ASTRI's Innovative Smart Mobility Technologies Shine at Autumn Electronics Fair

HONG KONG, Oct. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) is showcasing smart mobility technologies, including cutting-edge Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) technologies aim at enhancing autonomous driving safety, at the 44^th HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition), running from 13-16 October at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).

The exhibition, drawing thousands of buyers and industry professionals from home and abroad, is one of the world's premier electronics marketplaces, fostering industry exchange and collaboration.  Participation at this annual flagship event would help promote ASTRI's connected autonomous vehicles technology, bringing homegrown innovation to the global arena, and reinforcing Hong Kong's status as a leading international innovation and technology hub.

With smart mobility taking centre stage at this year's Electronics Fair, ASTRI hosted a seminar today titled "Navigating Tomorrow: How Connected Autonomous Vehicles Reshape Industries", where industry leaders shared insights into the future of autonomous driving, including market potential and associated challenges.

ASTRI's Chief Operating Officer Ir Chris Chong said at the seminar that autonomous vehicle (AV) technology mitigates human error and driving misconduct, thereby enhancing road safety. He added that the city's autonomous driving technology is progressing in tandem with global developments. In alignment with the government's initiative to further advance driverless technologies, ASTRI plans several autonomous bus trial runs at different locations in Hong Kong next year.

Other seminar speakers include Mr Kenny Chan, Chief Director, Innovative Mind, ASTRI; Dr Weisong Wen, Assistant Professor, Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering, and Team Member of Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Mr Richard Lee, Functional Manager, CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing and CUHK Institute of Health Equity; Ms Doris Leung, Founder and CEO, Diamond Cab (Hong Kong) Limited; Mr Jojo Xu, CEO and Co-founder, Libpet Tech Ltd; and Mr Falcon Chan, Partner, Strategy, Risk & Transactions, Deloitte China.

ASTRI's booth is located at HKCEC's Convention Hall Foyer [booth number: CH-J04], and the smart mobility technologies on display at the fair are:

1.    Smart Mobility Management Platform

ASTRI's platform offers comprehensive fleet management, including vehicle status monitoring and dispatching. Seamlessly integrating connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV), it meets the evolving demands of future smart mobility. By combining V2X systems with traffic data from open sources and ASTRI's own deployments, the platform leverages AI to provide real-time insights, transforming urban mobility. These insights facilitate informed and cautious decision-making, enhancing the safety of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. 

2.    Pilot Project of Autonomous AIBus Operation on Public Road with Real Traffic

The pilot project funded by the Smart Traffic Fund is being trailled firstly on public roads in Hong Kong. Following the Code of Practice for Trial and Pilot Use of Autonomous Vehicles published on 1 March 2024. The West Kowloon Cultural District serves as the testbed, the total length of the route is tentatively scheduled to be approximately two kilometers. A road test with selected passengers is scheduled to be commenced in 2025, providing practical data for the future adoption of autonomous driving technology on public roads in Hong Kong.

3.    Privacy-Preserving Sensing System on Roadside Units (RSUs)

These systems collect environmental information while safeguarding personal privacy by processing data locally, without transmitting to cloud servers. This ensures real-time, low-power sensing capabilities, ideal for applications like smart home automation and robotics. This combination of data privacy and efficient sensing facilitates more secure and reliable technology integration into everyday life.

4.    Mid-Range and High-Precision Full-Dome Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) 

Utilising ASTRI-owned intellectual property, this LiDAR achieves high scanning accuracy at economical cost. Designed for medium-range, high-precision 3D sensing, it serves applications in building information modeling (BIM), security, intelligent logistics, and smart cities. The LiDAR enhances overall efficiency by generating detailed BIM models within seven minutes. Its integration with V2X technology advances smart mobility, detecting movements of road users in real-time, enhancing navigation capabilities of CAVs.

5.    Real-Time On-Train Intrusion Detection System  

This system, which is co-developed by MTR and ASTRI, offers real-time detection of unexpected objects within tunnels, using multi-sensing fusion technology. It identifies objects even in extremely low-light conditions, generating a 3D train envelope and providing instant alerts. This enhances railway safety and contributes valuable data for the development of Smart Railway.

Meanwhile, Dr Justin Chuang, Vice President, Communications Technologies, ASTRI spoke at the Symposium on Innovation & Technology, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Hong Kong Electronics and Technologies Association, where he discussed the role of wireless communications technologies in promoting digital twins and related applications.

About ASTRI

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2000 with the mission of enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness through applied research. ASTRI's core R&D competence in various areas is grouped under five Technology Divisions: Advanced Electronic Components and Systems; Artificial Intelligence and Trust Technologies; Communications Technologies; Innovative Mind, and IoT Sensing and AI Technologies. It is applied across six core areas which are Smart City, Financial Technologies, New-Industrialisation and Intelligent Manufacturing, Digital Health, Application Specific Integrated Circuits and Metaverse.

Over the years, ASTRI has nurtured a pool of research, I&T talents and received numerous international awards for its pioneering innovations as well as outstanding business and community contributions. ASTRI has transferred more than 1,500 technologies to the industry and has been granted over 1,100 patents in the Mainland, the United States, and other countries. For further information, please visit www.astri.org