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Two PolyU Scholars Honoured with First-Class Awards from the Chinese Society of Vibration Engineering

Two research projects led by scholars from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have been honoured with the First -Class Awards of the Chinese Society of Vibration Engineering Science and Technology Awards 2023.  PolyU’s two scholars, Prof. Li CHENG, Associate Dean (Research) of Faculty of Engineering and Chair Professor  of Mechanical Engineering and Prof . Yong XIA, Professor of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, have been bestowed the First-Class Awards for their outstanding achievements in vibration engineering.  Prof. CHENG’s awarded project is titled “Acoustic black holes and applications to vibration and noise control in equipment engineering.” Vibration and noise are major concerns and challenging problems in numerous engineering applications. His research team has conducted a series of work that has systematically unveiled the fundamental physical principles of slow wave phenomena in vibrating structures. They have also established a comprehensive analysis and design methodology, and devised new structures suitable for diverse vibration and noise control applications in equipment engineering. Prof. XIA’s awarded project is titled “Machine learning methods for structural health diagnosis and operation maintenance of bridges.” It aims to develop cutting-edge machine learning methods of full-field measurement and modal identification, damage detection, reliability evaluation, and decision-making in the operational maintenance of bridges. These innovative techniques enable accurate health diagnosis and cost-effective operation maintenance strategies for bridge structures.  Prof. CHENG’s project entails collaboration with Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Nanjing University of Science and Technology, while Prof. XIA’s project is conducted in collaboration with Harbin Institute of Technology.  The Chinese Society of Vibration Engineering Science and Technology Awards aim to promote innovative technology the field of vibration engineering. A total of four First-Class Awards and 12 Second-Class Awards were granted to the universities and institutions in 2023. 

Visit by Delegation of Quanzhou Municipal People’s Government

A delegation led by Mr. YAO Fei, Deputy Mayor of the Quanzhou Municipal People’s Government, visited PolyU on 17 January to exchange views on deepening collaboration between Hong Kong and Quanzhou in technology and innovation development. Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU and PolyU delegates warmly welcomed the delegation. Prof. Jin-Guang Teng introduced the University's research accomplishments and latest development. He anticipates that through in-depth collaboration with Quanzhou City, the of PolyU-Jinjiang Technology and Innovation Research Institute (Research Institute) will develop and flourish. Mr. Yao Fei stated in his speech that the Quanzhou Municipal People’s Government will fully support the development of the Research Institute. Jinjiang can provide fertile ground for the R&D of PolyU, facilitating the transformation of scientific research projects. He expressed anticipation for further cooperation between the two sides in petrochemicals, pharmaceutical industry, and industrial design.  This collaboration aims to promote scientific and technological innovation in Quanzhou city, injecting new vitality into its economic and social development. Prof. YU Changyuan, the Director of PolyU-Jinjiang Technology and Innovation Research Institute, introduced the development and future plans of the Research Institute to the delegation.  During the meeting, both parties reached a consensus on strengthening cooperation further, which has a great significance for promoting the development of Research Institute.  

Media Article: PolyU Mathematician Explores the Science of Honey and Airplane Wings Through Fluid Mechanics

"Fluid" is an amazing substance that we often encounter in our lives. It lacks a fixed shape and can change at any time, which has attracted the attention of many physicists and mathematicians who dedicate themselves to the study of "Fluid Mechanics." This field aims to explore the states and laws of fluids in motion. In a recent article in Wen Wei Po, Prof. Tong YANG, a member of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences and Chair Professor of Mathematical Science in the Department of Applied Mathematics at PolyU, introduces the scientific concept of "fluid" and provides a historical overview of the study of "Fluid Mechanics." He explores how physicists and mathematicians analyse the "Boundary layer theory" (BL theory) by using the Reynolds number, which is an important parameter in aerodynamics to address unsolved mathematical problems associated with it. Prof. YANG’s scientific research focuses on Conservation laws, Boltzmann equation and Boundary layer theories. Earlier, Prof Yang’s joint research project, titled “Mathematical theory of compressible Navier-Stokes equations and related models”, was bestowed the First-Class Award in Natural Science at the Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Award (Science and Technology) 2022, to recognise his outstanding scientific research contributions. Please click here for details: Full interview (Chinese only):【青談科研】探尋蜜糖與機翼奧秘的科學：流體力學  PolyU mathematics scholar receives Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Award from the Ministry of Education

PolyU showcases at CES® - the Global Stage for Consumer Innovation

PolyU is participating in the CES 2024 from now to12 January 2024 in Las Vegas, NV, showcasing 10 research projects in Healthcare, AI, AR/VR & Metaverse. Welcome to visit us at Venetian Expo, Hall G, Booth #61720 and 61722! Invented by Dr Daphne Cheung, Associate Professor in School of Nursing of PolyU, a ground-breaking therapeutic music-with-movement system has won a prestigious global consumer product award in the ‘Accessibility & Aging Tech’ category at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 Innovation Awards. The system prototype is currently on display at the Innovation Awards Showcase in the Venetian Expo, Hall D, Booth #56332. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU said, "We are proud to be the only educational institution in Hong Kong honoured with the CES Innovation Awards this year, and this recognition serves as a testament to our commitment to interdisciplinary research with the aim of bringing healing and fostering meaningful connections within the elderly population. This is the first time to have PolyU delegates exhibiting in the CES, and we treasure this opportunity to showcase PolyU innovative projects and breakthrough researches in this one of the world's largest consumer technology trade fair." CES Is the Global Stage for Innovation With 100,000+ attendees, 4000+ exhibitors from 150+ countries and regions, CES 2024 showcases the entire tech landscape, serving as the proving ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators. Learn More: PolyU researchers’ innovative Music Therapy System for older adults wins CES 2024 Innovation Award

Five PolyU research granted RGC Research Impact Fund Leading local universities in number of funded projects

Five projects led by researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have received funding from the Research Grant Council (RGC) Research Impact Fund (RIF) 2023/24, leading the way among local universities in terms of the number of funded projects. The five projects have been granted total funding of HK$20.9 million. Embracing diverse research areas, the funding will support PolyU researchers in translating scientific findings into real-world applications and providing more impactful solutions to benefit society. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, said, “We are pleased to have attained such encouraging results, which recognise our scientific research prowess. PolyU’s research excellence in the fields of microbiology, construction and environment, geoinformatics technology and intelligent wearable textiles will continue to make influential contributions to society. Furthermore, collaboration between academia and industry will leverage synergistic strengths and facilitate the translation of research into real-world applications.” The five funded projects are: “Development of Bacterial Pseudaminic Acid-based Vaccine to Combat Infections Caused by Multidrug Resistant Bacteria”, led by Prof. CHEN Sheng, Head and Chair Professor of Microbiology of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition; “Digital Twin-enabled Intelligent Assessment and Maintenance of Offshore Wind Turbine Structures in a Life-cycle Context”, led by Prof. ZHU Songye, Associate Head and Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; “An AI-enabled Geospatial Platform for Smart Facility Management and Smart Mobility of People with Disabilities, led by Dr LIU Xintao, Associate Professor of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics; “Durable Low-carbon Asphalt Pavement Built with Recycled Waste Polyolefin Plastics through Reactive Extrusion”, led by Prof. LENG Zhen, Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; and “Developing a New Generation of Pressure-controlled Wearable Soft Braces to Improve the Efficiency and Compliance in Treating Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis”, led by Prof. YIP Yiu-wan Joanne, Associate Dean and Professor of the School of Fashion and Textiles. The RIF encourages academics to harness the potential of their research to deliver benefits to the wider community, spurring impactful and translational research projects. The Fund also promotes collaboration between academia and government departments, the business sector, industry and research institutes. Successful projects are granted funding of up to HK$10 million per project for a three to five-year period. In total, 14 projects were supported by the RIF in the 2023/24 exercise.   For further information of these PolyU funded projects, please refer to the appendix.

Media Interview: PolyU's Intelligent Robotic Firefighting Project - Air Cannon Extinguishes Fires Without Water

On average, more than 30,000 fire calls occur in Hong Kong every year. Some serious fires not only endanger the public but also pose significant risks to firefighters who enter the fire scene. Dr Xinyan Huang, Deputy Director of the Research Centre for Fire Safety Engineering and Associate Professor of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering of PolyU, is committed to researching and developing a number of intelligent fire-fighting solutions and products. Among them, the "Toroidal Vortex Cannon", commonly known as the "Air Cannon", can extinguish fires from a distance without the need for water. When combined with intelligent robots capable of locating and autonomously extinguishing fire source without manual operation, it is expected to be applied in dangerous fire situations in the long run, where water is unsuitable or personnel cannot get close to the fire scene. This application could better protect the public and firefighters. Dr Huang's research project, titled "Smouldering Wildfire," has also been awarded the "Excellent Young Scientists Fund” from the National Natural Science Foundation of China this year. In a recent interview with Wen Wei Po, Dr Huang revealed that the team’s intelligent robots can automatically identify flames, fuels and personnel in darkness and smoke through sensors, eliminating the need for manual operation. The team is designing different options, such as the use of new materials to enable the robots to travel through fire scenes. They are also exploring the use of equipment to hoist the robots into position, allowing them to carry out works such as personnel search and fire extinguishing fires, and so on. Please click here for details: Full interview (Chinese only): 智能機械人闖火場 空氣炮可無水滅火 | 智慧消防系統預測60秒火勢助逃生  PolyU’s Excellent Young Scientists Fund projects

PolyU Students and Researchers Awarded in The First Greater Bay Area Data Application Innovation Competition

PolyU achieved outstanding results in The First Greater Bay Area Data Application Innovation Competition, winning several First Prizes, Second Prizes, Technical Excellence Awards, Creative Excellence Awards, Outstanding Awards, and Data (Commodity) Listing Certificates. In addition, PolyU also received the Outstanding Contribution Award and Excellent Organization Award, and Prof Xiao Fu, Associate Dean and Professor of the Faculty of Construction and Environment, is honoured with the Outstanding Guidance Teacher Award in this competition. The competition was jointly organized by the Development and Reform Commission of Shenzhen Municipality, the Government Services and Data Management Bureau of Shenzhen, and The People's Government of Futian District. It aims to create a top-level platform in the field of data elements and build an innovative, open, and prosperous ecosystem for data application developers. Additionally, the competition is expected to fully open the data resources, computing power facilities, and trading platforms of the Greater Bay Area Data AI Center and Shenzhen Data Exchange, providing a top-notch communication platform for data developers. It also encourages data developers to unleash their imagination and innovation in order to discover outstanding projects and cultivate talents in data application innovation. The competition consists a creative design competition and a technical challenge competition, covering six application scenarios including digital decision-making, smart supply chain, technology finance, digital energy, intelligent manufacturing, and smart cities. Universities, research institutions, and enterprises actively participated in the competitionAmong them, 227 teams entered the preliminary round, and 35 teams advanced to the finals. A total of 19 teams were awarded first, second, and third prizes, including PolyU, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Sun Yat-sen University, and South China University of Technology. Congratulations to all PolyU's winning teams for the outstanding performance and providing innovative, practical, and technologically advanced solutions in data application.

Media Interview: PolyU project assesses typhoon path impact on high-rise building resilience

The increasing frequency of extreme weather events around the world not only disrupts people's daily lives, but also brings significant economic losses to the society. Prof. Yi-Qing NI, Chair Professor of Smart Structures and Rail Transit in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of PolyU leads a project aimed at mitigating the risk of tropical storms for high-rise building clusters in coastal cities through the development of a real-time early-warning and resilience system. The project titled “INTACT: Intelligent Tropical-storm-resilient System for Coastal Cities,” has been received funding of almost HK$50 million from the Research Grants Council’s Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) 2023/24. In a recent interview with Wen Wei Po, Prof. NI shared that the project will devise a framework that can effectively and accurately assess turbulence and quantify the risks arising from complex urban aerodynamics using sparse measurements. It also quantitatively evaluates the resilience of the city. This could comprehensively anticipate the potential risks and consequences of windstorms on critical buildings and enable the implementation of precautionary measures.  Please click here for details: Full interview (Chinese only) PolyU’s RGC Theme-based Research Scheme funding project

Visit by Delegation of Fujian government

A delegation led by Mr. LIN Ruiliang, Vice Governor of Fujian Provincial People’s Government visited PolyU on 18 December to exchange views on deepening collaboration between Hong Kong and Fujian on technology and innovation development. Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU; Prof. Wing-tak WONG, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU and Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU welcomed the delegation, comprised of Mr. LIN Ruiliang, Vice Governor of Fujian Provincial People’s Government, Mr. CHENG Qiang, Director of Civil Affairs Department of Fujian Province; Mr. SHI Huicai, Chief Engineer of Industry and Information Technology of Fujian Province; Mr. ZHANG Dingfeng, Deputy Mayor of Fuzhou Municipal Government, and other senior officials. Prof. Jin-Guang TENG highlighted PolyU’s latest development in his speech including the university ranking, leading research areas and new remarkable achievement. He expressed PolyU’s dedication to promoting innovative technology and its societal application in conjunction with industrial development for the benefit of society. The University looks forward to collaborating with the Fujian Provincial Government in expanding the scope of partnership from Jinjiang to various regions within the Fujian Province. Mr LIN Ruiliang stated that Fujian has strong private enterprises in the traditional garment, footwear, electrical, and chemical industries. In the future, the Fujian Government will accelerate the development of the digital economy, maritime economy, sustainable economy and cultural and tourism economy. Through this meeting, both sides have deepened mutual understanding and established a solid foundation for future cooperation. During the meeting, the two parties reviewed the progress of the PolyU-Jinjiang Technology and Innovation Research Institute (Research Institute) and exchanged views on laboratory management, collaboration with leading enterprises, and the recruitment of global professionals to contribute to Fujian’s development. Prof. YU Changyuan, Professor of Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering of PolyU, who has been appointed as the Dean of the Research Institute, also gave a brief introduction to the delegation. Members from the Research Institute also joined the discussion and devised future collaboration plans between Jinjiang and Hong Kong.

PolyU received a delegation from Hubei Government

A delegation led by Ms ZHANG Xiaomei, the Director of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the Hubei Provincial People's Government visited PolyU on 18 December. The delegates were received by Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) and members of PolyU. Discussions were held to review the major collaboration projects including the establishment of the PolyU-Wuhan Technology and Innovation Research Institute (Research Institute) and the joint laboratory between PolyU and Wuhan University of Technology. Both sides expected that the Research Institute will serve as a platform to further facilitate the technology innovation, technology transfer and talent development to a new level with national and international vision, and contribute to the Nation's high-quality development with breakthrough research results. The delegation also visited the University Library to learn about its modern facilities and systematic user services. In October, PolyU and Wuhan Municipal Government had signed a framework agreement to establish PolyU - Wuhan Technology and Innovation Research Institute, marking the official launch of the significant industry-academic-research cooperation between PolyU and Hubei Province.