiring tutorial on control barrier function (CBF)-based control approaches and introduced on emerging methods for safety-critical disturbance rejection control, with applications in interactive robotics and autonomous cranes for terminal port automation.

Delegation from School of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Lanzhou University Visiting The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

On 16 May, 2025, a delegation from the School of Civil Engineering and Mechanics of Lanzhou University, composing Prof. Ji-Zeng Wang, Prof. Long Li (Associate Professor), Prof. Hua-Ping Wang (Associate Professor,) and Mr. Wang Yang (Research Secretary), visited the CNERC-Rail Centre. Dr. May Su-Mei Wang (Research Assistant Professor) warmly received the delegation and gave a briefing on the significant achievements and the direction of development  in the major research work of the centre. The visiting team admired the Center’s research capabilities and achievements and expressed their strong interest in with the centre's research teams cooperation and exchange.

CNERC-Rail Research Seminar: Prof. Fernando Moreu from the University of New Mexico

On 12 May, 2025, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm (Hong Kong time), a research seminar entitled titled “Integration and Control of Dynamics and Pattern Recognition with Immersive Platforms” was successfully held by CNERC-Rail in Room Z209, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Prof. Fernando Moreu, an Associate Professor from the University of New Mexico, gave a presentation in the seminar. Prof. Fernando Moreu, a renowed expert in structural dynamics, control, and cyber-physical systems, presented his latest research on human-computer interfaces for quality inspectionaided by robotics applications. His research findings enhance the efficiency of human decision-making through AI and machine-enabled visual analysis, providing innovative approaches for structural health monitoring and robotic programming.  

CNERC-Rail Research Seminar: Prof. Bill Spencer from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

On May 2, 2025, fom 5:00 to 6:00 pm (Hong Kong time), a research seminar entitled "Energy-efficient Autonomous Framework for Monitoring Railroad Bridges in the USA using Wireless Smart Sensors" was successfully held by CNERC-Rail at Room Z209, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. gave a presentation in the seminar Prof. Bill Spencer, a faculty member of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Prof. Bill Spencer, a renowned expert in structural health monitoring and cyberinfrastructure applications, presented an innovative monitoring system for railway bridges using wireless smart sensors. This system overcomes the challenges of remote data acquisition and autonomous operation and provides a cost-effective and efficient solution for bridge monitoring.

PolyU signing strategic agreements with China Railway Electrification Group to establish joint research laboratory

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and China Railway Electrification Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (CREEG) recently held a ceremony for signing a strategic cooperation agreement on technology research and application, as well as the establishment of a joint laboratory in Beijing. Through the Beijing-Hong Kong technology cooperation mechanism, both parties aim to cultivate high-calibre talents with innovative theories and practical experience, and to establish a global hub for rail transit innovation as well as a model for industry-academic integration. This collaboration will support the national strategy of "strengthening the country through developing transportation" and contribute to the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region aw well as the construction of a national benchmark city of digital economy. CREEG, a key member of China Railway Group Limited and a dual Fortune Global 500 company, is the national team and main force in the construction of electrified railway network and urban rail transit in China. This partnership will leverage the strengths of both parties to expolre innovation in rail transit. In the ceremony Prof. Yi-Qing Ni, Chair Professor of Intelligent Structures and Rail Transit in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at PolyU, signed a strategic cooperation agreement on technology research and application with Mr. Yu-Bing Li, Chief Engineer of the Electrification Company of CREEG. Professor Ni is the Director of the National Engineering Research Center for Railway Electrification and Automation (Hong Kong Branch) and Dean of the PolyU Hangzhou Technology Innovation Institute. PolyU's delegation took the opportunity to visit the Electric Traction Equipment Research and Development Center of Beijing Electric Traction Company of CREEG. They gained insight into CREEG's latest technological developments and innovative achievements in intelligent construction, digital technology application, and intelligent operation and maintenance systems for rail transit. Both sides had in-depth technical exchanges and discussions on the intelligent and digital development of rail transit.

Zhejiang Communications Engineering Group Co., Ltd. Visits The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

On the afternoon of April 28, 2025, Zhejiang Communications Engineering Group Co., Ltd. held an exchange meeting with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in Room ZS840, Block Z, at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). The meeting aimed to strengthen cooperation between the two parties in the field of engineering technology. Participants:  Zhejiang Communications Engineering Group Co., Ltd.: Ms. Yan-Yan Liu (Deputy Party Secretary, Executive General Manager), Dr. Dong Liu (Deputy Chief Engineer, Director of the Quality and Technology Department (Research Institute)), Dr. Chun-Lin Xu (Director of the Quality and Technology Department (Research Institute)) and Dr. Tie Chen (Staff Member of the Quality and Technology Department (Research Institute)). Zhejiang Communications Investment Hong Kong Representative Office: Mr. De-Hua Wang (Chief Representative) and Dr. Jian Bao (Director of Science and Innovation). Department of CEE, PolyU: Prof. Song-Ye Zhu (Associate Head (Research) and Professor), Prof. Zhen Leng (Professor, Associate Director of Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality), Dr. Ning Zhang (Research Assistant Professor), Dr. Si-Qi Ding (Research Assistant Professor), Dr. Wai Kei Ao (Research Assistant Professor), Dr. Qiu-Chan Meng (Research Assistant Professor), Dr. Zi-Xuan Liang (Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Electronic and Information Engineering) and Dr. Lu Bai (Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering). Both parties engaged in an in-depth discussion on cutting-edge technologies such as intelligent transportation and green buildings, reaching a preliminary agreement on cooperation. They plan to promote technological innovation through resource sharing.        

A delegation from the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) and HollySys Transportation International Limited visited the CNERC- Rail Centre

On 12 March 2025, Mr. Eric Leung (Deputy Chief Manager (Advanced Manufacturing and New Energy Technology)) from OASES, which is under The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, and Mr. Jia-Yuan Zhou (Deputy General Manager and Business Development Director) from HollySys Transportation International Limited, which is under Beijing HollySys Co., Ltd., visited the CNERC-Rail at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dr. May Su-Mei Wang (Research Assistant Professor) and Dr. Vincent Wai Kei Ao (Research Assistant Professor) have introduced related research of CNERC-Rail. The OASES, HollySys and CNERC-Rail had engaged in an in-depth discussion.

Obituary

It is with our deepest sorrow that we announce the passing of Professor Roderick Smith, Distinguished Visiting Chair Professor of Railway Engineering at The Hong Kong Branch of the National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Engineering Technology Research Centre (hereinafter referred to as “CNERC-Rail (HK Branch)”), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.  Professor Roderick Smith passed away on 26 December 2024, his 77th birthday after a tragic accident. His contributions to the field of railway engineering and his dedication to education have left an indelible mark on our community. Throughout his time at CNERC-Rail (HK Branch), Professor Smith inspired both research students and our team members with his expertise in railway research and his passion for research and teaching. He was a brilliant scholar, mentor, and friend to many. We will fondly remember his dedication to advancing knowledge and fostering collaboration within the Centre. As we mourn the loss of Professor Smith, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing him. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy will continue to inspire future generations. A memorial service will be held on 7 March 2025 at 10:00 p.m. (HK time). The service will be live-streamed on the following YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCew-RHHZSldBM9yYyq6mkHg All are welcome to join in honouring his memory.  Sincerely, Prof. Yi-Qing Ni 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 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering The Hong Kong Polytechnic University