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The Financial Secretary sees huge potential in robotics

May 18, 2015
Financial Secretary and Dean with HKU’s humanoid robot Atlas

On May 18, 2015, the honorable Mr. John Tsang, GBM, JP, Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government, spent an afternoon at the Engineering Faculty’s Advanced Robotics Laboratory and was accompanied by Ms Janet Wong, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Professor Yue On-ching, Science Advisor of the Innovation and Technology Commission, and Ms Marjorie Yang, GBS, JP, Chairman of the Esquel Group, a leading textile and apparel manufacture. Mr. Douglas So, Vice President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Institutional Advancement), also joined to greet the prestigious guests.

The Dean began by stating the rationale behind the Faculty’s introduction of Robotics as one of the key strategic research areas and the progress made in teaching and learning of robotics in the taught curricula, research efforts and knowledge exchange of promoting the subject to a broader community spectrum.  This was followed by presentations from teachers and students that revolved around how research in robotics has been contributing to shaping Hong Kong’s economy in the areas of aiding an aging population as well as alleviating labour-intensive manufacturing industry and how HKU robotics initiative puts Hong Kong on the world stage.

Topics covered by teachers and students:

  • “Virtual Reality in Robotics and Automation” by  Dr. Henry Lau, Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering
  • “Medical Robots” by Dr. Ka Wai Kwok, Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • “Application of Robotics in Logistics” by Prof. George Huang, Department Head of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering
  • Demonstration on “Robotics Object Handling” by Dr. Jia Pan, Department of Computer Science
  • “Robots Built from Soft Materials and Actuation Systems” by Dr. Zheng Wang, Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • “An example of ITC funded project on robotics - Powering Robots with Electro-Rheological Fluids (ERF) Technology” by Dr. Michael Chen, Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • “Artificial Intelligence” by two students, Mr. Anson Wong (UG) and Mr. Johnny Lin (MSc), Department of Computer Science
  • Demonstration on “HKU’s Humanoid Robot Atlas” by Dr. Chris Roberts, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
The Dean delivering his opening remarks
The Dean delivering his opening remarks
Demonstration on robotics object handling
Demonstration on robotics object handling

 

Thanks to the teachers and students who made impressive and coherent presentations that day, the visit was a great success! The guests were particularly impressed by the presence of a team of students who are working in the area of robotics and they enjoyed a lot in talking to the students.

Demonstration on HKU’s humanoid robot Atlas
Demonstration on HKU’s humanoid robot Atlas
Ms. Marjorie Yang sharing with students
Ms. Marjorie Yang sharing with students
The visiting group with all presenters, Mr. Douglas So and Faculty Members

The visiting group with all presenters, Mr. Douglas So and Faculty Members

 

Please find more in Financial Secretary's blog: 

Iron Man 大戰 Iron Man

https://www.fso.gov.hk/eng/blog/blog070615.htm