07 IN FOCUS Novel light on disinfection A research team led by Prof. Ricky LEE, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has developed a closet that can kill . % of bacteria and viruses on an item or garments inside within one minute, by enhancing the e ciency of the ultraviolet (UVC) light-emitting diode (LED) disinfection technique. UVC is frequently used for disinfection in public and private facilities but the light source in current products is usually mercury lamps, which have a lower germicidal e ect, shorter lifespan and are bulkier than LED lights. The stacked silicon reflector, devised by Prof. Lee’s team, o ers a unique structure and optical design that has increased UVC output e ciency from % to %; and extended the sterilization distance by ve times to 6cm while also achieving uniform radiation. The prototypes of this UVC LED disinfection closet have been installed at three sites of Po Leung Kuk schools for public trial. Antimicrobial powerhouse Large-scale and long-term disinfection with the non-toxic smart antimicrobial sanitizer invented by Prof. YEUNG King-Lun, Chemical & Biological Engineering and Environment & Sustainability, continued to be widely applied in the community (see P for Prof. Yeung’s commendation). Assisted by an industrial partnership with Chiaphua Industries Ltd., Germagic coating has been sprayed in schools, transportation vehicles, subdivided households, community centers for the elderly, cinemas, and used by government departments, among others, since March . The coating, developed by Prof. Yeung over years of research, can inactivate up to . % of highly infectious viruses. Working with over NGOs since spring , the technology has bene ted over , low-income residents in Hong Kong by providing -day protection. Virtual reality learning Prof. Ben CHAN, Center for Engineering Education Innovation (E I), has steered the use of a number of cutting-edge teaching tools to assist educators and learners when in-person classes are di cult to hold or attend. One example is the development of a virtual reality recording system (see pictures below), using a motion capture system. This enables the instructor to record an experiment for students to carry out virtually, using goggles and controllers to follow the instructor’s lead. Another innovation is a “mixed reality classroom” that provides the instructor with a D stereoscopic display. A positioning system then tracks the instructor’s head movement to create the illusion that the teacher is immersed in the virtual environment. Since early , civil engineering students have also been able to don goggles (or use Google’s Cardboard virtual reality headset) to watch ° eld trips featuring an instructor on site, allowing viewers to feel that they are actually moving through the location along with the instructor. Instructor in the real world Instructor in VR Student in VR Instructor in VR Student’s point of view Instructor’s point of view c b a
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