Community Engagement
HSBC / HKUST Robotics For Youths Programme
HSBC / HKUST Robotics For Youths Programme (the Programme) includes:
- Underwater Robot Competition
- iSTEAM Public Engagement Activities
- iSTEAM Mentoring Team
- iSTEAM Impact Measurement
- STEAM Qualification Framework Development
The Programme will serve students from diverse backgrounds. We aim to boost their confidence and to bring about a harmonic and positive effect on society as a whole. We will make good use of participants’ feedback and evaluation to measure the impact of iSTEAM. Collaborating with other tertiary institutions, we will also empower tertiary students to put 21st century skills into practice through the Programme.
We believe that this Programme can ignite students’ interest in learning science, mathematics & engineering and inspire more to become scientists and engineers as well as their empathy for others who have special needs.
The Underwater Robot Competition is one of the main activities under the HSBC / HKUST Robotics For Youths Programme. Sponsored by HSBC, the Programme offers a unique platform for iSTEAM (Inclusion, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) education over three consecutive academic years (2017-2020). The Programme will engage over 250 tertiary students to lead more than 5,500 students (from P.4 to S.3, including those with Special Educational Needs (SEN), disabilities, the underprivileged and ethnic minorities) and teachers to take part in this experiential learning and community engagement initiative.
App for Hearing-impaired Children
Prof. Albert WONG, Prof. Tim WOO and Mr. Kobe LAM (Research Assistant) of ECE have developed the “Auditory and Speech Training App” for hearing-impaired children, which revolutionized existing paper-based auditory training tools with Android-based mobile app technologies. This mobile app facilitates convenient home training and provides better support to parents and teachers. The performance of children can be sent to therapists to evaluate their learning progress, and the parents or children can also share their improvement progress in social media networks.
The app received Gold Award in the Web Accessibility Recognition Scheme 2014 & 2015.
Android App for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
Three Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) students and Dr. Jogesh K. MUPPALA volunteered their free time to implement an Android App for Médecins Sans Frontières Hong Kong (無國界醫生). The app was designed to help MSF with their awareness raising and fundraising efforts. The app, featuring support for English, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, enables users to access the latest field news, photos and videos of MSF, as well as frontline sharing of MSF field workers. It is available for free from the Google Play store.
Braille Embosser
The Braille Embosser created by two 2010 graduates from the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering has significantly reduced the cost of printing and raised the efficiency of turning text into Braille. The innovative and user-friendly tool for the visually-challenged has won numerous engineering design awards locally and internationally.
- Best Innovation & Research (College & Undergraduates) Gold Award in Hong Kong ICT Awards 2011
- Best Innovation & Research Award Certificate of Merit (College & Undergraduates) - Best Commercial Value & Best Social Responsibility in Hong Kong ICT Awards 2011
- Gold Award and Most Innovative Award in the 2010 Amway Pan-Pearl River Delta Region Universities IT Project Competition
- Merit Award in the 10th International Asia Pacific ICT Alliance Awards 2010
Embedded Cognitive Therapy in Digital Photo Frame
Created by three 2009 graduates from the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, this invention has built in a set of games involving daily-life images with the aim of enhancing the cognitive power of the elderly. The project has won the following awards in open competitions.
- Most Creative Award in the 2008-09 Hong Kong Youth Design Competition
- Excellency Award and Most Creative Award in Samsung Joint Universities Creative Technology Talents Awards 2008