17 December 2007
PolyU researchers win top prizes in Brussels Eureka Fair
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has recently won record number of awards in the Brussels Eureka 2007 held in Belgium last month. This year PolyU won four Gold, one Silver and one Bronze Medals as well as three Special Prizes in this international exhibition.
Dr Lui Sun-wing, Vice President (Partnership Development), also disclosed that two outstanding researchers have received Brussels Mayor’s Invention Awards in recognition of their distinguished accomplishments. They are Prof. Tao Xiao-ming, Head of the Institute of Textile and Clothing; and Prof. Joanne Chung of the School of Nursing.
The winning entries presented by PolyU and their respective Principal Investigators are listed and briefly described as follows:
(1)Special Prize and Bronze Medal: Nano-structured Photonic Fibres and Fabrics
Principal Investigator: Prof. Tao Xiao-ming, Head, Institute of Textile and Clothing
In studying the use of nanotechnology for the textile and garment industry, Prof. Tao and her team have successfully developed polymer-based photonic fibers which are capable of controlling colour, luminescence intensity, scattering intensity and self amplification. These optical performances are achieved by the formation of nano-scaled periodic structure, adding nano-particles and gain materials inside fibers.
With the use of these polymer photonic fibers, a variety of luminescent fabric displays can be designed and fabricated. These fibers may form basis for fabric display which can be integrated in the apparel or garments. To promote the use of this new technology for the industry, PolyU researchers are also investigating related yarn and fabric manufacturing process and various methods for pattern and light emission.
(2)Gold Medal with Mention & Special Prize: Nano-structured Materials Generation System – Surface Mechanical Attrition Treatment (SMAT)
Principal Investigator: Prof. Lu Jian, Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering
This sophisticated SMAT process is jointly invented by Prof. Lu Jian of PolyU and Prof. Lu Ke of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In the treatment process, a nano-crystallined layer is created on the surface of metal. It represents a new approach for selective surface reactions to modify the properties and/or functionalities of the surface layer of materials. Combined with traditional work surface treatment methods, the mechanical properties of materials can be significantly improved.
This advanced technique is applicable to a wide range of industries, including as automobile, aerospace, civil structures, machinery, power generation, and bio-medical industry.
Prof. Lu Jian is a pioneering researcher in the fields of material science and engineering, mechanical engineering and mechanics. He was also awarded “The French Knight Order of National Merit” (Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Merite) by the French Government in recognition of his illustrious research and academic achievements in 2006.
(3)Gold Medal with Mention: Polymer-bonded Magnetic Devices
Principal Investigators: Prof. Eric Cheng, Department of Electrical Engineering; Dr Wong Yuen-wah, Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Physics
Prof. Cheng, Dr Wong and their team members have successfully made use of state-of-the-art polymer-bonded magnetic device to produce magnetic materials. In using this new method, non-brittle magnetic cores of flexible shapes and different sizes can be made.
This breakthrough has versatile applications in a wide range of products, including transformers and inductor components, direct-current-to-direct-current power converters, high frequency power supplies, and screening of electromagnetic wave. This project was also awarded a Silver Medal in the 16th China Invention Exhibition in 2006.
(4)Gold Medal and Special Prize: PolyJbot Rehabilitation Robotic System
Principal Investigator: Dr Raymond Tong Kai-yu, Assistant Professor,
Department of Health Technology and Informatics
Currently, most therapeutic exercises for stroke patients and elderly people are done by physiotherapists. As a result, training session and duration are limited by the therapist availability and the proximity of the hospital or clinics. With a view to improve the provision of service, PolyU researchers conceived of this training system which can facilitate exercise training and can be controlled by the users with inputs from the therapists.
While traditional training is passive in nature, the PolyJbot rehabilitation system is driven by human intention. By capturing user’s intention through monitoring muscle activities as measured by EMG electrode placed on the body surface, the robotic system can generate training regimes with different combinations of assistive and resistive forces during the exercise. The compact system can be used in different settings, including hospitals, clinics, elderly home and household.
This project is the fruit of an inter-departmental research team led by Dr Raymond Tong and Prof. Wallace Leung, Director of PolyU’s Research Institute of Innovative Products and Technologies (RIIPT), drawing upon expertise from the School of Design, Industrial Centre, and the Departments of Electrical Engineering, Computing, Health Technology and Informatics, Rehabilitation Sciences and RIIPT.
(5)Gold Medal : PicPacker(TM) Intelligent Warehouse Optimizing System
Principal Investigator: Dr Henry Lau, Associate Professor,
Department of Industrial and System Engineering
In the context of logistics industry, a third-party logistics provider (3PL) is a firm that provides outsourced logistics services in the terms of supply chain management function. Most 3PL providers specialize in integrated warehousing and transportation services, yet they facing strong competition with factors such as warehouse capacity, speed and profit margin. Currently most 3PLs relies on human expertise in ascertaining carton boxes’ size for packing shipment items out of the warehouse; and these boxes are often oversized. This is the major concern particularly when large amount of items and carton boxes are involved.
This PolyU invention addressed this problem through an Artificial Intelligence-based genetic algorithm with fuzzy controlled mechanism, thereby optimizing the warehouse capacity through minimizing the size of carton boxes to be used thus minimize the space usage.
(6)Silver Medal : A Novel Integrative Acupressure Pen for Pain Relief
Principal Investigator: Prof. Joanne Chung, School of Nursing
This Acupressure Pen is basically a user-programmable device which offers relief for neck and lower back pain. The therapeutic mechanism works by integrating mechanical engineering principles and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory, which states that the stimulation of an acupoint(s) by manually exerted force could help to alleviate specific kinds of pain and hence improve the sufferers’ quality of life.
The special pen has a memory feature that enable users to input information about those specific acupoints that they find effective for alleviating pain, thus empowering them to customise the use of a complex modality of acupressure for their own needs.
The Brussels Eureka 2007 was held between 22 to 25 November in Belgium this year. The exhibition put together some 600 inventions from more than 30 countries and territories. It was the fourth time that PolyU participated in this international event.
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Press Contact: Mr Andrew Young, Director of Partnership Development
Email : [email protected]
Tel: 3400 2800
