Smart Living@Science Park features new theme – IoT Smart Home living ushers in the Big Data era aiding development of the Smart City

(Hong Kong, 7 April 2016) - The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation ("HKSTP") has been keen in driving development of the local technology innovation ecosystem and helping the public understand science and technology and how they are related to their daily life. Timed to coincide with the first forum of APAC Innovation Summit 2016 Series - Internet of Things, Smart Living@Science Park exhibition unveils a new theme today with the spotlight also IoT technologies. The exhibition features more than 50 IoT technologies and solutions in four areas, namely health monitoring, home security and better living quality, home automation, and high-tech entertainment, showing how daily life data can be used to improve people’s quality of life.

Hong Kong is ready to become a Smart City

Hong Kong is among cities boasting the highest communication connectivity in the world with 83% of her homes having broadband access, a 227% smartphone penetration rate, and more than  39,750 WIFI access points all over the city, arming her with what it takes to drive the application of IoT technologies. On the personal and home front, appliances such as mobile phones, lighting systems, water machines, weight analysers and even closets are now capable of collecting and analysing users’ data and “communicating” with each other to exchange those data, setting the stage for people to enjoy higher quality of living.  Furthermore, Smart Home life presents useful data that can support IoT technology development and take Hong Kong closer yet to becoming a Smart City.

Highlights of the exhibition included:

1. Augmented Reality Wardrobe – an interactive virtual dressing closet that makes mix and match of clothes easy and fun. When connected with the Internet the closet will  recommend the most fashionable attires to the user based on information gathered about his or her preferences; 
2. FaceMust Access – an intelligent security system that employs high precision face recognition technology, with a built-in reader it performs double authentication, and it also supports  exchange over a video phone, hence allows close to real time authentication of identity by the user. It is contactless, fast and accurate; 
3. Smart First Aid Box – it has a transparent LCD display and automatic notification and interactive monitoring capabilities to help the user manage his or her health needs at home;
4. ActivHearts™ – a prize-winning patented technology that captures the user’s biometric information through an earphone and relays those data to the corresponding smartphone app giving the user accurate and up-to-date information about his body when he is exercising. 

Popular Smart Living@Science Park exhibition prides win-win results – spotlighting local innovators and helping the public understand the significance of science and technology

Since its launch December last year, the Smart Living@Science Park exhibition has brought more than 13,000 visitors to Science Park, allowing them to understand the practical applications of technologies in the home.  At the same time, the initiative has provided relevant industries the opportunity to get to know local innovators and their inventions, which resulted in a number of collaboration projects, helping the development of the local technology and innovation ecosystem.

Allen Ma, Chief Executive Officer of HKSTP, said, “We, at the Hong Kong Science Park, are dedicated to  nurturing passionate technopreneurs helping them turn new ideas into reality and pursue related research by providing them with state-of-the art facilities and comprehensive value-added services. At the Smart Living@Science Park exhibitions, visitors can see the outstanding works of those in the local technology and innovation ecosystem. Using easy to understand presentation, they let Hong Kong people appreciate the innovative capabilities of the city and also encourage more people to become a part of this thriving ecosystem and turn Hong Kong into a diverse economy.   HKSTP has plans to expand Hong Kong Science Park further and revisit its Industrial Estates development so that it may accelerate the development of advanced manufacturing where “Invented in Hong Kong”, “Designed in Hong Kong” and “Made in Hong Kong” are at its heart. The city needs to apply IoT technologies in the personal and social development context and the talent to do it. It is my hope that this latest exhibition will help increase our understanding of IoT technologies and prepare us for smart living and the emergence of a new economy driven by innovation.”

The Smart Living@Science Park Phase 2 exhibition opens daily from 09:30 to 17:30 starting today. Details of the exhibits are in the Appendix attached.