HKBU showcases innovations in Digital Humanities, Art Tech and Green Technologies at InnoCarnival 2023

We are delighted to share the tremendous success of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) at InnoCarnival 2023! Our pavilion was a testament to the remarkable fusion of innovation technologies under the theme “Digital Humanities, Art-Tech Excellence and Green Technologies”. During the 9 days showcase, our pavilion has successfully attracted 10000+ visitors and positive feedback. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all those who joined us on this exciting journey!

Organized by the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong SAR Government, InnoCarnival aimed to cultivate an innovation and technology culture within our community. From October 28th to November 5th, the Hong Kong Science Park transformed into a hub of knowledge and inspiration.

We were honored to welcome distinguished guests, including Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, and Mr Ivan Lee, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology of the HKSAR Government, who visited our pavilion on the opening day of the Carnival. It was a privilege to showcase HKBU's groundbreaking research achievements and demonstrate our commitment to innovation and excellence.

Digital Humanities

The Battle of Hong Kong 1941

Innovator: Dr Kwong Chi Man, Associate Professor, Department of History

Dr Kwong and his research team collect first-hand data from the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Australia, and other places, and using geographic information systems (GIS) to build a web map about the Battle of Hong Kong and a database of British military installations in Hong Kong during the Second World War. It offers an easy-to-use historical database for educators, tourists, and conservation professionals.

Art-Tech Excellence

The Magic of AI - Modernising historical movies and photos

Innovator: Dr Wan Renjie, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science

The project is showcasing the restoration technology by AI on low-quality monochrome photos or videos to coloured content and new content. During the InnoCarnival, Dr Wan is interacting with the project of Dr Kwong Chi Man, Associate Professor of the Department of History, by restoring the historical photos from the battle of Hong Kong in 1941, to present another way that visitors can enjoy history.

BuVatar - Virtual Avatar with Fully Programmable Looks and Actions

Innovator: Dr Chen Jie, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science

The Visual Computing Group, led by Dr Chen Jie presented the BuVatar. This AI-driven digital avatar features fully customizable appearances and behaviours. It links motion attributes with linguistic elements and plots human skeletal trajectories. Based on these, geometric-consistent appearances of avatar will be rendered.

COLOURS - From inner self to outer world

Innovator: Year 1 students from Bachelor of Arts and Science (Hons) in Arts and Technology, School of Creative Arts (2022 Cohort) 

Supervised by Dr Bryan Chung and Mr. Kingsley Ng, Associate Professors, Academy of Visual Arts, School of Creative Arts

"COLOURS" was a project by Year 1 students enrolled in our newly launched Bachelor of Arts and Science in Arts and Technology Programme. Utilising sensors and digital tools to create interactive experiences, the art installation offered visitors a unique opportunity to explore the power of colours through the lens of technology.  

Robot Remix: Combining Music and Gestural Input to Drive a Calligraphy Robot

Innovator: Dr Peter Nelson, Assistant Professor, Academy of Visual Arts

Dr Nelson presented a demonstration that connects a 6 degree of freedom robotic arm equipped with a Chinese ink brush to real-time software (TouchDesigner). This allows the user to move the robotic arm on two axes, while an external piece of music moves the third axis. 

The result is a robotic system that visualises a combination of mouse input and music as a painting. Both music and mouse input have been chosen for their operational simplicity, and could be replaced by signals from any range of sensors and data sources. Using TouchDesigner to mix and map these inputs and a Python OSC bridge to communicate with the robotic arm, this system demonstrates a flexible and accessible method for human-robot interaction and collaboration that can be creatively repurposed by the user for a broad range of applications.

Green Technologies

Upcycling plastic waste - Catalytic pyrolysis of plastic waste to oil

Innovator: Dr Zhao Jun, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology

The waste plastic catalytic pyrolysis recycling technology is an innovative technique that transforms discarded plastics into valuable products. It uses a catalyst to induce the process of breaking long polymer chains in plastics under high temperatures and oxygen-free conditions, producing combustible gases and fuel. The team has developed different catalysts, which have increased the oil yield of waste plastic pyrolysis to over 90%. This not only reduces the dependence on traditional petroleum resources but also achieves efficient recycling and reuse of waste plastics, reducing the demand for raw petroleum.

Transforming organic residues into eco-friendly bioplastics

Innovator: Dr Nirakar Pradhan, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology

Dr Pradhan focuses on production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), a bioplastic derived from organic residues like food waste and waste cooking oil using bacteria, offers a promising eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastics. Unlike traditional plastics that persist in the environment for hundreds of years, bioplastics naturally biodegrade over time, significantly reducing their long-term impact on land, water, ecosystems, and human health. This sustainable approach promotes circular economy principles and the efficient use of resources.