The International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva is one of the largest and most prestigious innovation shows in the world. Hong Kong innovators frequently come away with prizes from the annual expo. In 2018, the Hong Kong Design Institute and the Hong Kong Productivity Council scooped awards for their outstanding inventions and now the Productivity Council is preparing to enter this year’s exhibition which will run from April 10 to 14.

Happy feet

The Hong Kong Design Institute was awarded a gold medal under the “Clothing-Textiles-Machines & Accessories” classification at the 46th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva last year for its pair of “smart” high heels.

The institute’s Department of Fashion & Image Design Head Elita Lam and the team included a special built-in fluid to the insole design to offer flexible cushioning and stability support, making the shoes more comfortable for the wearer.

“We found that most of these shoe inserts available on the market are made of foam and are not long lasting. We decided to find something that is long-lasting and more flexible. We came up with a flexible cushioning system that is a combination of a magnetorheological fluid or MRF - that is a mixture of iron powder together with silicon - to develop a gel form insert,” Ms Lam explained.

Supported by the Innovation & Technology Fund, the team from the Hong Kong Design Institute and the Technological & Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) improved the insert’s design so it could be easily replaced by the wearer.

“We have developed a second prototype that is more flexible and we have a detachable insert system which is attached to the insert and then we can just input it flexibly into the high-heeled shoes,” added Ms Lam.

THEi researchers carried out stringent tests on the shoe insert using fitting models.

Assistant Professor Jim Luk of THEi’s Faculty of Management & Hospitality Department of Sports & Recreation has led the tests.

“We had three different heights of high-heeled shoe testing items, 2 cm, 5 cm and 8 cm. During this test, we monitored the muscle activity at the lower leg and also the lower back to identify which combination could achieve minimal muscle loading during high heeled shoe-walking.

“The result of the study indicated that the combination we had arranged in the testing with tailor-made insoles and 5 cm high-heeled shoe walking could achieve minimal muscle loading in the lower leg and also the lower back,” Mr Luk said.

The researchers are now collaborating with the service industry to provide tailor-made high heels for workers who are on their feet all day.

Portable power

The Hong Kong Productivity Council also came away with a medal from last year’s expo.

Its Portable Electric Vehicle Charger Kit System was awarded the Gold Medal with the Congratulations of the Jury.

The council’s Chief Innovation Officer Lawrence Cheung said their design increased the incentive for car park operators to provide electric vehicle charging facilities.

“The only way to go previously, is to ask the car park operators to set up charging facilities but they may be quite expensive, as each of the charging points may cost more than $10,000 for each point or each parking space. So the incentive for the car park is not great.

“Sometimes there are disputes on how to share the cost, so as a result, one of the startups came to us with the idea of moving the charging station into a portable charging station, such that the charger actually comes with the car and the car park operator would only need to set up a socket for the portable charger to plug into,” Mr Cheung noted.

Robot retrieval

The next International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva will be held from April 10 to 14.

The Productivity Council will submit 12 exhibits, including a robot system for collecting and replacing traffic cones and warning lanterns for road works.

The idea was suggested by the Highways Department to improve the safety of workers who had to collect and replace them.

“We came up with a ’Roadbot’ that can automatically put down the cones according to the requirements or specifications of the Highways Department. Also when the work is done, we can collect the cones and the lanterns automatically as well,” Mr Cheung added.

Last year’s International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva attracted a record 822 exhibitors from 40 countries and regions.

Mr Cheung believes that joining such global events helps promote Hong Kong’s achievements in innovation and technology.