People oriented design
Speaking of the high-profile artificial intelligence (AI) startups in Hong Kong, it is of course impossible to miss out the LifeSparrow Solutions, a company that made a name for itself in October last year by using AI software to assist the Fire Services Department in quickly analysing aerial photos to locate a missing secondary school student.
The AI analysis system, developed by a group of local graduates of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, can analyse more than 1,000 aerial photos and reconnoiter human bodies within two hours, compared with the eight hours required in the past, greatly improving the efficiency of search and rescue operations. This startup has been selected for our Esri Startup Program, which awards free access to geographic information system (GIS) software and training. This year, the team was named 30 Under 30 of Forbes Asia's 2024, and the three founders are all only 25 years old.
Another startup, also founded by PolyU graduates, may also be known in the future. Why? Like many developed economies, Hong Kong has already become a super-aged society, with more than 20% of the citizens as elderly by 2022. From time to time, we see electric wheelchair users on the streets, but going up and down stairs still presents a challenge. Further, battery life is also an issue.
Founded in 2022, Libpet Tech has one member whose father lost both legs in a car accident, making daily life challenging. Millions of people around the world face the same issue. This has motivated the company to develop a unique track system to cope with different terrains such as grass, sand, and even up and down stairs. Chief Executive Officer Xu Huafeng Jojo pointed out that their electric wheelchairs are not only flexible, stable and comfortable, but also good looking.
The ability of electric wheelchairs to navigate up and down stairs is the company's key selling point. The technologies such as mechanics, bionics and AI for the internet of things (AIoT) create a collision prevention system using lenses, infrared and ultrasound waves to ensure user safety. When going up and down the stairs, the wheelchair will switch from the original four-wheeled travel mode to a track mode, and resume four-wheeled mode upon returning to flat ground, saving electricity. The wheelchair can have a range of up to 36 km after charging for 5 hours.
On the other hand, sitting in a wheelchair for a long time may cause deep vein thrombosis, so the newly designed adjustment system is ergonomic to transfer the pressure originally concentrated in the user's feet to the back to help maintain blood circulation.
I got to know the team two years ago which was one of the awardees in the newly established Dr Winnie S M Tang-PolyU Student Innovation & Entrepreneurship Scholarship. The scholarship encourages students to apply innovative solutions for real-world problems. It is gratifying to know that the product has attracted the attention of many dealers around the world since its launch, and I hope that they will continue to strive for excellence and continue to deliver happiness for our future mobility.
-
HK migrants alarmed by new British policy Mark O'Neill
Hong Kong people who emigrated to Britain with a BNO passport are alarmed by the new immigration policy outlined on Monday by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Most alarming is a new requirement that
-
HK says Goodbye to Pioneer of English Education Mark O'Neill
On May 7, 150 people crowded into St John’s Cathedral in Garden Road to say goodbye to a polymath and pioneer of English-language education who lived in the city for 42 years. Dr Verner Bickley
-
French Sisters in HK saved 34000 abandoned children Mark O'Neill
In 19th century Hong Kong, families abandoned thousands of girls whom they could not or would not bring up. They faced death, disease, a life of domestic service or prostitution. But the Sisters of
-
Czech National Ballet in Hong Kong Arts Festival Kevin Ng
Nowadays Hong Kong seldom plays host to overseas ballet companies, except during the annual Hong Kong Arts Festival. Czech National Ballet is the only ballet company touring this year’s Festival. Its
-
Are Hong Kong migrants to UK returning home? Mark O'Neill
“She was a schoolteacher in Hong Kong and now works as a cashier in a supermarket in Britain. I think she and her husband would like to come back but it is a question of face. How would she explain
