News

Sinopec Visit to PolyU on Research Innovations for a Better Living Environment

A delegation from the Sinopec Group, led by its Vice President Mr Xizhi Yu, visited the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) on 8-9 February to understand PolyU’s latest endeavours in innovation and technology. Prof. Jin-guang Teng, PolyU President, warmly welcomed the delegation and discussed further collaboration on new technology and research development. During the two-day visit, the delegates had fruitful discussions with PolyU scholars from various faculties and schools. The Sinopec delegation also visited the Applied Biology and Chemical Technology Laboratory, Low-carbon Building Technology Laboratory and Photonic Sensors Research Laboratory to better understand how PolyU research has advanced in areas including green technology and materials science. Earlier, PolyU and Sinopec signed a collaborative agreement to give awards to excellent student theses with a focus on topics related to clean energy and a sustainable environment. The awards aim to encourage students’ creative thinking for innovative solutions and technology in order to enhance industry and environmental sustainability. Please click here for the Award details.

International Scholars and Professionals Shared Advanced Metaverse Technologies at PolyU Symposium on Colour Imaging and Metaverse

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) hosted the International Symposium on Colour Imaging and Metaverse on 27-28 Jan 2023, which attracted around 100 researchers and industry professionals and facilitated knowledge exchanges among them. The event inspired creative thoughts and novel ideas for accelerating technology development and impactful solutions. Distinguished international speakers shared their works and insights in colour, imaging and metaverse related technologies from various aspects including product design for better user experience, next generation display applications, fashion and textiles, human skin colour in the virtual world and so on.  Thoughtful discussions during the two days event were joined by worldwide speakers and panelists from well-known technology companies such as Apple, ByteDance, Huawei, Meta Reality Lab, SenseTime, Unilever, as well as top-notched universities like Chiba University, Columbia University, Delft University of Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, University of East Anglia, University of Leeds, Zhejiang University and PolyU.  Also, launch ceremony of the Colour Imaging Metaverse and Research Centre (CIMRC) was taken place during the first day of symposium. Prof Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, Hon Duncan Chiu, Legislative Council Member (Technology and Innovation) of HKSAR, Mr Andy Wong, Head of Innovation and Technology of Invest Hong Kong, Prof Li Ping, Dean of Faculty of Humanities of PolyU, Prof Li Xiangdong, Dean of Faculty of Construction and Environment of PolyU,  Prof Christina Wong, Director of Research and Innovation of PolyU and Dr Tommy WEI, Director of CIMRC have officiated the ceremony. The research centre aims to carry out impactful research to better understand underlying mechanisms in human visual systems, and to develop innovative solutions and algorithms for imaging and metaverse related technologies and systems. The Symposium was co-organised by the Research and Innovation Office (RIO). As a forward-looking department in the University, RIO is devoted to propelling the University’s technology development and advances to benefit the society by providing all-rounded support to facilitate research endeavours within the PolyU community, and foster partnerships among universities, industries, governments, supranational bodies, and the public.  Symposium Booklet

PolyU Collaborates with Meituan to Develop Vision-aided Positioning System for Parcel Delivery by Drones in Urban Canyons

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Meituan joined hands to conduct a research project to improve the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system for parcel delivery in urban canyons. Led by Dr. Weisong WEN, Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering (AAE), the project “Vision Aided GNSS-RTK Positioning for UAV System in Urban Canyons” received support from Meituan. PolyU was the only institute funded by Meituan in the field of UAV perception. Prof. Chihyung WEN, Head and Chair Professor of Aeronautical Engineering said, “This project could effectively improve the positioning accuracy and reliability of the UAV systems for autonomous parcel delivery in complex urban canyons. The collaboration with Meituan demonstrates one of the successful knowledge transfer examples of the Research Center of Unmanned Autonomous Systems in AAE.” Prof. Guoquan Huang, the technical lead of Meituan UAV, said, “Reliable positioning in dense urban canyons is a challenging problem that prevents the massive deployment of UAV systems. Dr. Wen’s research could improve the UAV positioning, potentially unlocking a series of UAV applications in dense urban canyons”

PolyU research discovers nanoscale ferroelectric new materials exhibiting potential for making computer memory with low cost and low energy consumption

Materials with switchable electrical properties are in demand for memory applications – like thumb drives. New research from a team led by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) achieves a sought-after type of electrical behaviour in nano-sized materials. Electronics manufacturers are expected to show a keen interest, as the valuable ferroelectric characteristics can be reproduced at large scales with unprecedented ease. A one-atom-thick layer of any substance – most famously graphene, made of atomically thin carbon – can have dramatically different properties from the bulk material. Stacking such layers on top of each other may give rise to new properties which do not exist in their individual layer. The PolyU research team, led by Prof. Daniel LAU, Chair Professor of Nanomaterials and Head of Department of Applied Physics of PolyU, studied two-layer stacks of molybdenum disulphide and tungsten disulphide (MoS2 and WS2). Excitingly, these materials showed not just piezoelectric but also ferroelectric effects. Ferroelectric materials have an intrinsic electrical polarisation that can be switched by simply applying a current. The ability to “toggle” between two states gives them wide-ranging applications in sensors, capacitors and data storage. The electronics industry is particularly interested in developing ultra-thin devices, based on ferroelectrics that retain their properties even when produced at the nanometre scale. This has proven a major hurdle until now. In contrast to single-molecule layers of pure MoS2 or WS2, the nano-scale stacking of both compounds gave rise to a strong ferroelectric response. The team produced different versions of the bilayers by tuning the stacking angle – similar to how one clockface might be overlain on another, with the two 12-o’-clocks either aligned or displaced. Both types of stacked bilayers displayed remarkably strong piezoelectricity as well as ferroelectricity. To verify the switchable polarisation of MoS2/WS2, the researchers pulled off an impressive feat of “domain writing”. Within a triangular slice of the thin material, they established a square-in-a-square pattern that could be seen under an atomic microscope. The smaller inner square, approximately one micron across, was clearly distinct from the larger outer square due to the opposite voltages of the two poled areas. This is not the first report of exotic electrical behaviour in hetero-structured bilayers, in which the two layers are made of different chemicals. Usually, though, piezo- and ferroelectricity depend on subtle geometric details of such materials. This can make them difficult to manufacture consistently and at industrial scale. In particular, conventional hetero-bilayers tend to have moiré patterns (named after a type of fine fabric), due to the stacking of two layers with similar but not quite identical crystal structures. The moiré effect is fascinating, but the researchers ruled it out as an explanation of the piezo- and ferroelectricity of MoS2/WS2. Despite the slight difference between the inter-atom distances in the two layers, they accommodated one another to produce perfectly aligned stacking, without the tiny twists or discrepancies required for moiré interference. The PolyU team’s process involved simply “baking” MoS2 and WS2 together and letting the layers stack spontaneously. Indeed, the perfect stacking of two layers with identical crystal structures but different atom types is key to the electrical properties. According to physics, ferroelectricity can only arise in such materials if they have a certain symmetry, or rather lack of it. Compared with two identical layers, a stack of MoS2 on WS2 has no centre of symmetry (formally, inversion centre) and also lacks several other symmetric transformations. This symmetry-breaking allows the material to show ferro- and piezoelectricity when one layer slides slightly relative to the other. Prof. Daniel Lau said, “High-tech industries, such as the computer memory sector, will benefit from this new class of nano-scale ferroelectrics. When manufacture is scaled up, the low cost, low energy demand and faithful reproducibility of these atomically thin bilayers promises to advance the frontier of modern electronics.” The PolyU research was in collaboration with researchers from the Renmin University of China, University of Cambridge, and Nanjing University. The study was published on Science.

PolyU partners with Cybaverse to set up Hong Kong’s first research laboratory on law and Web3

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Cybaverse Academy Limited (Cybaverse Academy) signed a Memorandum of Establishment to jointly set up the “PolyU and Cybaverse Academy Joint Lab on Law and Web3” (Joint Lab). With the vibrant development of Web3 and blockchain technologies, governments around the world are now acting to provide a facilitating regulatory environment. This Joint Lab will be the first research lab in Hong Kong to focus on the intersection of law and Web3, encompassing the research and development of technological solutions and the exploration of relevant legal and industry standards. PolyU and Cybaverse Academy will collaborate to promote the safety, security and protection of privacy in the areas of Web3 and blockchain. The Joint Lab aims to provide regulators and other stakeholders with essential tools to enhance protection for the investment community and the general public. PolyU is well-recognised for its expertise in blockchain technology by CoinDesk, ranking in the top position in the “Best Universities for Blockchain 2022” list. Leveraging the University’s excellence in blockchain technology education and research, the Research Centre for Blockchain Technology of PolyU, which is the first research centre in Hong Kong to cover research in full-stack blockchain technology, will provide a training programme related to Web3. The Centre also draws expertise from various fields including computer science, finance, logistics and maritime studies, and industrial and systems engineering to carry out interdisciplinary research in blockchain. Witnessed by Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU; Prof. Wing-tak WONG, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU; Mr Johnny MOK SC, Co-founder of Cybaverse Academy; and Dr Winnie TANG, Co-Founder of Cybaverse Academy, the Memorandum of Establishment was signed on 17 January by Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, and Mr Paul LI, Managing Director of Cybaverse Academy. Prof. Allen AU Man-ho, Professor of PolyU’s Department of Computing, will be the Director of the Joint Lab. Dr Daniel LUO Xiapu, Associate Professor of PolyU’s Department of Computing, and Mr Li from Cybaverse will be the Co-Directors of the Joint Lab. Prof. Jin-Guang Teng said, “PolyU is pleased to collaborate with Cybaverse Academy in the Web3 industry. Combining PolyU’s strength in blockchain technology education and research and Cybaverse Academy’s experience in R&D and Web3 development, I believe this synergy of academia and industry will generate a big positive impact in the near future. PolyU’s leading blockchain research is going to be translated into practical use to deliver innovative solutions for the Web3 industry and will benefit the development of Hong Kong into a virtual asset hub.” Mr Paul Li said, “We are excited to partner with PolyU to explore the frontiers of law and Web3. By combining world-class research capabilities and industrial experience, the Joint Lab will provide a solid foundation for a better Web3 ecosystem.”

Impacts of Technology Innovations on Textiles Life Cycle Sustainability Reviewed by PolyU Scholars

The life cycle of textile products spanning from raw materials to fibre production, textile conversion, distribution and disposal contributes to 5-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, textile industry  accounts for the second largest consumption of the world’s water supply, and it greatly pollutes waterways with microplastics and colourants.  With this significant implication on environment and human, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has unveiled a research study to review technology innovations for advancing sustainability of textiles.  Prof. Xiaoming Tao, Director of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems and Chair Professor of Textile Technology of PolyU and Dr. Svetlana Boriskina of Massachusetts Institute of Technology have teamed up to study technological innovations to reinforce and accelerate green transformation of textiles. The study entitled “Advancing Life Cycles Sustainability of Textiles Through Technological Innovations” was published in Natural Sustainability. The research highlights a systematic analytical framework, which identifies and elucidates impactful textile technology developments.  The research team analysed impacts of green technologies for textiles based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the United Nations Agenda 2030, particularly those concerning the deployment of natural resources, energy and environmental impacts. The study collected 22,724 publications during the past ten years, in which 940 were screened and 215 were studied in details.  In the study findings, sustainability through innovations in raw and fibre materials, manufacturing technologies and textile recycling are discussed as future research and development direction for the industry. These technological developments could also accelerate green transformation of textiles to achieve sustainability.  The study covers topics in:  green science and process based on high-throughput  data-driven discovery studies to identify and develop sustainable replacement for synthetic polyester and nylon fibres biomass-based and degradable fibre-forming materials biological science on cultivation of insect- and disease-resistant plant seeds that require less water waterless and less-water colouration reduction or elimination of production steps mono-materially in textiles for proactive material recovery Prof. Tao said, “The research team spent two years to critically study major technology developments in both industry and laboratories, and their impacts on sustainability in a cradle-to-grave fashion. The team examined the state-of-the-art technology developments meant to solve sustainability issues throughout the complete life cycle of textiles. This study paves the way for an open, systematic and qualitative large-scale data analysis for sustainability research.”  Looking ahead, promotion of green science and technology is crucial to solve sustainability issues from the root to end of textiles life cycle. For instance, large scaled applications of green fibres made from bio-sources will eliminate the poor degradability and microfibre contamination from petroleum derived synthetic fibres.  Also, technology developments will significantly reduce energy and water use in textile conversion and consumption processes. Recycling, especially mechanical recycling, will become a major technology for single-material or some blend textiles. Despite of challenges in adaptation, mono-material textiles will be possibly one of the most effective design strategies for proactive material recovery and recycling efficiency.   Detail of the paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-01004-5  

PolyU Seven Projects Granted RGC Collaborative Research Fund

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has been awarded the RGC Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) 2022/23 to conduct seven projects with a total funding of $43.918 million. The projects were funded under three categories of CRF, recognising PolyU's multidisciplinary research strengths in human health, environmental development, energy efficiency, and advanced manufacturing technologies. 1. Collaborative Research Project Grant (CRPG) Five research projects have been awarded total grant of $31.785 million under the CRPG. The projects include: systematic investigations to identify and quantify transmission of antimicrobial resistance from sources to humans enhancement of sonogenetic technology and evaluation of its potential for clinical treatment in brain disorders and Parkinson's disease  daytime radiative cooling coating material for building envelope  smart self-adaptive shearing interferometry for wavefront optical characterisation develop intelligent factory computer (iFactory) with the use of Internet of Things (IoT) devices for high-performance factory operations planning, scheduling and execution

Five PolyU projects awarded Research Impact Fund to deliver innovations for a sustainable community

Five research projects led by scholars at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have been awarded the Research Impact Fund (RIF) 2022/23 by the Research Grants Council, with a total grant value of HK$27.55 million. PolyU also topped local universities in terms of the number of funded projects. The RIF encourages academics to harness the potential of their research to deliver benefits to the wider community, spurring impactful and translational research projects. It also promotes collaboration between academia and government departments, the business sector, industry and research institutes. The RIF grants successful projects with funding of up to HK$10 million per project for a three to five-year period. In total, 13 projects were supported by the RIF in the 2022/23 exercise. Sustainability is an essential focus for translational research. The five PolyU awarded projects deliver impactful solutions to address the needs for a sustainable community. They cover research areas spanning from medical innovation, smart buildings and construction, green technology, and materials science to advanced manufacturing. In particular, the PolyU study on deconstruction and reuse technologies for steel and composite structures has been awarded HK$9.75 million for a five-year duration, which is the highest funded amount under the RIF 2022/23. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, said, “These funding achievements are highly encouraging, affirming PolyU’s research excellence in a wide range of scientific, engineering and human health areas, in which the University delivers impactful solutions for sustainable development. The awarded research teams demonstrate PolyU’s strengths in converting academic research into real-world applications, which is crucial for supporting the innovation and technology ecosystem in Hong Kong.” Appendix: PolyU-led projects awarded Research Impact Fund 2022/23

PolyU and The Fire Services Department collaborate on research for indoor positioning technology

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Fire Services Department (FSD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to put forward a study on the use of innovation and technology (I&T) to track the location of firemen at indoor fire scenes in order to further enhance the safety of frontline personnel. PolyU and the FSD will collaborate in studying the use of indoor positioning technology to track and locate fire personnel at fire scenes inside buildings and protect them against danger. With PolyU's experience in cutting-edge engineering research and the advanced simulation training facilities in the Fire and Ambulance Services Academy, the collaboration will achieve an optimum synergy effect and provide better protection of fire personnel’s lives. Witnessed by Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, and Mr Andy YEUNG, Director of Fire Services, the MoU was signed by Prof. Keith K.C. CHAN, Head of Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering of PolyU, and Mr KWOK Pak-chiu, Assistant Director (Corporate Strategy) of the FSD. Professor Jin-Guang Teng said, “Firefighters have always served and protected Hong Kong citizens with dedication and care, and PolyU is pleased to participate in this meaningful study by leveraging our research and innovation capabilities to strengthen the safety of fire personnel. PolyU’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering has a strong foundation in the area of precision engineering research, with its researchers having participated in the Nation’s space exploration missions of the Moon and Mars. The collaboration to develop an indoor fire scene tracking system will combine PolyU’s advanced positioning and precision engineering technologies with FSD’s professional facilities and support. I am confident that the study will help provide more timely protection to fire personnel.” Professor Teng added that PolyU will continue to harness its multi-disciplinary research strengths to support FSD’s work. For instance, PolyU’s Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering is conducting a “smart firefighting” research that adopts AI to monitor buildings fire hazards. Mr Andy Yeung said, “The FSD has long been supportive to the HKSAR Government in promoting the development and application of I&T. Over the years, the FSD has proactively introduced and applied I&T in enhancing its firefighting, rescue and emergency ambulance services for better protection of the lives and property of citizens as well as the safety of frontline fire personnel.” He said that the FSD has deployed robots for firefighting tasks and also applied artificial intelligence-assisted drones during mountain rescue operations to help search for missing persons. Both devices have been proven to be effective in greatly enhancing operational efficiency and safety. He added that the FSD would also share its accomplishments on I&T research with the fire and rescue departments of the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area by conducting regular technical exchanges.

PolyU’s Project on Waste Glass Transformation to Low-Carbon Construction Products Granted Green Tech Fund

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University was awarded by the Green Tech Fund for a research project on the transformation of waste glass to low-carbon construction materials. This waste management and reduction project received total grant of HK$5.29 million for a period of three years.  In Hong Kong, about 7% of CO2 emission comes from wastes, mainly from landfills. Glass waste is a key component of solid wastes, with about 200 tonnes of glass waste disposed in landfills every day. However, recovery rate of waste glass has stood consistently at lower than 20% in the past.  Waste reduction and recycling are important measures to alleviate over-reliance on landfills for municipal solid waste disposal. Transformation of waste glass to useful resources and high-value added products creates a substantial waste management framework in Hong Kong. This PolyU research project supports Hong Kong Government’s policy in achieving carbon neutrality, and it also offers practical solutions to promote glass recycling.  Prof Chi Sun POON, Chair Professor of Sustainable Construction Materials, Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Director of Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality and Michael Anson Professor in Civil Engineering at PolyU leads the project to provide a critical waste management framework with recycing of glass waste to low-carbon construction materials.  In construction industry, production of concrete is the largest contributor to CO2 emission, accounting for about 8% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The research project aims to develop novel glass-based concrete products for pilot-scale utilization in long-span structures, high-rise buildings and pavements.  Recycling of waste glass can reduce embodied carbon of construction materials and produce high performance low-carbon construction products including ultra high-performance concrete, durable self-leveling cement mortar and high strength pervious concrete. These low-carbon construction products made from waste glass are scientifically designed to optimize performance and minimize cost and environmental impacts. The completion of this project would provide a total solution to waste glass problem in Hong Kong.  Green Tech Fund (GTF) The Government set up the Green Tech Fund (GTF) in 2020 to fund research and development (R&D) projects which help Hong Kong decarbonise and enhance environmental protection. The assessment committee is chaired by the Director of Environmental Protection and comprises members from academia, industry and green groups.