Press Release | ASTRI - Hong Kong Applied Science And Technology Research Institute Company Limited

ASTRI Wins 14 Awards at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva

The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has won 14 awards at the 46^th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva. With three of these 14 awards being accompanied by a Congratulations from the Jury, ASTRI is one of the most awarded organisations among Hong Kong participants in the Exhibition.

Held annually in Geneva, the International Exhibition of Inventions is recognised as the most revered and specialised event of its kind in the world. It attracts exhibitors from around the globe who showcase their inventions and innovations to a large global audience. For this year, there were 822 exhibitors and a thousand inventions on display in the Exhibition. A Hong Kong delegation comprising around 15 institutions and universities won 98 awards. Among them, ASTRI received three Gold Medals with Congratulations of the Jury, eight Gold medals and three Silver medals. This remarkable feat made ASTRI one of the most awarded organisations among the Hong Kong exhibitors.

The three ASTRI projects winning Gold Medals with Congratulations of the Jury were: B-TrunC Base-station for mission critical communications which enables fast, reliable, low-latency communications; Advanced Safety Design for Rechargeable Battery to prevent accidents causing by overheating of battery during recharging; and Non-invasive Bloodless Glucometer.

Commenting on this special achievement, Mr Wong Ming-yam – ASTRI’s Chairman said: “The International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva is a highly respected international platform for innovators from around the world. ASTRI is honoured and delighted to stand out among many world-class inventors and institutions with 14 prestigious awards. This recognition of our innovative endeavours once again demonstrates ASTRI’s R&D capability and strength. ASTRI will continue to dedicate its efforts to help enhance Hong Kong’s global competitiveness through applied research.”

ASTRI’s winning projects at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva:

Gold Medal with the Congratulations of the Jury

1. B-TrunC base-station for mission critical communications

2. Advanced safety design for rechargeable battery

3. Non-invasive bloodless glucometer

Gold Medal

4. Panoramic video processor

5. Barcode-free retail scanner

6. 3D high power electronic modules

7. Narrowband internet of things

8. Glass surface defects inspection system

9. Automated processing platform for handwritten Chinese character recognition

10. Vehicle detection, tracking and localisation based on enhanced anti-perspective transformation

11. Smart data indexing system for mobile devices

Silver Medal

12. Apparatus and method for fast evaluation of plating additives performance in microvia filling

13. Touch and motion detection using surface map, object shadow and a single camera

14. All-in-one Virtual Reality based Head Mount Display System (HMD)

The International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva is organised under the patronage of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Swiss Federal Government, the State, and the City of Geneva. With its unparalleled profile and global stature, the Exhibition is acknowledged as the most important show of inventions anywhere in the world. It is also the most international, with the participation of more than 45 countries and territories.

Hong Kong delegates for the International Exhibitions of Innovations of Geneva attending the cocktail reception hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office of Berlin and Hong Kong Federation of Invention and Innovation.

ASTRI received 14 awards at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva.

Director General of Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology Mr Wang Rui Jun visits ASTRI

Mr Wang Rui Jun, Director General of the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, joined by the President of Guangdong Academy of Science and Technology Service Mr Zeng Lu and the Chief Project Officer of the Provincial Department’s Division of Exchange and Cooperation Ms Dong Ming on visited ASTRI on 12 April 2018. The visit facilitated exchange of views regarding the development of innovation and technology in Guangdong and Hong Kong. The delegates got a clear idea of ASTRI’s R&D strategy and developments. The delegation was received by ASTRI’s Chairman Mr Wong Ming-yam and Chief Executive Officer Mr Hugh Chow, along with other senior management staff.

The delegates experienced demonstrations a number of ASTRI’s innovative technologies, including: naked eye 3D TV, artificial intelligence, integrated circuits and next generation semiconductors.

The delegates are impressed by the innovative technology developed by ASTRI

Senior R&D Leader from ASTRI Shares Insights on Smart Cities and Cybersecurity Issues at HK – Mainland Cybersecurity Forum

The third HK-Mainland Cybersecurity Forum, jointly organised by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) of Hong Kong SAR and the Cybersecurity of Cyberspace Administration of China was held on 11 April 2018. Taking place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Forum brought together a number of eminent experts who shared their views and insights on cybersecurity issues.

Speaking at the Forum, the Government Chief Information Officer Mr Allen Yeung said, “The level and complexity of cyber attacks are evolving as new technologies and models are being employed in smart city development, posing new challenges to cybersecurity.” He noted that smart city applications, such as households, payment systems, transport and healthcare systems, are closely linked to the daily lives of the public. The normal operation of the city would be affected if any of these networked systems are attached. Cybersecurity is therefore of paramount importance to smart cities.

Dr Lucas Hui, Senior Director of ASTRI’s Security and Data Science Technology Division, was one of the speakers at the event. Dr Hui addressed an audience of over 180 participants which included leading cybersecurity professionals from the Mainland and Hong Kong. His presentation focused on the sector’s challenges and opportunities in the context of smart city development.

The development of smart cities will enable citizens to enjoy a more convenient and better quality of life, while bringing new challenges and opportunities in terms of information and data security. As the largest applied R&D institution in Hong Kong, ASTRI pursues Smart City R&D as one of its core strategic focus areas. With the increasing breadth and scale of data shared across Smart City systems, applications and platforms, ASTRI’s cybersecurity research initiatives play a crucial role in helping public and private sector organisations to operate and progress in a secure, protected manner.

ASTRI and Its Alumni Receive HKICT Awards

The much-coveted trophy is finally here! ASTRI’s R&D team received the precious Gold Award trophy in the HKICT Awards 2018 – Smart Business Award (Information Security) for their innovative Palm Fusion Biometric Authentication System, at the Award Presentation Ceremony on 4 April 2018. This recognition will inspire the ASTRI team to go that extra mile – enhancing Hong Kong’s global competitiveness, powered by technology.

It was a very special moment at the event when Ms Lydia Leung accepted the ‘Award of the Year’ on behalf of Belun Technology Co. Ltd. Truly an occasion of immense joy and pride for ASTRI – because she is an ASTRI alumnus. Lydia – a proud ASTRIAN – worked in ASTRI between 2006 and 2016 before she chased her entrepreneurial dreams and started the Belun venture. In her acceptance speech, she recalled her fond memories at ASTRI and added that “half my current team members are ASTRIANs too”.

Lydia is one of the many talented researchers who come on board and make a difference to ASTRI’s endeavours. Through their hard work and dedication, talented souls like Lydia help advance innovation and technology for Hong Kong and beyond. And when people like her chase their dreams and start their own ventures, it only vindicates ASTRI’s role as a ‘cradle of learning’ for people who aspire to master their skills and shape their futures.

ASTRI’s Biometric Access Control System Awarded “Gold” in the 2018 HKICT Award

The Palm Fusion Biometric Access Control System developed by ASTRI and its partner SSID from Swedish won the Gold Award for Information Security in the Smart Business Award category at the Hong Kong ICT Awards (HKICT Awards) 2018. The system has been adopted by Swedish preschool education institutions to provide reliable support in user identification, thus more effective management of student affairs, such as daily in and out registration for students with parents, verification of student’s identity for examination, and keeping track of the learning progress of individual students.

Identity management is a key issue for ensuring information, property and even personal safety. ASTRI’s “Biometric Access Control System” is equipped with a Palm Fusion Biometric Sensing Device. It uses a state-of-the-art contact-less, biometric sensing and verification device developed by ASTRI, which is a biometric authentication method based on the unique patterns and various characteristics in the palms of people’s hands. It can capture a person’s palm vein and palm print patterns at the same time while sensing the presence of a palm placed on the device through infrared and visible light.

Since veins lie beneath the skin, attempts to forge an identity becomes extremely difficult. Furthermore, palm print contains a wealth of inimitable features – even identical twins can be differentiated through their palm print patterns. By using the fusion technology, ASTRI’s solution obtains a higher security level, combining both palm print and palm vein features.

The Hong Kong ICT Awards is steered by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer of HKSAR and organised by Hong Kong ICT industry associations and professional bodies. The Awards aims at encouraging innovation and excellence among Hong Kong’s ICT talents and enterprises in their constant pursuit of creative and better solutions to meet business and social needs.

Hong Kong ICT Awards 2018 consists of eight award categories organised by different organizations. The award won by ASTRI is the Gold Award in the category of “Smart Business Award – Information Security” which was organised by the Hong Kong Computer Society. The Smart Business Award Presentation Ceremony was held on March 28, 2018 at the Charles K Kao Auditorium of Hong Kong Science Park.

When attending the award presentation, Mr Hugh Chow, the Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI said, he was excited at ASTRI getting the award as it was another recognition of the organisation’s R&D capabilities and achievements. He also emphasised ASTRI’s commitment to enhancing the development of Hong Kong industry and society through R&D.

Mr Hugh Chow (1st from left), CEO of ASTRI attended the award presentation ceremony with the winning team

Professor Guo Wei (1st from left), Chairman of the Smart Business Award Judging Panel presented the Gold Award to ASTRI

ASTRI Demonstrates Intelligent Projection R&D at LASER World in PHOTONICS CHINA 2018

ASTRI’s Intelligent Projection Team showcased its latest R&D innovation at the LASER World event of PHOTONICS CHINA 2018. One of the most vibrant laser and photonics expos in Asia, PHOTONICS CHINA was Organised by Messe Muenchen Shanghai Co., Ltd. The event took place at Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) from 14-16 March 2018.

Mr Kenny Chan, Senior Manager, led ASTRI’s participation in the event at Booth W2-2735. ASTRI is demonstrating a number of cutting-edge projection technologies – involving LCoS phase modulator device – for advanced displays such as head-up display (HUD) and head-mount display (HMD) optical systems.

By closely collaborating with leading businesses, experts and researchers in intelligent display and projection from around the world, ASTRI strives to promote continued development and innovation in this sector.

ASTRI showcases advanced video technologies at China’s premier global event for the broadcasting industry

The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) showcased its ‘2K to 4K Video Conversion’ and ‘Deep Learning Accelerator’ technologies at the 26th China Content Broadcasting Network (CCBN 2018) event in Beijing from 22 to 24 March 2018. ASTRI’s innovative R&D in the area of advanced display and video technologies delivers optimised viewer experience with high-quality videos and enables smart video content production. These are among the exciting technologies that have been developed at the ASTRI- SAPPRFT ABS Ultra High-definition Television Technology Joint Laboratory, which contributes to advancements of the broadcasting and TV industries of Hong Kong, mainland China and rest of the world.

The 26th CCBN 2018 was supported by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), and organised by Academy of Broadcasting Science (SAPPRFT). As one of the most prominent global networking events of the digital television and broadband network industry, CCBN attracts nearly 1,000 companies and organisations from more than 30 countries and regions in the world. The exhibition area covered over 60,000 square meters at the China International Exhibition Centre. Over 100,000 people visited the event during the three days, including representatives of leading media organisations, radio and television stations, cable network companies, students and scholars from academic institutions, as well as various relevant Government departments and agencies. In addition to organisation from all over Greater China, over 400 foreign institutions from across Asia-Pacific, Europe, Americas and Africa took part in the event.

ASTRI showcases latest innovation in Machine Vision at Vision China (Shanghai) Exhibition 2018

ASTRI’s Machine Vision R&D Team is showcasing its latest R&D innovation at the Vision China (Shanghai) 2018 Exhibition – one of the largest and most influential Machine Vision shows in Asia. Organised by the China Society of Image and Graphics (CSIG) and Messe Muenchen International (MMI), the exhibition takes place at Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) from 14-16 March 2018.

The ASTRI team taking part in the event was delighted to receive Mr Denis Tse Tik-yang, Board Director of ASTRI, as a visitor to their booth. Mr Tse expressed his support to ASTRI’s innovative R&D endeavours and gave the team a big cheer for their efforts.

Led by Dr CJ Tsai, ASTRI’s Optoelectronics R&D team is showcasing state-of-the-art Machine Vision solutions at the expo. ASTRI’s booth at the event (W5-5722) demonstrates some cutting-edge technologies, including (1) Deep machine learning software platform for intelligent defect inspection, (2) 3D Random Bin Picking System for Industrial Robot, and (3) 3D Automated Optical Inspection System.

Vision China is a leading platform for industry players, tech-experts and researchers representing different sectors, coming from all-over Asia and overseas. ASTRI’s Machine Vision R&D team is committed to supporting the development of intelligent manufacturing in this region, fully aligned with the nationwide Industry 4.0 agenda as well as the Greater Bay Area priorities. Dedicated to enhancing Hong Kong’s global competitiveness in technology-based industries through applied research, ASTRI is also playing its part to augment the HKSAR Government’s ‘Reindustrialisation of Hong Kong’ strategy.

Find more about Vision China (Shanghai) Exhibition 2018 here.

The ASTRI team taking part in the event was delighted to receive Mr Denis Tse Tik-yang, Board Director of ASTRI, as a visitor to their booth.

ASTRI’s Machine Vision R&D Team is showcasing its latest R&D innovation at the Vision China (Shanghai) 2018 Exhibition

Led by Dr CJ Tsai, ASTRI’s Optoelectronics R&D team is showcasing state-of-the-art Machine Vision solutions at the expo.

Signing of an agreement to set up a joint innovation lab marks the beginning of international collaboration between ASTRI and European R&D institution INL

[Hong Kong, 2 March 2018] Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) and the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) signed an agreement today to set up a joint innovation laboratory to pursue cutting-edge and interdisciplinary research for overall smart city development. The signing ceremony, held at ASTRI premises, also included an insightful seminar on ‘Nano and Sensing Technologies for Smart City’ facilitated by leading scholars and experts from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Europe.

In his opening remarks, Mr Wong Ming-yam, Chairman of ASTRI said, “The partnership between ASTRI and INL sets a significant milestone for closer research collaboration among Hong Kong, Spain and Portugal, to leverage the power of technology for the benefit of communities and economies across Greater China and Europe.” Professor Marina Villegas Garcia, Vice Chairman of INL Council and Director General of the Spanish State Research Organisation congratulated both organisations on the successful commencement of this partnership and hoped that “collaboration between Spain, Portugal, Mainland China and Hong Kong will lead to meaningful exchange of innovative R&D, technologies, knowledge and insights which will ultimately improve the quality of people’s lives.”

Mr Hugh Chow, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI and Professors Lars Montelius, Director General of INL signed the agreement on their respective organisations’ behalf. Mr Chow said, “To have sustainable traction in smart city development, we need an integrated ecosystem approach where R&D institutions like ASTRI and INL must collaborate; through strong partnerships with big and small businesses; supported by investors, regulators and Governments.”. Professor Montelius said, “As an inter-governmental R&D institution, INL seeks to leverage international collaborations and sound technological exchanges to pursue innovative and practical applications. We are very pleased to have this partnership with ASTRI which perfectly complements our mission.”

The seminar on ‘Nano and Sensing Technologies for Smart City’ included two insightful panel discussions. The first one covered the topic ‘The changing society, and needs for international collaboration in life sciences’. Moderated by ASTRI’s Chief Technology Officer Dr MeiKei Ieong, it was participated by Professor Ren Tiang-ling of Tsinghua University; Professor Lorenzo Pastrana, Head of Department of Life Sciences, INL; and Professor Aaron Ho, Professor of Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The second seminar was moderated by Professor Lars Montelius, covering the topic ‘Nanotechnology in the next decade’. The panellists were: Professor Stella Pang, Chair Professor of Electronics Engineering, The City University of Hong Kong;

Dr Maganus Ryde, Partner, Spirit Ventures; and Professor Joao Gaspar, Head of Department of Micro and Nano Fabrication, INL. Both seminars saw very rich and thought-provoking discussions by the panellists on important topics such as physical and life sciences; healthcare and diagnostic technologies; advanced sensing and nano technologies; investment and funding for applied R&D; and collaboration platforms for smart city development.

INL is an international applied research institution jointly established by the Governments of Spain and Portugal. It seeks to leverage Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to promote smart cities. As the Hong Kong SAR Government’s designated ICT R&D lab, ASTRI pursues Smart City development as an important pillar of its R&D strategy as well. INL conducts inter-disciplinary research on semiconductors, circuit designs, intelligent devices, and related applications. It is also active in medical imaging and diagnosis, food safety, and environmental monitoring. These are areas where ASTRI too has strong core competence.

The ASTRI-INL joint laboratory will seek to promote innovative R&D efforts in smart city and intelligent manufacturing, among other areas. In addition to conducting joint R&D projects and exchanges, the partnership will also focus on grooming a new generation of researchers through mutual collaboration.

Professor On-ching Yue, Science Advisor to the Innovation and Technology Commission of the HKSAR Government; Dr Vitor Sereno, Consul General of Portugal in Macau and Hong Kong; Ms Maria Perez-Ribes, Deputy Consul General and Commissioner for Economic and Commercial Affairs of Spain in Hong Kong; joined other senior officials, members of the diplomatic corps, senior officials and researchers from INL, ASTRI’s senior executives and R&D leaders; scholars and technology business leaders from Greater China on the occasion.

Mr Wong Ming-yam, Chairman of ASTRI, expressed optimism that the ASTRI-INL partnership will make significant progress in smart city related technology development

Professor Marina Villegas Garcia, Vice Chairman of INL Council and Director General of the Spanish State Research Organisation congratulated both organisations for this partnership.

Mr Hugh Chow, ASTRI’s CEO (sitting, left) and Professor Lars Monetelius, Director General of INL (sitting, right) signed the partnership MOU. Mr Wong Ming-yam (standing, left) and Professor Marina Villegas Garcia (standing, right) were witness to the agreement.

Dignitaries present on the occasion included: (sitting, starting from left) Professor You On-ching, Science Advisor to the Innovation and Technology Commission of the HKSAR Government; Dra Maria Joao Bonificio, Deputy Consul General of Portugal; Dr Vitor Sereno, Consul General of Portugal to Macau and Hong Kong; Mr Hugh Chow, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRI; Professor Lars Monetelius, Director General of INL; Mr Wong Ming-yam, Chairman of ASTRI Chairman; Professor Marina Villegas Garcia, Vice Chairman of INL Council; and Mr Bjorn Segerblom, Chairman of INL Business Advisory Board; (standing, fourth from right) Ms Maria Perez-Ribes, Deputy Consul General of Spain to Hong Kong.

Dr Mei Kei Ieong (1st from right) moderated the first panel discussion participated by (sitting, starting from left) Professor Ren Tiang-ling; Professor Aaron Ho; and Professor Lorenzo Pastrana.

Professor Lars Montelius (1st from right) moderated the second panel discussion participated by (sitting, starting from left) Professor Stella Pang; Professor Joao Gaspar; and Dr Maganus Ryde.

About ASTRI

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI) was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2000 with the mission of enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness in technology-based industries through applied research. ASTRI’s core R&D competencies in various areas are organised under seven Technology Divisions, namely Communications Technologies, Electronics Components, Mixed Signal Systems IC, Advanced Digital Systems, Optoelectronics, Security and Data Sciences, and Intelligent Software and Systems. Five areas of applications including financial technologies, intelligent manufacturing, next generation network, health technologies, and smart city are identified for major pursuit. For further information about ASTRI, please visit www.astri.org.

Media Contact

For enquiries, please contact Ms Eunice Cheng (Tel: 3406 2517, email: [email protected])

Student reporters from Ming Pao Daily get a taste of ASTRI’s exciting endeavours, powered by technology

The fascinating world of journalism excites a lot of people. Learning about the latest developments in society, businesses and communities, and getting to write compelling stories about them – the appeal is obvious. When one of the leading newspapers in Hong Kong provides young students with an exposure to news-hunting and storytelling, and compliments that with an opportunity to learn about latest technological developments in the city, the outcome can be quite captivating. That’s exactly what happened when some 12 student-reporters from Ming Pao Daily visited ASTRI recently. The visitors, mostly secondary school students with a keen interest in digital developments, spent a few hours visiting various R&D labs and facilities within ASTRI’s premises and chatting with Dr Justin Chuang – ASTRI’s Vice President for Next Generation Network.

Dr Chuang was accompanied by Ms Eunice Cheng – Director, Public Affairs – to welcome the student reporters from Ming Pao daily. Before moving on to visit the R&D labs, Ms Cheng shared an overview of ASTRI’s technology initiatives and some innovative R&D projects which drew curious and interesting questions from the students. Dr Chuang also shared about ASTRI’s technology vision, the growth potential of the tech-industry in Hong Kong, the city’s ability to attract global talent and investors, and the strategy to build the next generation of technology leaders from among Hong Kong’s youth.

Dr Chuang – originally from Taiwan who spent many years working in the telecommunications industry in the US before moving to Hong Kong as a professor in the early years of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, explained why “Hong Kong continues to be Asia’s world city with lots to offer and lot more to achieve.” Dubbed one of the four “original Asian Tigers”, Hong Kong has “a vibrant economy with great infrastructure and an excellent, business-friendly regulatory regime which are genuinely conducive to promote innovation and technology,” he commented.

The students then visited ASTRI’s Cyber Range facility which is Hong Kong’s first-ever specialised simulated training facility to fight and deter for cyber-crimes. Developed jointly by ASTRI and the Hong Kong Police Force, the facility trains cybersecurity professionals from the Police Force as well as the financial services industry.

Afterwards, the visitors spent time in the Smart City Innovation Centre (SCIC) – a joint initiative by ASTRI, Hong Kong Science Park, and Innovation and Technology Commission of the HKSAR Government. Demonstrations in the SCIC included the application of Blockchain in financial services, naked-eye 3D display technology, Smart Pole, augmented and mixed reality applications, Head-up and Head-mount displays, pedestrian-friendly navigation, smart parking, connected cars, and various high-speed telecommunications R&D.