In a nook of a college in Hong Kong, a machine quietly swallows and processes meals waste that folks throw into it, making it simpler to transform the waste into power.
The Meals TranSmarter takes just one to 2 hours to routinely liquefy meals waste into slurry at supply through the use of a mixture of mechanical and organic processes.
This may then be successfully delivered by vacuum tankers to centralised remedy amenities for recycling and conversion into power.
The waste-to-energy effort, now on trial on the Chinese language College of Hong Kong, was the brainchild of the group of Dr Anthony Ma.
Dr Ma stated that in creating the machine, lots of the hassle went into ensuring there can be no odour or waste leakage, whereas additionally maintaining manpower, logistics prices and carbon emissions low.
He envisions that in the future, the Meals TranSmarter might be arrange in residential areas so that every family can recycle its personal waste simply and contribute on to the town’s waste-to-energy efforts.
Spurring creativity in creating real-world options
The Meals TranSmarter was not too long ago topped a champion for environmental sustainability within the open group of the inaugural Hong Kong Metropolis I&T Grand Problem.
Organised by the Innovation and Know-how Fee and the Hong Kong Science and Know-how Parks Company (HKSTP), the competitors invited all sectors of the group to place ahead innovation and know-how (I&T) options to deal with issues dealing with the town and folks of their each day lives.
This yr, the main target was on two points – environmental sustainability and social connectivity. The occasion hoped to encourage the event of options that might make Hong Kong safer, extra environment friendly, related and sustainable.
The problem was cut up into 4 classes for the general public, tertiary establishments, secondary faculties and first faculties.
Greater than 740 submissions have been acquired from over 1,250 contestants, with 120 shortlisted to enter the Grand Pitch on Oct 15. Winners have been introduced after the Finale at Hong Kong Science Park on Oct 16.
They have been chosen by a judging panel consisting of 9 representatives from the federal government, business, and tutorial and analysis sectors.
A snapshot of important well being indicators
One winner within the college/tertiary institute group was PanopticAI, a start-up that goals to utilize photographic photographs to assist docs and healthcare suppliers remotely monitor sufferers’ important indicators and ship higher care.
Its know-how gives customers with a holistic evaluation of their well being just by utilizing the digicam on their smartphone, pill or pc to take photos of elements of their physique.
Whereas the start-up has been integrated for under a couple of yr, the group has been doing analysis in synthetic intelligence (AI) pc imaginative and prescient and superior sign processing for a very long time.
The inspiration for the successful answer got here from analysis on utilizing cameras for distant physiological measurement, which is an rising subject on the Hong Kong College of Science and Know-how.
Previous to this, PanopticAI had efficiently deployed its proprietary AI temperature screening know-how at numerous border factors, authorities amenities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nonetheless, temperature is just one of many important indicators and the group’s analysis has proven that there’s different essential physiological data corresponding to coronary heart price, respiration price, oxygen saturation and coronary heart price variability that may be detected by merely utilizing a consumer-level digicam as an alternative of a sensor that’s primarily based on contact.
“Correct measurement of those core important indicators can allow additional diagnostic capabilities corresponding to fever, stress, cardiac and respiratory dangers, and extra,” stated Mr Kyle Wong, the chief government officer of PanopticAI.
Whereas the know-how was aimed toward pandemic management, it has many real-world functions, corresponding to telemedicine, aged and neonatal care, autonomous autos, wellness and psychological well being, and insurance coverage, he added.
Serving to innovators carry concepts to fruition
Along with money prizes and trophies, winners of the Hong Kong Metropolis I&T Grand Problem’s college/tertiary institute and open group classes might be given monetary assist for analysis and improvement.
Ms Rebecca Pun, Commissioner for Innovation and Know-how of HKSAR Authorities, stated these winners will obtain assist from account managers and mentors after they subsequently enter the trial and adoption section.
They can even be supplied with coaching and might be sponsored for the prototype manufacturing for trial runs in authorities departments or public organisations, she added.
Dr Sunny Chai, chairman of the board of administrators of the HKSTP, stated: “HKSTP firmly believes attracting and nurturing I&T skills are essential for supporting the event of Hong Kong right into a world’s main I&T hub, and we have now been striving to supply alternatives to native kids who aspire to develop into our future I&T leaders by leveraging the strengths of our mixed community of presidency, business, tutorial and analysis companions.
“The Hong Kong Metropolis I&T Grand Problem is a good instance of our partnership with the federal government and has confirmed to be an efficient and inspirational showcase of our rising I&T skills.”
Certainly, the successful entries displayed potential, with artistic concepts on methods to remedy on a regular basis points within the metropolis and will make an actual distinction to the standard of lifetime of residents.
Dr Ma, who’s behind the meals waste recycling challenge, stated his group wished to discover a answer for gathering home meals waste.
“We want that this modern know-how answer can deal with the meals waste bottlenecks in Hong Kong,” he defined.
For PanopticAI’s Mr Wong, getting ready for this yr’s Hong Kong Metropolis I&T Grand Problem helped his group focus extra on the influence it may make.
“As engineers by coaching, we tend to be laser-focused on the technical elements of the know-how,” he famous. “This entry prompted us to stress the enterprise and social elements of our know-how.
“We don’t simply create a product, but in addition hope to create a health-conscious group the place residents can take management of their well being, merely with a smile.”
