A team led by Prof. XIAO Fu, Associate Director of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Management Committee Member of the Research Centre for Digital Transformation of Tourism (RCDTT), Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) and the Research Centre for Environmental, Social, and Governance Advancement (RCESGA), and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment, has developed a highly practical digital twin system, which has been successfully implemented in the central air-conditioning systems across the PolyU campus and further extended to Hong Kong Government Office buildings and the headquarters of Midea Group in Guangdong.

 

The system constructs high-precision digital models of buildings and uses IoT sensors to monitor real-time data such as temperature, pressure and power consumption. By combining artificial intelligence (AI) analysis with physical engineering models, it can accurately predict equipment failures and automatically optimise air-conditioning start-stop times, water temperature settings and pump operation strategies. This intelligent approach significantly reduces energy consumption and carbon emissions while ensuring indoor comfort and air quality.

 

Furthermore, the system integrates Mixed Reality (MR) technology to transform maintenance operations. By simply wearing smart glasses, maintenance staff can “see through” ceilings and walls to reveal concealed pipes and equipment. The system not only displays real-time operating parameters and AI diagnostic results but also features indoor navigation to guide personnel precisely to the point of failure. This intuitive interface allows technicians—even those without an AI background—to quickly gain proficiency, vastly improving the efficiency of troubleshooting and repairs.

 

Students in Prof. Xiao’s team achieved impressive results in a number of innovation and entrepreneurship competitions and were invited to participate in numerous exhibitions. The team was awarded a Gold Medal at the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva in 2025, a Silver Award at the 2025 China International College Students’ Innovation Competition (CICSIC) and a First Runner-up Award at the Hong Kong Techathon 2023. It also won a First Prize in the First Greater Bay Area Data Application Innovation Competition in 2023.

 

The team predicts that as cloud and edge-based AI technologies continue to mature, this solution will be expanded to more commercial buildings, supporting Hong Kong’s transition towards green building standards and carbon neutrality goals.