PolyU hosts the first-of-its-kind international Marine Robotics Forum in HK

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) organized “The 1st International Forum on Marine Robotics” on 3 April 2019 for international and local experts to share insights on how to advance marine robotic technology and its applications in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA). This is one of the major events initiated by PolyU to foster closer collaborations and explore innovative technologies with top-notch universities and institutes around the world through forming strategic research and development alliances. Experts speaking at the Forum included Dr. Ravi VAIDYANATHAN, Senior Lecturer in Bio-Mechatronics, Director of International Collaboration, Imperial Robotics Forum, Imperial College London, UK; Dr Ahmed CHEMORI, Senior Scientist in LIRMM-CNRS University of Montpellier, France; Proessor Shuo LI, Deputy Director of Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Professor David M LANE, Professor of Autonomous Systems Engineering, Director of Edinburgh Centre for Robotics, Heriot-Watt University, The University of Edinburgh. They shared themes that covered bio-mechatronic sensory motor control, autonomous underwater vehicles, marine robotics for deep-sea exploration and operation. The professionals exchanged valuable views and experiences on marine robotics technologies. Dr Xing-jian JING, Associate Professor of PolyU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and a seasoned researcher on bio-inspired dynamics, control and robotics, highlighted that, “Technologies related to underwater exploration and manipulation as well as new bio-inspired underwater robots would be two important areas to be explored in marine robotics. These key marine robotic technologies are important to ocean exploration and exploitation. They also contribute enormously in environmental and pollution study, critical underwater infrastructure inspection, natural resource exploration, and sensing and mapping of ocean for specific tasks and missions”. Learn more

PolyU-developed electrostatically charged nanofiber filter ideal for defense against pollutants and viruses

At a press conference on 27 March 2019, Ir. Professor Wallace Leung Woon-Fong, Chair Professor of Innovative Products and Technologies of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, introduced a PolyU-developed electrostatically charged nanofiber filter with multiple separator layers. The novel PVDF nanofiber filter can capture pollutant particles that are below 100 nm in diameter. It demonstrates much better performance in breathability and filtration efficiency, compared with existing technologies and products, and has a longer shelf life up to 90 days. Professor Leung said the filter or face mask applying the innovation would be an ideal defense against virus, such as measles and SARS, during an outbreak. The novel technology also has great potential for applying in the analytical technique of Western Blot, and in effective release of protein-based drugs. Online coverage: HK01 On.cc 頭條日報 星島日報 BastillePost 巴士的報 明報 Market Watch PRLog Innovation in textiles 成報 文匯報 東方日報 TMC News Benzinga Yahoo HK  

106th Departmental Advisory Committee Meeting

The 106th Departmental Advisory Committee (DAC) meeting took place on 21 March 2019, under the chairmanship of Ir Conrad Wong, Vice Chairman of Yau Lee Group. We were grateful to have new committee members joining us. They were Prof. Li Bing (Acting Dean of School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen), Mr Richard CW Chan (Assistant Director, Engineering Services Branch 3, Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, HKSAR), Dr Lawrence CC Cheung (Director, Technology Development Hong Kong Productivity Council), Mr Banting WP Sze (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Freetech Road Recycling Technology (Holdings) Limited) as well as two student representatives, Mr Farhan Khalid (full-time BEng student) and Mr Andre Eccel Vellwock (full-time PhD student). It was a very useful meeting as members, with their wide range of expertise, had a fruitful discussion, sharing their expectations on our students and graduates, and provided very constructive views and suggestions to the Department of its efforts in the future development in teaching and learning, research and consultancy and strategic development. We in particular thank Ir Wong for his leadership and contribution to our Department as our DAC Chairman for 6 years since 27 March 2013. Ir Dr Angus HW Cheung (Chief Executive Officer, China Aircraft Services Limited) will be the next DAC Chairman starting on 27 March 2019.

ME Staff received Faculty Awards for Outstanding Performance/ Achievement in 2017/18

The PolyU Faculty of Engineering Spring Reception cum Faculty Awards Presentation Ceremony was held on 22 February 2019. Three staff members from the Department of Mechanical Engineering were awarded for their outstanding performance and achievement. Prof. WEN Chih-yung Associate Head and Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Engineering Research Grant Achievement Award Faculty of Engineering Outstanding Award in Teaching (Individual) Prof. SU Zhongqing Associate Head and Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Engineering Research Grant Achievement Award Dr JING Xingjian Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Engineering Merit Award in Research and Scholarly Activities (Individual) Since 2003, the Faculty Research Grant Achievement Award has been set up by the Faculty Research Committee to recognize the outstanding performance of FENG academic staff members in securing external competitive research grants. Besides, the Faculty Awards in Teaching, Research and Scholarly Activities, and Services have also been established to encourage and recognize excellent practices in respective areas. Winners of the awards have demonstrated a high level of professionalism and dedication, and contributed to the achievements of the Faculty.

ME Department Head and Staff Honoured for Loyal Service

The University held the Long Service Award ceremony at the PolyU Jockey Club Auditorium on 22 February 2019 to pay tribute to long-serving staff members for their loyal and committed service over the years. This year, our Department Head, Prof. Shi San-Qiang received the Award for his 20th year of service in PolyU. Besides, 3 staff members of ME, Ms Packy Chan, Dr Liu Yang and Ir Elsa Tang received the Award for their 25th, 20th, and 15th year of service. Congratulations to the award recipients and thank for their years of dedication and devotion which have marked the achievements of the Department.

ME Student Team won the 2nd Runner-up in ASME E-Fest Asia Pacific Student Design Competition 2019

A team of Mechanical Engineering (ME) students won the 2nd Runner-up in the 2019 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Student Design Competition, E-Fest Asia Pacific Region, held at Velore, India. The winning team, along with winners from different regions, now advance and will compete for the Championship at the E-Fest Global. The team, comprised of year three final-year undergraduate students, Ji-ho SHIN, Hung Ming Roy CHOW and Rudra SOMESHWAR, under the supervision of Dr Henry CHU and Ir Dr Curtis NG of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, designed a wheeled mobile robot, which can pick up as many balls as possible in the field. With great support from the department and Industrial Centre (IC), the robot design is capable of grasping balls, ranging from ping pong ball to basketball, in the field rapidly without knocking the balls off the tube stands. Students feel excited with their achievement and they are looking forward to improving their robot design for the final competition.

Alumni Mentorship Dinner 2018/19

The PolyU Department of Mechanical Engineering Alumni Mentorship Dinner 2018/19 was successfully held on 16 Jan 2019. About 100 alumni, honorable guests and academics, together with around 150 students from the graduating classes of BEng(Hons) in Mechanical Engineering and BEng(Hons) in Product Analysis and Engineering Design, attended the dinner. The Alumni Mentorship Dinner is a tradition of ME to enhance the bonding between alumni with members of the Department and more importantly, to provide a platform for our final year students to learn practical experience and to get professional advice from alumni mentors. For this year, we had high-flying members of the Departmental Advisory Committee joining the event: Ir Darryl CH Chan Managing Partner, Hong Kong Radar Aviation Services Ltd. Mr Richard CW Chan Assistant Director, Engineering Services Branch 3, Electrical & Mechanical Services Department Ir Dr Angus HW Cheung Chief Executive Officer, China Aircraft Services Limited (CASL) Ir Chris KC Cheung Director, Generation Engineering, CLP Power Hong Kong Limited Dr Daniel Yip Managing Director, G.E.W. International Corporation Limited Mr Banting WP Sze Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Freetech Road Recycling Technology (Holdings) Limited In the remarks by our outstanding alumni Dr Angus Cheung and Mr Banting Sze, their encouragement and previous experience to the final year students were a bonus and motto to them. Our Department has always got talents, swinging up and down, around one’s body, not talking about the acrobatics but the diabolo tricks. ME Student LOW Kah Onn did an impressive performance in the dinner and this linked the guests closer together. Cannot wait for another year! Check out more photos of the event HERE.

ME Staff Appointed New Editor-in-Chief to Prestigious Elsevier Journal

Prof. Zhongqing Su, Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been appointed by Elsevier as the new Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of Ultrasonics. Prof. Su will assume office on 1st January 2019, and Prof. Every, the current EiC, will remain as Co-EiC until July 2019. Published by Elsevier, Ultrasonics is a leading international journal dedicated to the science and technology of ultrasonics, covering all aspects of the field. In retrospect, Ultrasonics has been very well developed over half a century, being shaped into today’s excellent standard. As one of the principal titles in this field, this illustrious journal has secured its prestige, recognition, and reputation in the community, playing an indispensable and vital role in the development and dissemination of original research work in the allied fields of ultrasonics. Ultrasonics is the only internationally established journal which covers the entire field of ultrasound research and technology and all its many applications, including particularly Physics of ultrasound, Nonlinear ultrasound, Biomedical ultrasound, Underwater acoustics, High power ultrasonics, Ultrasonic NDT Research, Ultrasonic transducers and systems, to name a few. Prof. Su has been working in the area of ultrasonic-wave-based structural health monitoring over the years, and his research group in PolyU has been dedicated to a wide array of research and development pertaining to ultrasonics, with both fundamental investigations and real-world engineering applications. He was the Chair of the 7th Asia-Pacific Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring which was successfully held in Hong Kong in 2018.

ME scholar developed new technology on putting electrostatic effect on nanofibers and using it as an air filter

The research team in Mechanical Engineering PolyU under Prof. Wallace Leung has developed nanofiber mats that has electrostatic charges deposited on the nanofibers. Nanofiber has diameter which is typically 1/1000 times smaller than a human hair. The charged fiber mat has been applied for air filtration of pollutant particles for all sizes, from sub-micron size (less than 1/1000 of 1 millimeter) down to 10 nanometers (100 times of a hydrogen atom). With reference to the attached diagram, when a neutrally charged (i.e. no charge) particle is in close proximity to the charged nanofiber, the particle is polarized with an induced positive and also an induced negative charge (a dipole). The charged fiber further attracts the opposite charge of the dipole to effect capture of the particle. Given the electrostatic force varies inversely as the square of the distance, due to the small-diameter nanofiber, the particle can get closer to the fiber thereby experiencing strong electrostatic induction followed-by attraction of the particle. Larger particles, several hundreds of nanometers (smog size), has higher capture than smaller particle because the induced dipole is stronger by virtue of the larger particle size. Given the electrostatic filtration mechanism has no effect on pressure drop, therefore, smog mask and other air filters (face masks, respirators, etc. ) developed using this technology can enjoy high breathability with low pressure drop, yet with excellent capture efficiency. Further, the charged fibers are arranged in a special way to enhance the charge effect to further excel the performance on air filtration. Viruses usually carry negative electrostatic charges. The viruses can be captured very effectively by the positively charged nanofiber mat made into a face mask. This would be an ideal defense during virus outbreak. In addition, the charged nanofiber mat can also be used for western blot for protein identification by transferring protein from a two-dimensional gel containing the original protein sample. Further, it can also be used for drug release where users can inhale released drug once the drug is captured electrostatically by the nanofiber mat. Prof. Leung comments that this is a very exciting, patent-pending, new technology. “We are looking for licensee and partners who might have interest to further explore the commercial application for air filters as well as collaborators to continue the R&D development on non-filtration applications (drug release and western blot, etc.).”

Prof. Teik Lim Elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors

Our Departmental Academic Advisor Prof. Teik Lim from University of Texas at Arlington was elected the Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) 2018. Election to NAI Fellow status is the highest professional distinction accorded to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society. The 2018 class of NAI Fellows has made an incredible impact in a variety of fields, including biomedical engineering, laser photonics and computer sciences. Prof. Lim is the founding director of the highly successful and enduring Hypoid and Bevel Gear Mesh and Dynamics Modeling Consortium, and UC Simulation Center. More details of NAI, please click here.