As technology continues to advance rapidly, it has become an integral part of our daily lives. The Indra and Harry Banga Gallery of City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) presents its latest exhibition titled “Prototyping:”, which blends innovative technology and art. The exhibition connects CityUHK experts including College of Science (CSCI)’s research talents and local artists, showcasing 23 technological inventions presented through artistic mediums.
The exhibition features four immersive scenarios: Garden, Kitchen, Living Room and Bedroom. It showcases prototypes of future living shaped by innovation, inviting the community to experience how technological developments are transforming our urban lifestyles through rich immersive experiences and unique innovative exhibits.
Garden
Upon entering the Gallery, visitors are greeted by the Garden scenario. This greenhouse-like space features inventions such as polygonal ecological seawalls, artificial mussels and i2Film, an energy-free cooling material.
The polygonal ecological seawalls were developed by a team led by Associate Dean of CSCI, Professor Kenneth Leung Mei-yee, also the Director of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Health and Chair Professor of the Department of Chemistry. The seawalls are coastal structures designed with eco-engineering principles to reduce wave impact while providing habitats for marine life. Featuring biomimetic surfaces and textured cavities, these polygonal units encourage the growth of algae, molluscs and fish, restoring ecological balance and aesthetic harmony along urban shorelines.
Kitchen
Next, visitors enter the Kitchen. This space is designed like an Omakase restaurant, with inventions such as smart sponges resembling small tofu bricks, dual colour 3D-printed porcelain bowls, and a Syngular Mixed Reality Platform placed on the bar.
The smart sponge, invented by a team led by Professor Vincent Ko Chi-chiu of the Department of Chemistry, is a biodegradable, photochemically modified material that is superhydrophobic and oleophilic. It selectively absorbs oil while repelling water, and can be reused by simply squeezing, enabling efficient oil recovery in aquaculture, waste-oil treatment and oil spill clean-up. It won a silver medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.
Living Room
The Living Room scenario invites visitors to sit in a space resembling a living room, featuring inventions including a lighting fixture incorporating new-generation thin-film solar cells, tablecloths using smart food labelling technology, and Cloud Rock I, which blends natural eroded stones with stainless steel 3D printing technology.
The new-generation thin-film solar cells, including perovskite-organic thin-film technology, are the creation of a team led by Professor Alex Jen Kwan-yue, Lee Shau Kee Chair Professor of Materials Science from the Department of Chemistry. With superior mechanical flexibility and adjustable optical properties, this new type of solar cells can generate electricity under weak indoor light, and collect the surrounding lighting for electricity generation.
The exhibition, jointly curated by the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery and CityUHK’s Academy of Innovation, features exhibit invented by experts and scholars from numerous CityUHK faculties and State Key Laboratories. The exhibition will run until 26 April at the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery.
This article originated from CityUHK News Centre.