HKPC's Smart Chinese Medicine Packaging System and IoT-compatible Toilet Cleaning System Recognised at “Hong Kong Business Technology Excellence Awards 2023”

(Hong Kong, 22 September 2023) The Hong Kong Productivity Council’s (HKPC) efforts to promote the application of smart manufacturing technology in traditional industries and robotics technology in property management have received recognition at the “Hong Kong Business Technology Excellence Awards 2023”. Two of its groundbreaking inventions, namely “Smart Pack@TCM” and “IoT Smart Toilet Cleaning System”, have been awarded in the categories of “Smart Technology-Manufacturing Technology” and “Robotics-Property Service” respectively.

Mr Mohamed BUTT, Executive Director of HKPC, said, “President Xi Jinping has recently emphasised the pressing need to integrate technological and innovative resources, drive the advancement of emerging and future industries, and expedite the establishment of new productivity. HKPC is committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and creating new industrialisation solutions that not only meet but exceed the expectations of our customers. We are honoured that our R&D projects have been acknowledged again by the local business community. This recognition further validates our unwavering dedication to delivering cutting-edge solutions that bring convenience and efficiency to all walks of life. HKPC will continue to work with the industry to develop more innovative technology applications, enhancing competitiveness and productivity while making significant contributions to a smarter and sustainable future.”

HKPC has assisted Wai Yuen Tong Medicine Company Limited (Wai Yuen Tong), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) manufacturer certified with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for Proprietary Chinese Medicines, in designing and establishing the smart traditional Chinese medicine powder packaging system (“Smart Pack@TCM”). This system combines technologies such as intelligent robotics, machine vision systems, mechanical structures, and control software to meet the complex and stringent requirements of packaging traditional Chinese medicine powders. “Smart Pack@TCM” is a revolutionary GMP-compliant smart packaging solution that enables the system to accommodate various shapes of powdered products, aiming to drive the transformation of the traditional Chinese medicine industry towards new industrialisation. Leveraging our extensive experience and expertise in developing and designing intelligent automation systems, HKPC has integrated three industrial robots and nine machine vision systems into the solution. This allows for the precise insertion of small medicine vials into metal cans at high speed and accommodates packaging materials of different sizes, shapes, and colours, resulting in a doubling of packaging output and a 90% reduction in manpower requirements. The reduced manpower can be assigned to handle other tasks. The system also enhances packaging quality and stability, providing real-time data to assist clients in improving production management efficiency and market competitiveness, meeting the needs of traditional labour-intensive processes. This innovation has also been awarded at the “2023 Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions” and the 2023 “Edison Awards”.

Ms Vivian TANG, Executive Director of Wai Yuen Tong, said, “As a renowned traditional Chinese medicine brand, Wai Yuen Tong places a strong emphasis on product quality and brand reputation. In the past, the packaging and production of traditional Chinese medicine have always been intricate and labour-intensive, demanding a substantial workforce. However, through the tailored efforts of HKPC, an exceptional smart packaging system was devised for our factory. This revolutionary solution has effectively doubled our packaging output, enabling the redistribution of manpower to tasks such as other herb processing that are not amenable to automation. Consequently, the company's overall efficiency has experienced a significant boost.”

Co-developed with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) of the HKSAR Government, another winning project of HKPC, the “IoT Smart Toilet Cleaning System” leverages the power of the Internet of Things (IoT) to provide autonomous cleaning function, making it more convenient for application and management in different venues. The new system comprises a toilet bowl cleaning robot, an automated guided vehicle, and an IoT-based sanitation monitoring platform. The system can collect data on the usage and odour level of individual toilet cubicles in real-time and provide real-time data analysis to monitor the cleanliness of toilets. In addition to scheduled cleaning, the robot can increase the frequency of cleaning by navigating itself to individual toilet cubicles according to the actual needs deduced from IoT data monitoring. The robot employs artificial intelligence to carry out real-time image analysis of the inner wall of toilet bowls and assesses their cleanliness, categorised into three levels. Upon the assessment, the robot uses specific cleaning modes with varying amounts of water and scrubbing procedures to clean the inner walls and rims of the toilet bowls. Following the cleaning process, the robot will evaluate the cleaning results and initiate another cleaning cycle if stains are still found. The system is currently undergoing a trial run within the HKSAR Government premises, and there are plans to further commercialise the research and development outcomes in the future. This innovation has been awarded at the “2023 World Genius Conference” organised by the International Federation of Inventors' Associations.

Organised by “Hong Kong Business”, the only English-language business magazine dedicated to Hong Kong and China, the Hong Kong Business Technology Excellence Awards (the Awards) aims to honour technology companies who have pioneered ground-breaking IT products, and companies across different industries with the most innovative technology initiatives that made an impact to their business. For more details, please visit the Awards’ official website: https://hongkongbusiness.hk/event/hong-kong-business-technology-excellence-awards

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“Smart Pack@TCM”

“IoT Smart Toilet Cleaning System”

At the “Hong Kong Business Technology Excellence Awards 2023” Gala, representatives of the R&D teams for the two award-winning technologies received the awards on stage, including Ms Angela YU, Deputy Head of HealthTech and Chinese Medicine of Green Living and Innovation Division of HKPC (second from left), and Mr Dennis MAK, Consultant of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Division of HKPC (third from left), together with project partners.