Chinese inventions dominate renowned Swiss exhibition

Thousands of inventions from around the world are on display at the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.

Over 40 countries are represented at the exhibition but China represents more than a third of all inventions here, with a whole pavilion dedicated to Hong Kong inventions alone. 

The inventions are mainly from universities or research institutions, as well as startups and private inventors. They are all hoping for their prototypes to be noticed and go into commercial production.

One such invention is a smart firefighting robot which uses artificial intelligence technologies to act autonomously and provide support to firefighters in hazardous situations. It has sensors to detect even the smallest of fires and uses technology to decide which fire extinguishing agent to use.

‌Many of the inventions on display are dedicated to advances in medicine and healthcare. One example is ProRuka, a novel prosthetic hand controlled by wireless sonomyography.

ProRuka is controlled by stump muscle signals that are collected by wireless ultrasound, with signals analyzed by AI algorithms to decode the natural control mechanism of a human hand. This allows the fingers to move independently. This invention is designed to help prosthetic hand users to regain quality of life.

‌Some inventions are already in use in real life, like the drone that's used by the Hong Kong mountain rescue department to detect missing persons. Frankie Wong Tan Tai, of the Hong Kong fire service, told CGTN that the drone takes a thousand photos for each hectare of land which are analyzed fast using AI technology. This significantly saves the time required to search for a missing person and increases the accuracy of their location.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) won a record-breaking number of accolades at the exhibition, a widely recognized annual event devoted exclusively to invention.

Forty three PolyU innovations won 45 accolades, including two Special Prizes, five Gold Medals with Congratulations of the Jury, 18 Gold Medals, 13 Silver Medals and seven Bronze Medals.

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Among other inventions showcased at the exhibition is a social robot for learning English. Joey is an AI-enabled storytelling robot designed at the Education University of Hong Kong to help children learn English, providing a personalized experience for them and helping teachers generate learning material. 

Among the other exhibits, an Iranian inventor is showcasing a floating collector and recycler of microplastics from the sea and oceans. The device has a diameter of up to 100 meters and has been engineered to collect microplastics from marine environments, utilizing thermal energy produced by the ship's engine.

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