Scholars who have been pushing at boundaries were honoured in the University’s annual Excellence Awards, which for the first time included Innovator and Young Innovator Awards for researchers who develop inventions with high potential impact. THE INNOVATORS Cheap, Efficient Air and Water Filters to Protect Health Professor Tang Chuyang of the Department of Civil Engineering is the first recipient of the HKU Innovator Award, which was awarded in March 2021. He was honoured for his work in developing filter and membrane materials that remove harmful pollutants from water and air and are highly efficient and environmentally sustainable. Professor Tang’s patented water filter, for example, is super-permeable and operates on gravity so there is no need for electricity and chemicals, making it ideal for emergencies and disaster relief. The filter can instantly and nearly completely remove heavy metals, bacteria and many other contaminants from water, and can be fitted into compact portable devices, such as foldable cups and jugs. “After an earthquake or tsunami, there is often no reliable supply of clean water nor electricity. Our filter can deliver safe drinkable water in less than one minute – it is simple and reliable,” he said. Professor Tang has also developed a patented nanofibrous filter for use in reusable face masks in the wake of COVID-19, which removes a higher quantity of particulates compared with existing face masks. High-performance Mechanical Transmission for the Next Generation of Surgical Robots Dr Kwok Ka-wai of the Department of Mechanical Engineering has won the first HKU Young Innovator Award for his pioneering work on high-performance mechanical transmission applied to surgical robotics used in magnetic Conservation Forensics Target Illegal Wildlife Trade A team from the School of Biological Sciences won the HKU Knowledge Exchange Excellence Award for their contributions in helping track and prosecute illegal wildlife traders and increase protection for endangered animals. HKU Innovator Award Professor Tang Chuyang Department of Civil Engineering Dr Caroline Dingle (first from right) Dr David Baker (second from left) Dr Timothy Bonebrake (second from right) Professor David Dudgeon (first from left) School of Biological Sciences Members of the Conservation Forensics Lab, Ms Tracey Prigge (left) and Dr Astrid Andersson (right), processing samples for genetic analysis. Dr Kwok Ka-wai Department of Mechanical Engineering Using conservation forensics techniques such as barcoding, genomics, diet analysis, population genetics and trade network analysis, Dr Caroline Dingle, Dr David Baker, Dr Timothy Bonebrake and Professor David Dudgeon have helped uncover extensive criminal activities and supported successful prosecutions by providing authorities with accurate scientific data. For example, they developed applied stable isotope techniques to determine whether yellow-crested cockatoos available through the pet trade were bred in captivity or wild-caught – important work given there are fewer than 2,500 in the wild. The team’s work has also been used to increase protection of turtles, pangolins and fish under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the main bodies overseeing conservation of endangered flora and fauna. “We came together as a result of observations we were all having of the diversity of species in trade in source countries and here in Hong Kong. We realised we had an opportunity here to use our skillset to contribute evidence that would help combat this illegal trade,” Dr Dingle said. resonance imaging (MRI). The award honours scientists aged below 40. Dr Kwok’s innovation has been to overcome the challenges of surgery taking place over extended distances and within demanding environments such as the strong magnetic field of MRI machines, or through flexible endoscopic devices. He worked closely with medical doctors and industrial partners to develop robotic systems made of non-metal and specialised materials that run on hydraulic and / or wire-driven transmission. The robots are designed to be very precise in their positioning – something that is of paramount importance in surgery. “My research opens up a new dimension with new eyes to see through the body and organs and pinpoint specific sites for safer, more accurate and more effective positioning for robotic surgery,” he said. The robots can be operated from the MRI control room at a distance of 10 metres. Dr Kwok has built on his initial innovation to develop multiple ‘world-first’ prototypes for MRI-guided robots for intra-cardiac catherisation and bilateral stereotactic brain surgery and has received awards from international robotics societies and strong interest from industry. His work also extends to endoscopic surgery, where he has developed tiny robotic instruments that can manoeuvre within an endoscope tunnel that is less than 2.8 millimetres wide. HKU Young Innovator Award Knowledge Exchange Excellence Award Knowledge Exchange and Technology Transfer HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2021 36 | 37
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