HONG KONG, Dec. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) has won two honours at the Hong Kong Awards for Industries (HKAI) 2017. The presentation ceremony, which Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR, officiated, took place on 18 December 2017. A total of 67 projects -- chosen from among 233 initial nominations -- were honoured in the seven categories of HKAI 2017. ASTRI received the 'Equipment and Machinery Design Award' and the 'Technological Achievement Certificate of Merit', respectively for its '3D Vision System for Quality Inspection and Robot Guidance' and 'End-to-end LTE system for value-added and mission-critical communications' projects.
ASTRI also received two honours in the recently announced Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards 2017. Held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 10 December 2017, the prestigious APICTA Awards recognised ASTRI's 'Communication-based Train Control (CBTC) System' with the Top Award in the Communication category, and the 'Smart Water IoT System' with a Merit Award in the Industry Application category. At the event, Ir Allen Yeung Tak-bun, Hong Kong's Government Chief Information Officer joined Bangladesh's Finance Minister and State Minister for ICT, senior Government officials and ICT leaders from across the region. The APICTA Awards, one of the most prestigious international awards programmes in Asia Pacific, have been organised since 2001 by an alliance of 17 economies in Asia. Hong Kong was the biggest winner in this edition of the APICTA Awards with four main awards and five merit awards. The nine APICTA awards won by Hong Kong, which include two won by ASTRI, speak for the SAR's collective endeavour to promote innovation and technology as a means of ensuring long term growth and prosperity.
ASTRI's winning projects in the HKAI 2017
The ASTRI project winning the Equipment and Machinery Design Award uses 3D computer vision with custom-made optical projectors and a unique coded-phase-shift algorithm to deliver fast and extremely accurate 3D imaging of objects, even in the presence of shadows and reflections. With high-resolution imaging and modelling capability, the system offers effective and cost-optimised solutions for automated quality inspections and robotic guidance processes.
ASTRI's End-to-end LTE system for value-added and mission-critical communications, that received a Technological Achievement Certificate of Merit, delivers fast, reliable and low-latency communications to strengthen railway signalling, public protection, disaster relief and many other mission-critical communications.
ASTRI's winning projects in the APICTA Awards 2017
ASTRI's CBTC System won the Top Awards in the Communication category. It is a commercial-grade TD-LTE-based railway signalling system. It has already been deployed at the recently opened Wuhan Metro Line 6, making it the first subway signalling system in China using LTE technologies. The system significantly improves the safety, reliability and efficiency of mass transit rail operations. Compared to traditional Wi-Fi-based railway communication systems, ASTRI's innovative CBTC system reduces signal interference and shortens the signal communication between trains and the control centre. It has a wide-range of applicability including in public safety, disaster relief and other value-added services.
ASTRI's Smart Water IoT System won a Merit Award in the Industry Application category. ASTRI's Smart Water IoT System monitors water systems in real-time, facilitates data analysis, supports user enquiry, and allows timely access to water quality information. Designed to detect water leakage and improve overall usage efficiency, the System has been successfully deployed in four provinces in Mainland China, and is currently being trialled by Hong Kong's Water Supplies Department.
ASTRI remains committed to pursuing innovative R&D for Hong Kong and the region
ASTRI strives to develop and commercialise leading-edge technological solutions for industries and the community. Commenting on the recognition from HKAI and APICTA, Dr MeiKei Ieong, ASTRI's Chief Technology Officer, said, "By complementing our innovative R&D expertise with strong collaboration with the industry, ASTRI continues to attain many breakthroughs in developing intelligent technology solutions that make a difference to Hong Kong's economy and its people. We remain steadfast in our commitment to pursue the most sophisticated next generation network and intelligent manufacturing technologies -- contributing to Hong Kong's smart city development and the economic progress of our region."
About ASTRI
Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI) was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2000 with the mission of enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness in technology-based industries through applied research. ASTRI's core R&D competences in various areas are organised under seven Technology Divisions, namely Communications Technologies, Electronics Components, Mixed Signal Systems IC, Advanced Digital Systems, Opto-electronics, Security and Data Sciences, and Intelligent Software and Systems. Five areas of applications including financial technologies, intelligent manufacturing, next generation network, health technologies, and smart city are identified for major pursuit. For further information about ASTRI, please visit www.astri.org.
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