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Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) is showcasing how well its researchers are able to leverage advanced technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) within the realms of humanities, creative arts, and environmental science. The university’s pavilion showcased its innovative transdisciplinary research, as well as its commitment to excellence in teaching and learning.
Under the patronage of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government’s Innovation and Technology Commission, the InnoCarnival 2023 aims to cultivate a culture of innovation and technology within the community. This year’s carnival is happening from 28th October to November 5th at the Hong Kong Science Park.
Distinguished guests, including the Secretary for Innovation, Technology, and Industry, and the Commissioner for Innovation and Technology of the HKSAR Government visited HKBU’s pavilion on the inaugural day of the Carnival.
The university’s top leadership, including its President and Vice-Chancellor, its Provost, the Interim Chief Innovation Officer, and the Acting Director of the Knowledge Transfer Office, all shared in HKBU’s remarkable research achievements with the government representatives.
In the domain of digital humanities, HKBU is showcasing its “electronic interactive historical map,” a remarkable integration of digital technologies with historical content. This map offers a unique perspective on the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941 by employing geographic information systems and firsthand data from various sources.
Through this interactive online map and database, viewers can explore troop movements, military structures, and even individual pillboxes and guns. This publicly accessible online resource breathes new life into historical studies, providing a dynamic user experience for educators, conservation professionals, and history enthusiasts.
HKBU has also developed AI-powered restoration technology that allows visitors to view historical photos of the Battle of Hong Kong in full colour. This technology is particularly adept at revitalising low-quality monochrome photos and videos, severely degraded 2D and 3D digital assets and old movies. Through AI, colourisation, enhancement, and even generation of missing content become feasible.
The university’s pavilion further highlights its pioneering research in the field of art-tech. “BuVatar” is an AI-powered digital avatar with customisable appearances and behaviours, driven by natural language commands, thereby eliminating the need for complex image manipulations in video generation. Visitors can experience the transformative power of AI in mapping body movements and human skeletal motion paths through direct linguistic data.
Additionally, visitors were invited to explore the domain of human-robot art creation through a real-time robotic system featuring a robotic arm equipped with a traditional Chinese ink brush. This system allows users to input data through various sensors, including a computer mouse, webcam, and heart-rate monitor, and transform it into a visual representation on paper, incorporating elements such as sound, music, and data.
Another captivating art-tech project, “Colours,” presented by a group of talented HKBU students, brings digital art to life. This project offers visitors an immersive experience through interactive art installations equipped with sensors and motion cameras.
In alignment with this year’s Carnival theme, “Go Smart! Go Tech! Go Green!” HKBU introduces two groundbreaking research projects focused on sustainable resource upcycling and regeneration. One of these breakthroughs involves the utilisation of a novel catalyst to facilitate the decomposition of plastic waste, converting it into combustible fuel with an impressive oil yield efficacy of over 90%. The other project centres on transforming organic residues into eco-friendly bioplastics using bacteria.
HKBU’s commitment to harnessing advanced technologies and artificial intelligence across diverse disciplines, fostering innovation, and sharing its remarkable achievements with the public is aligned with the region’s Chief Executive’s 2023 Policy Address.
OpenGov Asia reported that the annual policy vision aims to address critical challenges, bolster its economy, and enhance the well-being of its citizens. This ambitious blueprint encompasses a wide range of initiatives, from strengthening national security to promoting cultural development, supporting businesses, and investing in education and healthcare.
