PolyU wins big with 18 Prizes in Geneva Inventions Expo
(PRWEB) April 15, 2019 -- "PolyU's researchers exhibit remarkable expertise and competence in scientific research and technological development. Of the seven projects we presented in the Geneva Inventions Expo in Switzerland, most of them earned multiple prizes. The awards recognise projects that stand out for their innovative approaches. PolyU constantly pushes the boundaries of technological innovation with a view to bringing positive impact to our community and making people's lives more fulfilling," said Dr Miranda LOU, Executive Vice President of PolyU.
The winning projects of PolyU cover a variety of applications, ranging from healthcare, wearable energy sources, green living, smart city, to manufacturing spectrum in textile and precise polishing, showcasing the University's distinguished capabilities and accomplishments in innovation and technology. The seven projects are:
(1) WiseEye: AI-based Textile Material Inspection System
Principal Investigator: Professor Calvin WONG Wai-keung, Institute of Textiles and Clothing
- 2 Grand Awards (Prize of the Italian Delegation of the Exhibition; Prize of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca of Romania)
- Gold Medal with the Congratulations of Jury
- Special Merit Award
(Video: https://youtu.be/kbzUSBfIeRw)
Equipped with a high-resolution charge-coupled device camera, WiseEye employs Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based machine vision, big data and deep learning technologies to perform real-time automated inspection on fabrics in place of manual inspection during the manufacturing process. This intelligent system can be installed on any weaving machines, and can identify about 40 common fabric defects with exceptionally high accuracy resolution of up to 0.1 mm/pixel, reducing 90% of material loss and wastage in the fabric manufacturing process.
WiseEye can be applied to most types of fabric with different weaving structures and colours. It marks a significant milestone in quality control automation for the textile industry, and can be further applied to other areas, such as apparel manufacturing, leather goods manufacturing, laundry, etc.
(2) Palm-sized 3D Ultrasound Imaging System for Radiation-free Scoliosis Assessment
Principal Investigator: Ir Professor ZHENG Yongping, Department of Biomedical Engineering
- Grand Award (Prize of the Legal Company "Gorodissky & Partners", Russia)
- Gold Medal with the Congratulations of Jury
- Special Merit Award
The portable 3D ultrasound imaging system provides radiation-free assessment for diagnosing scoliosis in the early stages anywhere. Apart from diagnosis, the system can also be used to give real-time feedback during treatment and to monitor treatment progress.
(3) Mobile Exo-neuro-musculo-skeleton for Self-help Post-stroke Upper Limb Rehabilitation
Principal Investigator: Dr HU Xiaoling, Department of Biomedical Engineering
- Grand Award (Prize of the Polish of Patents Office)
- Gold Medal
- Special Merit Award
(Video: https://youtu.be/IICTvXjyscw)
Combining neuro-muscular electrical stimulation, soft pneumatic artificial muscle and exoskeleton, the device can sense the electromyogram (EMG) signals of paretic muscles and provide voluntary motor intention control for users. It thus offers effective self-help and mobile upper limb rehabilitation for patients after stroke. Its soft and flexible design makes it lightweight, compact and comfortable to wear, enabling patients to use it for training anywhere, anytime.
(4) Flexible, Stable, High-energy Textile Lithium Batteries
Principal Investigator: Professor ZHENG Zijian, Institute of Textiles and Clothing
- Gold Medal
- 2 Special Merit Awards
The wearable, rechargeable lithium batteries with excellent energy density, cycling life and foldability are developed with metallic fabrics. They can be used to power wearable electronics, smart apparels, health monitors, communications devices, etc.
(5) Indirect Evaporative Cooler for Efficient Energy Recovery
Principal Investigator: Professor YANG Hongxing, Department of Building Services Engineering
- Gold Medal
By recovering the heat energy in the exhaust in a centralised air-conditioning system to cool and dehumidify the incoming fresh air, this innovative system significantly saves energy by around 17% to 35%. It is suitable for all climates, especially hot and humid ones.
(6) Curvature-adaptive Multi-jet Freeform Polishing System for Precision Manufacturing
Principal Investigator: Ir Professor Benny CHEUNG Chi-fai, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Silver Medal
- 2 Special Merit Awards
The novel technology, which allows different number of jets for different work pieces, enables fast and precise polishing of freeform surfaces by controlling the fluid pressure of each jet according to the change of surface curvature. It can be used in the post-process finishing of freeform surfaces made of different materials in various fields, such as biomedical science, optics, aerospace and 3D printing.
(7) An Industrial IoT-based Smart Robotic Logistics Management System
Principal Investigator: Dr Carman LEE Ka-man, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Silver Medal
(Video: https://youtu.be/1-o6tBhEHOU)
The smart system applies Industrial Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and robotics to redefine logistics operations and warehouse picking and replenishment processes. Using autonomous mobile robots and advanced intelligent robotic algorithms, it revolutionizes the conventional labour-intensive man-to-goods procedures by adopting goods-to-man automation operation. The system of high operational efficiency also helps enhance labour and space utilization in warehousing.
The 47th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, held from 10 to 14 April, has attracted over 800 exhibitors from more than 40 countries/regions. It was organized under the patronage of the Swiss Federal Government, the State and the City of Geneva as well as the World Intellectual Property Organization. For details, please visit the event organizer's official website:- http://www.inventions-geneva.ch
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Ms Christina, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, http://www.polyu.edu.hk, +852 34002130, [email protected]
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