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Prof. Xiaoming Tao invited to be the keynote speaker at the Haven of Hope Hospital's 70th Anniversary Conference

On October 10, 2025, Prof. Tao Xiaoming, Director of the Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) and Chair Professor in Textile Technology, was invited by Dr Kenny Yuen, the Hospital Chief Executive of Tseung Kwan O Hospital and Haven of Hope Hospital, to be the keynote speaker at the Haven of Hope Hospital's 70th Anniversary Conference. The theme of the conference was "From Insight to Impact: Unlocking Innovation in Rehabilitation and People-Centred Care." Prof. Tao gave a speech about “Smart-Textile-Based Wearables for the Elderly: Now and Future.”. Attendees expressed great interest in Prof. Tao's topic and discussed the possibilities for future collaboration.

17 Oct, 2025

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Prof. Xiaoming Tao wined the 2024 Outstanding Intellectual Property Commercialization Award

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and its Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship Office held the 2024 Patent Achievement Award Ceremony on Thursday, September 25, 2025.   The event began with welcome remarks from Prof. Zuankai Wang, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and JP Wong Fook-loi, Director of the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department. Prof. Xiaoming Tao, Director of Resaearch Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) and Chair Professor in Textile Technology, was recognized with the 2024 Outstanding Intellectual Property Commercialization Award. Prof. Xiaoming Tao received the award certificate from Prof. Zuankai Wang and JP Wong Fook-loi and posed for a commemorative photo. Finally, Prof. Tao posed for a photo with the other award-winning scientific inventors. 

29 Sep, 2025

20250917Prof TAO Xiaoming develops a series of intelligent wearable systems bringing diverse applica

Creation of intelligent wearable systems leading the innovation of industries

Prof. TAO Xiaoming, Director of Research Institute of Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR), Chair Professor of Textile Technology and Vincent and Lily Woo Professor in Textile Technology, together with her team, has successfully developed a series of intelligent wearable systems, which are applied in fields such as sports, healthcare, entertainment, and industry.   The wearable system with adaptive cooling and heating for sport recovery “COOLWEAR”, utilises a unique fluidic textile structure and unidirectional heat-transfer composite fabrics, combined with ergonomic design. It also integrates multifunctional technologies for electrofluidic detection and control, enabling rapid temperature switching between 5°C and 40°C within 10 seconds, with a uniform temperature distribution and a maximum heat flux of up to 1.2 kW/m2.  The system consists of a main unit and a wearable component, is compact in size, and features a three-chamber intermittent compression device suitable for use on various parts of the body, for effectively enhancing post-exercise muscle oxygenation and elasticity, while alleviating delayed onset muscle soreness.  Users can customise treatment modes via a mobile application, which allows athletes to easily use it on the sidelines for rapid sports recovery.   In the field of multisensory simulation wearable technology, the team’s research is focused on mixed scent perception in human and multisensory tactile simulation.  They have pioneered a bionic mechanism based on fibre assemblies and designed corresponding actuators to simulate mixed odour and tactile sensations.  Using artificial intelligence and algorithms, the device integrates sensory signals to provide users with a highly immersive experience.  Their research and development goals include: AI-controlled wearable olfactory simulation devices, fabric-based haptic device for dynamic simulation of hardness and temperature, and wearable fibre-based acoustic hearing devices for continuous monitoring of human organ acoustic signals.   Furthermore, the electronic textile interactive system is also one of the team’s significant research achievements.  By employing heterogeneous integration technology of microelectronic chips and fibre materials, the team has developed a new generation of high-performance, programmable electronic textiles, and has made a breakthrough by developing the world’s thinnest electronic yarn, less than 1 millimetre in diameter and washable, which can be seamlessly applied to traditional knitting and embroidery techniques.  Based on these technologies, the team has achieved numerous innovations, including full-colour programmable electronic textile displays, intelligent interaction, composite electronic yarn manufacturing processes, novel fibre-based electronic materials, and dedicated spinning equipment, creating a multimodal intelligent textile system that simultaneously interacts with human vision, hearing, and touch.  These systems not only maintain the softness and comfort of fabrics, but also offer advantages such as stain resistance, water resistance and multimodal human-machine interaction.   The series of ground-breaking achievements by Prof Tao’s team fully demonstrates PolyU’s outstanding research capabilities and innovative spirit, bringing diverse applications to intelligent wearable technology and becoming a driving force in fields such as sports, healthcare, entertainment and industry.   Online coverage: Xinhua News - https://h.xinhuaxmt.com/vh512/share/12737062?docid=12737062&newstype=1001&d=1350125&channel=weixin&time=1758592082577

26 Sep, 2025

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A Delegation from Hong Kong Hospital Authority Visits PolyU

On July 2, 2025, a delegation from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, led by Dr Kenny YUEN, the Chief Executive of Tseung Kwan O Hospital and Haven of Hope Hospital, visited the Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.   At the beginning of the event, Prof. Xiaoming TAO, Director of RI-IWEAR and Chair Professor in Textile Technology, delivered welcoming remarks. Subsequently, project demonstrations were held, which included: safe and eco - friendly antibacterial and antiviral materials, bedding textiles for reducing hospital - acquired infections, and multi - mode temperature and compression therapy system, textiles for visual - audio - tactile stimulation, assistive devices for Parkinson’s Disease, wearable devices for limb gauge, respiration and ECG monitoring, multi - modal deep learning for predicting mental illness across the first 21 years of life, and technologies for predicting diagnosis 4 years prior to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) incident. At the end of the event, the delegation members took a group photo with the members of RI-IWEAR. 

4 Jul, 2025

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Prof. Xiaoming TAO delivered a speech at the 40th Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair

From April 27 to April 30, 2025, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council held the Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair and the Hong Kong In-Home Expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Prof. Xiaoming Tao, Director of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) and Chair Professor in Textile Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, delivered a keynote speech.   The event gathered industry insiders, including experts, entrepreneurs, and business representatives, to explore trends in the health - related gifts and housewares market.   During the event, Prof. Tao introduced the multi-sensory emulation technology. It uses advanced technology to simulate various human sensory experiences, enabling wireless connection with the digital world and sharing more sensory feelings. Textile-based wearable devices are an ideal platform for this technology. Her team's related technology can achieve programmable visual, audial, and tactile interactions and has been applied in sports, health, and well-being.   At the Q&A session, participants and speakers actively discussed industry topics.

30 Apr, 2025

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RI-IWEAR hosted the annual retreat

The Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) successfully hosted the retreat event on 3rd March 2025, with active participation from 23 RI-IWEAR members across 9 various departments. The event featured seven presentations, two panel discussions, and a result sharing session. During the event, the members of RI-IWEAR showed great interest in the speech content and actively participated in the group discussion.   The retreat started with a welcome remark from Prof. Xiaoming TAO, Director of RI-IWEAR and Chair Professor in Textile Technology. Then Prof. Feng YAN, Associate Director of RI-IWEAR (Research) reported the progress of RI-IWEAR in the previous year. Next, Prof. Jing CAI, RI-IWEAR Management Committee Member, Dean of the Department of Health Technology and Informatics, gave an introduction to clinical development and application scheme. Ir Prof. Ming Zhang, Director of the Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology and Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, presented on the PolyU Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology. Prof. Feng Yan also reported on the PolyU-Hefei Innovation & Technology Research Institute, where he serves as Associate Director. Dr Wang Lin represented Prof. Dan Zhang, Director of the PolyU-Nanjing Technology and Innovation Research Institute, and shared insights on the PolyU-Nanjing Innovation & Technology Research Institute. Prof. John Xin, Director of the PolyU-Shaoxing Technology and Innovation Research Institute and Chair Professor in Fashion and Textiles, provided an introduction to the PolyU-Shaoxing Innovation & Technology Research Institute. Lastly, Prof. Changyuan Yu, Director of the PolyU-Jinjiang Technology and Innovation Research Institute, discussed the PolyU-Jinjiang Innovation & Technology Research Institute. The following featured two panel discussion centered around two topics: what are potential interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities for external grants and how to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities for external grants and research. Group leaders reported the results of the panel discussions respectively.

5 Mar, 2025

Prof. Tao featured in Advanced Science News for COOL-WEAR project

In a recent interview with Advanced Science News, Prof. Xiaoming TAO, Director of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) and Vincent and Lily Woo Professor in Textile Technology, shared insights into the innovative COOL-WEAR project.   Published on January 30, 2025, the article, titled COOLWEAR: Water Immersion Therapy Without Waste, highlights how this innovative technology offers the benefits of traditional water immersion therapy.   For more details, read the full interview (https://www.advancedsciencenews.com/coolwear-water-immersion-therapy-without-waste/) on Advanced Science News and explore the research paper: Jing Yang, et al. Wearable Fluidic Fabric with Excellent Heat Transfer Performance for Sports Recovery, Advanced Science (2024). DOI: 10.1002/advs.202411691

3 Feb, 2025

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Prof. Xiaoming TAO elected as 2025 HKAE Fellows

On January 21, 2025, the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering (HKAE) announced the list of 2025 HKAE Fellows, with 11 outstanding professionals selected. Prof. Xiaoming TAO, Director of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) and Vincent and Lily Woo Professor in Textile Technology, was selected for her outstanding contributions and professional knowledge in the field of engineering. These fellows were elected at its 31st annual general meeting on 9 December 2024 and were formally inducted at a ceremony held on 20 January 2025 at Hotel ICON. Ir Dr Alex Siu-kun Chan, President of the HKAE, expressed hopes that the new fellows will combine knowledge and experience to strengthen HKAE’s mission to promote excellence and innovation in engineering. Established in 1994, HKAE is a prestigious organization dedicated to the promotion and advancement of the field of engineering in Hong Kong. It aims to foster collaboration, innovation, and excellence in engineering, contributing to the advancement of society and the development of Hong Kong and our Nation. It comprises a distinguished group of Fellows from various disciplines, recognized as leaders in their profession, with remarkable achievements in engineering sciences and applications. 2025 HKAE Fellows List: https://hkae.hk/en/fellows  

23 Jan, 2025

Prof. Yang CHAI was elected as 2025 IEEE Fellows

On December 7, 2024, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) announced the list of 2025 IEEE Fellows, with over 120 renowned Chinese scholars selected. Prof. Yang CHAI, the Management Committee member of RI-IWEAR, Associate Dean of Faculty of Science, was selected for his contributions to bioinspired in-sensor computing. IEEE is an international society of electronic technology and information science engineers, founded in 1963. Currently, it has over 460,000 members in more than 190 countries worldwide, with the number of overseas members surpassing that of the United States. IEEE Fellow is a distinction reserved for select IEEE members whose extraordinary accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest are deemed fitting of this prestigious grade elevation. It is recognized as an authoritative honor and important professional achievement in the academic and technological community. Elected members must make significant contributions to the advancement or application of engineering science and technology and bring significant value to society. According to the regulations of society, the number of elected members shall not exceed 0.1% of the total number of IEEE members in that year, and approximately 300 people have been elected each year in the past decade. 2025 IEEE Fellows List: https://www.ieee.org/content/dam/ieee-org/ieee/web/org/about/fellows/fellow-committee/2025-fellows-class-announcement.pdf

11 Dec, 2024

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RI-IWEAR showcased the innovative achievements at the PolyU Gala Dinner 2024

On December 2, 2024, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) held the PolyU Gala Dinner 2024 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. RI-IWEAR participated in the Interactive Research Showcase and exhibited three important research achievements: Cost-Effective Organic Electrochemical Transistor Biosensor for Non-Invasive Salivary Health Monitoring, an intelligent companion robot (Emo Friend), and a patented knee brace that combines replaceable disposable patches and durable electronic unit (Transparent Knee). The dinner was themed “Unite for Strength, Innovate for Impact”. More than 800 prominent guests attended the PolyU Gala Dinner, including business and community leaders, renowned performers, Council and Court members, alumni, staff, students, and supporters of PolyU. RI-IWEAR team combines various forms such as physical display, guided explanations, and animation demonstration, providing valuable opportunities for visitors to explore cooperation opportunities.  

9 Dec, 2024

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