The Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Alfred Sit, commended departments for their innovation and courage to break new ground at the Leading Towards Robotics Technologies Innovation Competition Award Presentation Ceremony organised by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) today (July 28). He added that new ideas and impetus injected into public services can benefit members of the public and promote the development of Smart Government.
Mr Sit said that the Government has all along been encouraging the use of innovation and technology to enhance public services and bring greater convenience and benefits to members of the public. With huge potential and wide applications, robotics technologies is one of the key research and development areas in Hong Kong. The competition embraced robotics technologies across a host of public services and arranged proof-of-concept testing for the proposals to expedite the adoption of technologies in various government departments.
"Field tests can greatly complement new technology solutions and make trials more effective. I encourage government departments and industry players to continue to make good use of the Smart Government Innovation Lab (Smart LAB) of the OGCIO and the E&M InnoPortal of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) to work on innovative solutions which can accelerate the development of Smart Government as well," Mr Sit added.
The Leading Towards Robotics Technologies Innovation Competition is organised by the Smart LAB of the OGCIO with the EMSD as the strategic advisor. A total of 38 innovative proposals were received from 13 government bureaux or departments. The Smart LAB then matched the 10 proposals shortlisted by the selection panel with the local technology industry for a six-month proof-of-concept development. The final judging panel selected the winners today after listening to the presentation of the 10 finalists on the progress and results of the proof-of-concept developments. The results are as follows:
| Awards | Department Project Title |
| Grand Award | Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Robotics-enabled public services on toilet bowl cleaning application |
| First runner-up | Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Application of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Technologies for Smart Warehouse |
| Second runner-up | Fire Services Department Setting up Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) for Fire and Emergency Services |
| Merit Awards (in random order) |
Highways Department AI inspection with airdrone for HyD Structures and public road surface |
| Information Services Department Emergency Drone Dispatch System (EDDS) at Hiking Trails |
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| Water Supplies Department Enhancement of the Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) System for Water Quality Monitoring at Impounding Reservoirs |
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| Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Integrated Smart Robot Assistant for Building IoT network |
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| Hong Kong Police Force Intelligent Traffic Enforcement Robot (ITER) |
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| Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Robotic cleaning and disinfection system with video analytics and robotic arm |
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| Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Robotic Steam Boiler Tube Cleaning & Inspection System |
The Government Chief Information Officer, Mr Victor Lam, said that the Smart LAB will promote the adoption of the winning solutions in the Government with a view to enhancing both the quality and efficiency of public services. It is hoped that members of the public can enjoy convenience and brand new experiences in public services brought by innovation and technology.
The winning solutions will be showcased in the Smart Government Pavilion at the International ICT Expo to be held in October this year at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Details of the 10 shortlisted proposals have been uploaded to the website of the Smart LAB www.smartlab.gov.hk.
The Leading Towards Robotics Technologies Innovation Competition is the highlight of the Catch the Innovation Campaign. With an aim of improving public services through the adoption of robotics technologies, a series of seminars and workshops were held to strengthen the robotics technology know-how of participants and to stimulate their creativity in enhancing the quality of the public services.
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