Lingnan University excels at the 5th Asia Exhibition of Innovations and Inventions, winning nine awards

12 Dec 2025

Lingnan University's projects win nine awards in the 5th Asia Exhibition of Innovations and Inventions Hong Kong.

The project awarded a Gold Medal is “Smarter Traffic, Safer Roads: AIoT and Real-Time GeoAI Innovations for Urban Transport”, led by Prof Paulina Wong Pui-yun, Head and Associate Professor (Presidential Early Career Scholar) of the Science Unit.

Another project awarded a Gold Medal is “CREW: Intelligent Wheelchair Control System”, led by the Office of Service-Learning and the Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative (LEI). Mr Adrian Lo Chun-kwong, Product Design Lead of the Office of Service-Learning (left).

Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University is greatly encouraged by the University's achievements.

Lingnan University participated in the two-day 5th Asia Exhibition of Innovations and Inventions Hong Kong (AEII), and delivered an outstanding performance. Among more than 140 innovative research projects presented by experts and inventors worldwide, all nine of Lingnan's participating projects received awards, securing two gold, four silver, and three bronze medals. This marks a remarkable leap from last year, when the University made its debut and achieved one gold and two silver medals.

Some of the projects Lingnan exhibited concerned intelligent transportation, next-generation energy batteries, and transformative education. The two projects awarded Gold Medals include “Smarter Traffic, Safer Roads: AIoT and Real-Time GeoAI Innovations for Urban Transport”, led by Prof Paulina Wong Pui-yun, Head and Associate Professor (Presidential Early Career Scholar) of the Science Unit, which tackles road congestion and improves road safety in Hong Kong; and “CREW: Intelligent Wheelchair Control System”, led by Prof Albert Ko Wing-yin, Director of the Office of Service-Learning and the Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative (LEI), which provides electric-assist functionality to traditional manual wheelchairs and is designed specifically to support caregivers.

The project “SmartCool: AI-powered Building Cooling Load Forecasting and Optimisation System”, led by Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, together with a team of scholars and PhD students, was also awarded a Silver Medal. President Qin said he is greatly encouraged by the University's achievements, and congratulated all the award-winning academics. He added, “This year's award-winning projects from Lingnan focus largely on advancing smart-city development and leveraging AI technology to enhance learning effectiveness. Some of these research outcomes have already been adopted through collaborations with various organisations, successfully translating innovations into real-life applications that benefit society. Lingnan will continue to cultivate well-rounded, research-oriented liberal arts talents, promote high-quality interdisciplinary research, and strengthen collaboration between academia, industry and the research sector. This aligns with the direction of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to integrate AI thoroughly across sectors and supports the development of Hong Kong's AI industry from upstream research to real-world applications.”

Other research projects that won Silver Medals include the “Ultra-Safe, High-Energy Solid Lithium Battery for High-Performance Applications”, developed by the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies; “CineSim: Interactive Cinematography Lab”, developed by the Department of Digital Arts and Creative Industries (DACI); and “Incuvia: Modular Portable Foldable Affordable Baby Incubator”, developed by the Office of Service-Learning and the Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative.

The Bronze Medal-winning research projects include “Generative AI Assessment System (GAAS): Fast Feedback for Student Assignment” and “IDEAL-Gen.AI: Instructional Design Enhanced Active Learning through Generative Artificial Intelligence”, both developed by the Teaching and Learning Centre, as well as “TransLab: AI-powered Translation Learning and Evaluation Suite” developed by the Department of Translation.

Held on 4 and 5 December, the 5th AEII is Asia's annual exhibition and competition dedicated exclusively to innovations and inventions from Asia. Hosted in Hong Kong in partnership with Palexpo, the organiser of the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, the event promotes knowledge exchange and cooperation between regions and establishes closer partnerships. This year's exhibition showcased many groundbreaking inventions and solutions by experts and inventors from all over the world, reflecting the vibrant, international, and innovative culture that continues to develop.

List of winning projects and descriptions:

Awards	Gold Medal
Project Title	Smarter Traffic, Safer Roads: AIoT and Real-Time GeoAI Innovations for Urban Transport
Winning Lingnan Faculty and Staff	Prof Paulina Wong Pui-yun, Head and Associate Professor (Presidential Early Career Scholar) of the Science Unit
Project Description	This system is designed to tackle road congestion and improve road safety in Hong Kong. It combines AIoT hardware, cloud-based software platforms, and a GeoAI model to process and analyse dynamic traffic data as well as forecast traffic conditions for the next hour. At the core of the solution are two actionable outputs: the Traffic Congestion Index (TCI) and the Traffic Accident Risk Index (TARI). These indices provide near-real-time information to drivers and fleet managers on future road conditions and give higher-risk driving contexts, helping to improve safety, fleet management, and traffic congestion. The project is funded by the Smart Traffic Fund (Project Ref: PSRI/56/2212/PR), and is currently being trialled on about 150 minibuses in Hong Kong.

Awards	Gold Medal
Project Title	CREW: Intelligent Wheelchair Control System
Winning Lingnan Faculty and Staff	Prof Albert Ko Wing-yin, Director of the Office of Service-Learning and the Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative
Project Description	The CREW is designed for carers, and involves fitting a traditional manual wheelchair with electric assistance to reduce the physical effort required to push it. The system is installed on the wheelchair handles, which detect the magnitude and direction of the force applied by the carer's hands. It then determines whether to move forward or brake, providing a stable and smooth intelligent assist, which greatly reduces both the physical demand on the carer and the risk of injury when pushing the wheelchair on complex terrain such as slopes, making the process of caring for the elderly easier, safer, and more dignified.

Awards	Silver Medal
Project Title	SmartCool: AI-powered Building Cooling Load Forecasting and Optimisation System
Winning Lingnan Faculty and Staff	· Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University · Prof Mo Yanfang, Assistant Professor of the Division of Industrial Data Science of the School of Data Science · Dr Liu Yiren, Postdoctoral Fellow of the Division of Industrial Data Science of the School of Data Science · Mr Li Jicheng, PhD student from the School of Data Science · Mr Zhu Zhongxi, PhD student from the School of Data Science
Project Description	SmartCool is an advanced, AI-driven monitoring platform designed to predict a building's cooling load accurately, thereby mitigating the common urban issue of excessive cooling. The platform monitors a building's real-time data continuously, and forecasts air conditioning demand under various practical conditions. It automatically adjusts the operation of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, leading to significant energy cost savings for buildings such as shopping malls. The project recently won the Gold Award at the Global AI Challenge for Building E&M Facilities 2025, and the technology has already been tested successfully in commercial buildings in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

Awards	Silver Medal
Project Title	Ultra-Safe, High-Energy Solid Lithium Battery for High-Performance Applications
Winning Lingnan Faculty and Staff	· Prof Chen Ze, Assistant Professor of the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies · Prof Guo Ying, Assistant Professor of the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies
Project Description	The invention is a high-performance, solid-state lithium battery that offers increased safety and lifespan. Thanks to its exceptional electrochemical stability, the battery operates effectively across wide voltage ranges, which enables the use of high-voltage electrode materials, and maximises energy density. It is suitable for demanding, high-performance applications such as UAVs, EVs, and Grid-Scale Energy Storage, successfully combining high energy density, safety, and longevity for mission-critical use cases. The research team has successfully developed a series of ultra-safe, solid-state battery prototypes with the highest energy density exceeding 500 Wh/kg. This advancement accelerates the commercialisation of solid-state batteries significantly, and offers a more reliable solution for global energy storage.

Awards	Silver Medal
Project Title	CineSim: Interactive Cinematography Lab
Winning Lingnan Faculty and Staff	Dr Tobby Kan Shiu-tao, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Digital Arts and Creative Industries
Project Description	CineSim is a revolutionary 3D cinematography simulation educational software designed for film students and industry professionals. By integrating VR technology, it enables users to immerse themselves in a virtual film set in order to practise essential filmmaking skills such as cinematography, lighting, camera movement, and storyboarding, overcoming the constraints of physical equipment and locations while fostering creativity, understanding, and technical proficiency. The full desktop version of CineSim has been released to the public on the Steam platform, and the VR version has been tested internally and will be released in the second quarter of 2026.

Awards	Silver Medal
Project Title	Incuvia: Modular portable foldable affordable baby incubator
Winning Lingnan Faculty and Staff	· Prof Albert Ko, Director of the Office of Service-Learning and the Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative · Dr Nicole Lee Man-ying, Associate Programme Director of the Office of Service-Learning and the Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative · Mr Adrian Lo Chun-kwong, Product Design Lead of the Office of Service-Learning · Mr Edward Lam Chi-yin, Senior Design Engineer of the Office of Service-Learning · Mr Martin Cheung Chun-hei, Project Engineer of the Office of Service-Learning
Project Description	Incuvia is a foldable, portable, and low-cost infant warming device designed for underdeveloped nations and remote, impoverished regions. It provides a safe, warm, and hygienic environment for premature babies, and key features include: · Portable design with clear monitoring – Transparent, foldable incubation chamber · Rapid, tool-free assembly – Can be set up within minutes without tools · Modular, low-cost design – Core components feature plug-and-play design · Sustainable and reliable power supply – Uses a 12V system compatible with both batteries and solar energy. The incubator has undergone field testing in the Philippines, which proves its adaptability in real-world conditions.

Awards	Bronze Medal
Project Title	Generative AI Assessment System (GAAS): Fast Feedback for Student Assignment
Winning Lingnan Faculty and Staff	· Prof Frankie Lam King-sun, Director of the Teaching and Learning Centre · Dr Rosiah Ho Wing, Project Consultant of the Teaching and Learning Centre
Project Description	GAAS is an innovative, student-centric teaching tool, where generative AI technology provides students with immediate and targeted feedback, thereby improving learning outcomes and experience for a variety of assignments, including Capstone projects and Service-Learning initiatives. This system is also designed to address the evolving pedagogical needs of the AI era, assisting teaching staff to optimise assessment design. The prototype platform was piloted across 11 core and cluster courses at Lingnan University. Positive feedback from pilot users showed a satisfaction rate of over 80%, highlighting efficiency and accuracy.

Awards	Bronze Medal
Project Title	IDEAL-Gen.AI: Instructional Design Enhanced Active Learning through Generative Artificial Intelligence
Winning Lingnan Faculty and Staff	Dr Ronnie H. Shroff, Principal Project Fellow of the Teaching and Learning Centre
Project Description	The IDEAL-Gen.AI platform uses Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) and Large Language Model technologies to assist educators in creating personalised teaching activities, lesson plans, and assessment tools easily and quickly for various subjects, academic levels, and class sizes, so as to strengthen both teaching methodologies and student learning outcomes. The platform has expanded to offer a Chinese version and is open for trial use.

Awards	Bronze Medal
Project Title	TransLab: AI-powered Translation Learning and Evaluation Suite
Winning Lingnan Faculty and Staff	Prof George Chan Chi-yu, Assistant Professor of Practice of the Department of Translation
Project Description	TransLab is an AI‑powered translation, learning, and evaluation platform that integrates teaching methodologies and task design to embed AI technology into translation education, creating a complete cycle where learning and evaluation reinforce each other. The platform reduces learners' over-reliance on instant translation tools, while enhancing the quality and efficiency of assessment. Its key components are: · Transmuse (Learner Module): A structured, dual‑phase workflow that guides students from deep text comprehension to conscious text refinement, laying the path for skill growth. · TransEval AI (Instructor Module): Analyses translations through multiple criteria, highlighting error types and their causes, and provides specific, context-aware suggestions for improvement. The prototype platform is now undergoing trial use in the Department of Translation at Lingnan University.