網上版請按此
InnoTech Expo to showcase forward-looking technologies
InnoTech Expo 2018 will be held from September 23 to October 2 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The theme this year is 'Drive Innovation, Follow the Past and Herald the Future'.
Under the three topics of "industry", "agriculture" and "healthcare" and with over 160 exhibits, the expo will review China's ancient and modern progress in science and technology, and at the same time explore the direction of future development. The expo will also showcase the latest scientific research results in Hong Kong, raising public awareness on the importance of innovative technology.
I am most interested in the celebrity forum. Two years ago, the expo invited eminent mainland expert Wang Zhiqin, Vice President of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, to talk about the development of 5G, which was very forward-looking.
Now, autonomous driving is under global spotlight. The celebrity forum this year has invited Dr. Tao Ji, an expert in autonomous driving technology in China, to introduce the latest self-driving technology and mobility design for smart city of the future.
Another forum that you should not miss is the one with the professors from the medical faculties of the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Hong Kong ranks high in the medical field. This is the first time that renowned professors of the two universities will get together to discuss the medical achievements and future development in Hong Kong. Professor Tsui Lap-chee, former vice-chancellor of HKU will be the host of the forum.
However, parents may be more interested in the popular science lectures, because many of them are closely related to the children's physical and mental health and future development.
Among more than 10 lectures, Multiple Segments (DIMS) Spectacle Lens for Myopia Control is one of the most attractive topics. This new invention won three prizes in this year's International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, namely: Grand Prize (Overall Championship), Grand Award, and Gold Medal with the Congratulations of Jury. The invention can help prevent myopia among children from worsening.
With rapid development in artificial intelligence and robots, parents may also worry about their children's employment prospects. Will artificial intelligence replace human labor? Can the children improve in creative thinking through participation in robot design competitions? What is machine learning and deep learning? After attending the lectures, you will know more about them.
In addition to the 23 pop science lectures, the Expo has an innovator's demonstration session to share local scientific results with the public.
For example, a group of secondary students invented a non-toxic, sticky and stretchable polymer as a Tree Plaster to improve the treatment of trees with early disease, and also reduce the damage by drugs to the ecosystem. This research won a number of awards at home and abroad; it is our pride.
The Hong Kong International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, and about 13,000 baggage trolleys were deployed last year. The Real-time Trolley Supply Monitoring System, developed by the CUHK research team, uses AI-based video analysis and big data analysis to assist airport staff in allocation of resources to handle the trolleys.
Many people are afraid of dental check-up for the high service fee and the potential physical discomfort. A biotech startup developed a quick test kit to assess the extent of tooth decay, by measuring the concentration of bacteria in the mouth. The next move of this startup is to make other lab tests more affordable and accurate, helping the public in monitoring their personal health.
InnoTech Expo 2018 will help promote science education, and it can also help nurture excellent science and technology talent for Hong Kong.
Dr. Winnie Tang
Honorary Professor, Department of Computer Science, The University of Hong Kong