Two ME teams won Awards at the 10th Engineering InnoShow, HKU

Organised by Innovation Academy, the Engineering InnoShow were scheduled to be held at the end of each semester, and where students can showcase their innovative projects and achievements to their peers and public as a way of knowledge exchange and giving back to the society.

The tenth Engineering InnoShow showcased a number of innovative Engineering student projects at Tam Wing Fan Innovation Wing on April 30, 2025, where engineering students demonstrate their project to the judges.

A total of 24 innovative student projects from 5 departments and InnoHub members were showcased in the event, five student teams were selected as the winner of the InnoShow Award and one student team was selected as Super Good Job Project Award. The InnoShow Award was selected by a professional judging team and is aimed to encourage students to develop innovative mindset in tackling engineering and social problems, and to support outstanding ideas to join international design competitions. The Dean’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fund will appropriate an amount of HK$100K to support a maximum of five student teams participated in the InnoShow to take part in international design competitions. Super Good Job Project Award was selected by voting by all participants.

Two of the winning teams are from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, which are,

(1) Matchbox: DIY STEM Game Controller Kits from Upcycled Keyboards – winner of InnoShow Award

(2) Home Use Storage Carousel – winner of InnoShow Award

Matchbox: DIY STEM Game Controller Kits from Upcycled Keyboards

Matchbox, an interdisciplinary student-led group, develops STEM education kits using upcycled keyboards and materials. Their namesake project repurposes discarded keyboards to build game controllers, combining salvaged parts, 3D-printed components, custom PCBs, and standard electronics. The team has hosted workshops for InnoWing members and external participants and is currently expanding the controller’s design with new interaction methods and physical formats.

Matchbox expressed gratitude to the Innovation Wing and the Faculty of Engineering for their support. The team plans to continue leveraging the Innovation Wing’s resources for development while organizing outreach projects, educational initiatives, and activities for its community.

This project team was selected for the Inno Show award at the 10th Inno Show. This team has received HK$20,000 sponsorship to participate in international design competition(s) and consumables expenses to support further development of the project.

Team information:

Supervisors: Dr. Match Ko, Dr. Chui Chun Kit

Project Leader: Kang I Nuo, BEng(CS); Pong Hei Chung, BEng(CE); Hu Ka Hei, BEng(ME)

Link: https://innoacademy.engg.hku.hk/matchbox/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvBKbta-1dI&t=25s

Home Use Storage Carousel

This project was developed by three final year Mechanical Engineering students as the capstone project, under the supervision of Dr. M.M.Y. Choy, a lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Motivated by the growing aging population in Hong Kong and the high incidence of domestic accidents especially among elderly individuals living alone. The main objective was to design and build a storage device that allows users to access items without the need to climb or kneel.

The result is a home use vertical carousel storage system specifically tailored to enhance safety and accessibility for elders. By automating the retrieval of household items stored at various heights, this innovative solution significantly reduces the risk of falls and related accidents, thereby promoting a safer living environment and improving the quality of life for seniors.

This project successfully completed the design, prototyping, and testing phases, demonstrating mechanical robustness and precise control accuracy. While testing highlighted areas for future improvement, the overall outcome confirms the feasibility and substantial benefits of implementing vertical carousel storage solutions in domestic settings, particularly for the aging population.

This project team was selected for the Inno Show award at the 10th Inno Show. This team has received HK$20,000 sponsorship to participate in international design competition(s) and consumables expenses to support further development of the project

Team information:

Supervisor: Dr. Marian Choy

Moderator: Dr. Match Ko

Project leader: Cheung Ming Yau BEng (ME)

Team members: Liu Shing Ho Howard BEng (ME) and Mak Ka Tsun BEng (ME)

Link: https://innoacademy.engg.hku.hk/home_storage_usage_carousel/