The Award Presentation Ceremony for the "Innovative Application with AI" Innovation Competition, organised by the Smart Government Innovation Lab (Smart Lab) of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), was held today (March 15). The "Improving communications through generative sign language" project won the grand award, while the "AI Environmental Air Nuisance Investigation Robot Dog" project and the "Mass Deployment of Semantic Modelling using BIM, BIM-AM and iBMS" project won the first runner-up and the second runner-up respectively in the competition.
At the award presentation ceremony, the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, commended the contestant teams for submitting quality proposals that fully encompass the needs of their departments and innovative ideas. The proof-of-concept exercise conducted for the proposals in the past few months had not only provided opportunities for the local innovation and technology (I&T) industry to participate in, but also fostered a stronger vibe of I&T within the Government.
"Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a pivotal role in the latest wave of technology and the promotion of high-quality development, and will become an important engine for the development of new quality productive forces. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has always been encouraging departments to keep abreast of the times, and make good use of I&T in enhancing service standards and work efficiency for the convenience and benefit of the public and the business sector. This competition can thus grasp the latest technological development trends in the world and provide government departments with the opportunity to enhance their overall service standards by better utilising AI to empower public services," Professor Sun added.
In the competition, a total of 71 innovative proposals were received from 22 teams comprising personnel from different government departments. Ten proposals were shortlisted by a selection panel and then matched with technology solutions from the industry (including local start-ups) by the Smart Lab for a six-month proof-of-concept exercise. The judging panel selected the winners today after listening to the presentations of the 10 finalists on the progress and results of the proof-of-concept development. The results are as follows:
| Awards | Project Title (Departments to which team members belong) |
| Grand Award | Improving communications through generative sign language (Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, Census and Statistics Department ) |
| First runner-up | AI Environmental Air Nuisance Investigation Robot Dog (Environmental Protection Department) |
| Second runner-up | Mass Deployment of Semantic Modelling using BIM, BIM-AM and iBMS (Electrical and Mechanical Services Department) |
| Merit Awards (in random order) |
AI Drone Building External Wall Spalling/Water Seepage Detection System for Deteriorated Buildings in Hong Kong (Architectural Services Department) |
| AI-powered Long-range Video Analytics for Water Sports Activities (Electrical and Mechanical Services Department) |
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| Chatbot Kiosk for Police Foundation Training (Hong Kong Police Force) |
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| Intelligent Electro-optical Sensors (EOS) and Cameras Search System (Hong Kong Police Force) |
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| Intelligent Signboards Detection System (iSDS) (Buildings Department, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department) |
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| LiDAR-Based Fiducial Marker Positioning System (Civil Engineering and Development Department) |
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| Monitoring of Shoreline Cleanliness Using AI Image Recognition Technology (Environmental Protection Department) |
The winning solutions will be showcased in the Smart Hong Kong Pavilion at the InnoEX 2024 to be held from April 13 to 16 this year at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Details of the 10 shortlisted proposals are available on the theme page of the Smart Lab.
The "Innovative Application with AI" Innovation Competition is the highlight of the "Catch the Innovation" Campaign launched by the OGCIO last year. With an aim of promoting the adoption of AI technology by government departments to enhance public services, the campaign features a series of thematic seminars, workshops and technology forums to strengthen government personnel's know-how in applying innovative technologies including AI and stimulate their creativity, thus enabling various departments to develop more innovative and smart solutions to make Hong Kong a more efficient smart city.
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