Before you read:
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Two of the three winning student teams from last year’s Hong Kong Science Fair won bronze at the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva in Switzerland.
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This year’s Hong Kong Science Fair, centred on the theme “Think Big, Be Innovative,” will be held from June 8 to 9.
Think about it: Of the three inventions mentioned in this news story, which one do you find to be the most useful? Explain how it addresses an urgent need in Hong Kong and around the world.
Two student teams from Hong Kong won bronze awards at the prestigious Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions in Switzerland this April.
One was a group of four primary pupils from C&MA Chui Chak Lam Memorial School, who presented their “AI Guardian” project for dementia patients. The other was a team of four secondary school students from Bishop Hall Jubilee School who invented a floating greenhouse called “Plantis” to address the food crisis. They presented their projects alongside inventors from 40 different countries and regions. A team from St Stephen’s Girls’ College also participated in the event.
“We were thrilled and over the moon to step out from Hong Kong to Switzerland; it’s a rare opportunity to participate in a global event,” said Chung Pui-ching, 13, from the primary school team.
The students from Bishop Hall Jubilee School also expressed their gratitude for being present on an international stage.
“The biggest takeaway from this experience is to be confident in your idea. STEAM is not about showcasing your knowledge or the technology behind it, but how it can address real-life problems and benefit others,” said Suen Simeon Wan-to, 17.
The three teams were selected to go to Geneva after winning gold at last year’s Hong Kong Science Fair.
Inspired to invent
The primary school pupils said their idea stemmed from one team member’s experience caring for her grandmother with dementia. During their research, they found that one in every 10 Hongkongers aged 70 or older suffers from a neurodegenerative disease.
Considering the challenges that dementia patients face in recognising people, the team utilised facial recognition technology to invent the “AI Guardian,” a system installed at the doorstep to identify visitors.
“First, families and friends need to register their photos and a short voice memo introducing themselves,” explained the team, aged 11 to 13.
“When there are visitors, the camera outside can recognise their identities and play the photo and voice recordings on an iPad inside the home for the elderly user. If the system detects a stranger, it will display a warning and send a notification to the elderly person’s family members.”
The team hopes this system can help both dementia patients and other elderly people living alone.
Meanwhile, the secondary school team focused on environmental issues with their floating greenhouse.
During the pandemic, they noticed how Hong Kong suffered from a shortage of fresh food as the border with mainland China closed. With limited cultivated land in the city, the team of Form Five students created a greenhouse meant to float in the sea called “Plantis”.
The greenhouse is powered by solar panels and equipped with a seawater desalination distillation device and a rainwater collection system. “We also installed windshields to protect the greenhouse from extreme weather,” said the students.
“Additionally, multiple sensor systems detect temperature, humidity, and other environmental conditions. We hope this product can make use of the sea space to grow vegetables and ensure a sustainable food supply.”
Students from St Stephen’s Girls’ College presented an idea to tackle the problem of overpackaging in online shopping by creating a reusable box with recyclable materials. The “Boxer Saver” is made from durable cardboard and sprayed with an antibacterial coating after use to maintain hygiene. Inside the box, an inflatable bubble cushioning wrap protects the items during transport.
After collecting the product, customers can unfold the box and scan the bar code to return it at the nearest participating shop. “[According to] our testing, the cardboard can be reused more than 20 times, while the bubble wrap inside can be used hundreds of times, and both items are recyclable,” explained Yau Wing-yee, a 16-year-old student.
She added: “This experience has improved my design thinking and problem-solving skills. Since not everyone could speak English at the Switzerland event, we learned to adapt to different situations and even made a demonstration video to better present our idea.”
Thinking big
Students interested in STEAM can attend this year’s Hong Kong Science Fair, which will take place from June 8 to 9 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
More than 1,400 students and teachers representing 130 local primary and secondary schools submitted around 330 projects to this year’s fair, which was themed “Think Big, Be Innovative.”
The 120 finalist teams will present their projects at the event, focusing on four main categories: “Smart City & Smart Home”, “Medical & Healthcare”, “Sustainability”, and “Education”. Additionally, there will be six interactive zones for the public to join. The event is now open for online registration and is free to attend.