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PULSE OF THE CITY 21escalators, a crucial requirement for maintaining public safety. However, a persistent shortage of qualified maintenance professionals means that only 70% to 80% of such infrastructure adheres to these rigorous requirements. This gap between necessity and reality has long been a source of public concern, with residents clamouring for a more reliable solution. To respond to this challenge, Prof. Hwa-yaw TAM and Dr Michael Shun-yee LIU, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, have collaborated closely with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department of the HKSAR Government. Together, they have developed a ground-breaking solution: the world%u2019s first automatic predictive maintenance systems for lifts and escalators, powered by optical fibre technology and AI. Ir Dr Michael Shun-yee LIUSenior Scientific Officer, Department of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringDr Liu is a Chartered Engineer of the Engineering Council United Kingdom (ECUK) and The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) known for his pioneering railway condition monitoring using fibreoptic sensing technology. He won the Third Prize of the 2014 Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis and the 2021 PolyU President%u2019s Award for his innovations. He has designed and deployed monitoring systems for monorails, light rails, undergrounds, and high-speed rails globally, in countries and regions such as Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Netherlands. His work addresses challenges related to overhead catenary and third-rail systems, as well as rolling stocks and rail tracks, significantly enhancing railway safety and reliability worldwide.Prof. Hwa-yaw TAMChair Professor of Photonics, Department of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringAssociate Director, Photonics Research InstituteProf. Tam, a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Optical Society of America (OSA), is a world-leading researcher in optical fibre sensors, making significant theoretical and experimental contributions to the field. His work has pioneered optical fibre sensor networks that act as sensory nervous systems to monitor, including those for lifts, escalators, railways, and airports, enhancing safety and service quality. His systems monitor hundreds of lifts and escalators and about 90% of metro networks in Hong Kong. These innovations have earned him the prestigious Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis and three Gold Medals at the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.Co-founderAvaron Technologies Limited