The rapid spread of the Omicron variant into the community in the fifth wave of the epidemic caused an exponential growth in the number of confirmed cases, and hence a sharp increase in the demand for medical and related services early this year. To cope with the sudden surge in service demand, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) has been providing full assistance to the Hospital Authority (HA) in the conversion of some wards of the public hospitals for the timely admission of patients and provision of proper care to them, as well as co-operating actively with various government departments in the installation of additional temporary body storage facilities for those who passed away.
The EMSD has assisted the HA in converting selected general wards of the public hospitals into second-tier isolation wards, including installation of Mobile Modular High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter Units and additional ventilating fans in the wards for air filtration and maintenance of a negative pressure condition. Owing to the rapid development of the epidemic then, we had to race against time in completing the modification of each ward within a couple of days. Thanks to our team’s extensive experience, commitment and relentless efforts, all the retrofitting works in a number of hospitals across the territory were eventually completed within the specified period.
The demand for body storage facilities increased sharply. In collaboration with other government departments, the EMSD was immediately engaged in the installation of refrigerated containers at Fu Shan Public Mortuary (FSPM) and Kwai Chung Public Mortuary to provide additional body storage capacities.
In the inter-departmental joint operation for the FSPM, the EMSD acted as an electrical and mechanical (E&M) consultant by reviewing the condition of the existing power supply system on the site, and actively exploring options to install a temporary power supply system and freezers for the FSPM at the soonest possible. The EMSD also provided professional advice on the construction of temporary body storage facilities in Kwai Chung and co-ordinated efforts of different parties for the early installation of a temporary power supply system and freezers on the site. Meanwhile, we took the initiative to provide E&M technical support for the installation of small freezers and testing of equipment. Upon completion of the works, a total of over 4 200 body storage capacities are provided in the newly installed temporary storage facilities in Fu Shan and Kwai Chung.
Amid the onslaught of the fifth wave of the epidemic, the HKSAR Government has built a number of temporary isolation facilities with the assistance of the Central Government to effectively isolate and treat patients and their close contacts. To reduce social contact in the isolation facilities, the EMSD and the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) jointly developed a quadruped robot and have been running the first pilot project to use the robot for delivering supplies to persons under quarantine in the community isolation facility (CIF) at Ma Sik Road, Fanling since mid-March 2022.
Unlike traditional robots, the quadruped robot has a physical appearance resembling that of animals, and moves with four limbs. It can adapt to different environments and move effortlessly on various terrains, such as climbing stairs, mounting slopes and walking on grass. The quadruped robot has a storage box on its back and can carry a weight up to 20 kg. Operators only need to enter route commands, and the robot will automatically walk, detect and avoid obstacles when it delivers daily supplies, including rapid antigen test kits or other daily necessities, etc., from warehouses in the staff area to the doorstep of the rooms in the isolated area for persons under quarantine to easily pick up their supplies themselves. Operators can also monitor the robot’s operational status and give commands remotely to ensure smooth delivery. In the whole process of delivery, the staff would not come into direct contact with the persons under quarantine, reducing the risk of infection of the staff. In addition, the EMSD has specifically designed a disinfection device using ultraviolet-C and ozone to disinfect the robot after delivery to avoid its contamination. The robot will automatically enter the device as commanded and manual disinfection is not needed.
Due to the large number of workers moving around and obstacles in the CIF, we had to adjust the programme of the quadruped robot during its development, and conduct numerous field tests and adjustments before putting it on trial. Dr. Hui Chun-wai, Senior Superintendent of Police, the HKPF stated that this was the first time a quadruped robot was used to deliver supplies in a CIF, and it was hoped that the new helper would reduce the risk of infection and enhance efficiency. The EMSD will continue to work with various sectors of the community and proactively employ innovation and technology (I&T) solutions in the works against the epidemic.
Please visit the following website to watch the demonstration video of
the quadruped robot:
https://bit.ly/3ayZ83o
On 26 April this year, the Government commenced the territory-wide Home Vaccination Service (HVS) to provide vaccination to persons with impaired mobility or special needs. The EMSD was commissioned by the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) in late March to provide specialised vehicles with on-board power supply systems for the HVS.
Within just a few days, the EMSD staff, with extensive experience and team spirit, successfully completed the commissioned work, including contemplated the design proposal; identified two soon retired medium vans; carried out comprehensive parts inspection, refurnishing, modification, cleaning and waxing; set up on-board power supply systems and tested their operation to ensure that the vehicles meet our client’s requirements. With thorough technical analysis and meticulous design, our team has adopted on the vehicles a new independent on-board power supply system, which can be fully recharged in shortly four hours, providing safe and stable power supply in limited space. The 220-volt power supply system can meet the power demand for computer and refrigerator for printing and vaccine cooling respectively for a full day. The team took only six days to complete the task from conceptual design, procurement, modification to testing of the vehicles, during the period several overload and charging tests were conducted to ensure the safety and stability of the on-board power supply systems. Despite the tight schedule and challenges, the team dedicated their best efforts and successfully completed the project, with the two specialised vehicles delivered to the CSB on time. The team has also thoughtfully produced an illustrated user guide to facilitate client’s understanding of proper use of the vehicles.
Given that suspected transmissions were identified in some restaurants at the beginning of the fifth wave of the epidemic, the EMSD assisted relevant departments in conducting epidemiological investigations by inspecting the operation of the ventilation systems and measuring the airflow on site. To minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in food premises, we also carried out site inspection at about 50 restaurants to check whether the rate of air change met the relevant ventilation requirements. Moreover, the EMSD immediately conducted deep cleaning and disinfection of the ventilation systems and installed ultraviolet-C sterilisers at the escalator handrails in public markets and cooked food centres of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, and installed air purifiers in the offices of public markets, refuse collection points and public toilets in various districts to reduce and prevent virus infection and protect the health of tenants, staff and members of the public.
Keeping up with new engineering trends, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Trading Fund applied MultiTrade integrated approach for Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing works (MiMEP), Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology and a number of digital technologies for the first time to replace four chillers which had been in service for more than 20 years in Tai Lung Veterinary Laboratory (TLVL) under the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
To tackle the challenging works, the EMSD specifically created a BIM model for the surrounding environment of the works site and leveraged on BIM technology to simulate the dynamic process of transportation, lifting and module assembly, which significantly enhanced transparency and accuracy of the design as well as preparation and construction efficiency. The construction team used augmented reality technology to integrate the BIM model and the actual on-site situation virtually for predicting the constraints that may arise during construction, repair and maintenance. During the assembly of chilled water pipe modules, the team also adopted robotic welding technology and pre-insulated pipe technology to save the construction time on site. Upon completion of module assembly, we also adopted 3D scanning technology to compare each assembled module to the designed BIM model to ensure its precision before delivery to the site. With the application of MiMEP, the project was completed in only 38 days, which is around half of that compared with conventional approach.
In addition, we adopted a non-proprietary standard communication protocol BACnet to transmit key operational data of the chillers to the integrated Building Management System, and to transmit the data wirelessly to the Regional Digital Control Centre at the EMSD Headquarters via the Government-Wide Internet of Things Network and LoRa network. Besides, we were able to acquire digitalized E&M asset information easily by using the Building Information Modelling-Asset Management system and radio frequency identification technology, thus improving asset maintenance efficiency and data accuracy.
The successful implementation of the works at TLVL brings great significance. The use of MiMEP has numerous merits. Not only does it entail a shorter construction period, better quality control, enhanced works safety and site management, and minimised impact of the works on the clients’ daily operation, but it also reduces material consumption and boosts productivity. As a whole, more efficient and effective services are provided to the clients. At the same time, the success of the project demonstrates that the adoption of technological applications such as MiMEP is not limited to new works, and they can also benefit repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works. This assures us with confidence and lays a solid foundation for the application of MiMEP in more projects in the future.
With pragmatic innovation in mind for years, the EMSD has been providing ardent support to the Government’s efforts in enhancing public services by actively exploring different innovative E&M solutions and promoting the development of smart applications. Adding to a long list of awards garnered by our technological applications, the EMSD won a total of 19 awards, including five gold, 13 silver and one bronze in the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva 2022, shining once again across the globe.
These award-winning E&M innovations cover several aspects including anti-epidemic technology, smart devices for enhancing public services and renewable energy management, etc. The gold awards go to the Robotic Lift Examiner, Intelligent Elevator Movement Surveillance Device (i-EMSD), Intelligent Digital Escalator Monitoring System (i-DEMS), Smart Boiler Servicing Robot and Smart Driver Assistant for Automated People Mover.
Our gold-winning project, the Robotic Lift Examiner, can travel between floors to collect data all on its own, as it communicates with the lifts via a universal protocol. Equipped with intelligent sensors simulating human senses, it converts simulated sensations into scientific data for artificial intelligence (AI) analysis and examines the operational condition of the lift cars from the perspective of passengers. The data collected by the robot can be used for big data analysis of the condition of the facilities, with a view to enhancing service quality and user experience.
The i-EMSD is an advanced Internet of Things device which employs real-time imaging, physical and mechanical data computing and analytic technologies. Slim in design, simple to install and low-cost, this device can ensure the safety of passengers by sending alerts to them when abnormal car door operation, poor levelling or unintended car movement is detected.
The i-DEMS is a revolutionary digital system comprised of optical fibre bragg grating sensors and other high-precision sensors. It monitors the different components of an escalator through machine learning and cloud computing technologies for early identification and prevention of potential issues, thereby effectively reducing the burden of escalator maintenance staff.
The first all-in-one automatic Smart Boiler Servicing Robot leverages computer vision for fire tube positioning and cleaning, as well as AI for defect identification and condition assessment along the tubes. This innovation not only enhances maintenance efficiency and safety, but also facilitates the formulation of predictive maintenance strategies.
The Smart Driver Assistant for Automated People Mover is the first all-in-one portable and versatile device which can further enhance the safety of automated people movers and other railway systems by providing real-time monitoring of the driver’s behaviour and the track condition at the same time through AI and edge computing technologies. Equipped with high-performance cameras and designed with advanced AI technologies, the Smart Driver Assistant can enhance driving safety through effective monitoring of the condition of trackside equipment and other related equipment, and sending timely alerts to the driver for any potential risk detected.
Recognising that our services are closely related to the daily lives of people and the operations of other government departments, we strive to cultivate an I&T culture and promote I&T applications in the department for the provision of ever higher quality engineering services for client departments. To further facilitate the development of Hong Kong into a smart city, the EMSD will continue its best endeavours to expand our diverse range of innovative solutions and seize every opportunity to enhance the public services of client departments for the betterment of society.
We will introduce the award-winning projects in the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva one by one on the EMSD’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/EMSDGOVHK). Stay tuned!
The EMSD successfully renewed another Service Level Agreement (SLA) with a term of ten years with the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in March this year, for providing a wide range of comprehensive repair and maintenance services for the electrical, mechanical, air-conditioning and electronic facilities in the ICAC offices, as well as its vehicles.
Over the past year when negotiation for the SLA renewal took place, the COVID-19 epidemic was severe, and both the EMSD and the ICAC had to devote themselves to the fight against the epidemic. Moreover, to adhere to the disease prevention measures, the two parties could only communicate and negotiate on the new SLA remotely through video conferencing, instead of having face-to-face discussion. Fortunately, the EMSD and the ICAC have been co-operating for years, during which we have resolved a number of complicated tasks together and established good working relationship, driven by a shared vision of enhancing efficiency and value through joint efforts. For example, replacement of the kitchen ventilation system in the ICAC Headquarters, repair of the tailor-made electric curtains and periodic inspection of fixed electrical installations could not be accomplished without the full co-operation and detailed arrangements of both sides. In the course of the negotiation, while both parties had to devote themselves to the prolonged fight against the epidemic, we exercised the tacit understanding and mutual trust long established, completing the SLA renewal as scheduled in concerted efforts, ensuring the continued normal operation of the E&M services of the ICAC.
Compared with the previous five-year SLA, the new ten-year SLA entails a long-term partnership, which reflects the client’s satisfaction and confidence in the services provided by the EMSD. The ICAC has attached great importance to the quality of service and imposed strict requirements for cost control. The EMSD will continue to enhance cost-effectiveness and provide value-for-money quality E&M services to the ICAC for the next decade.