Powered by the University of Hong Kong in collaboration with Tohoku University.
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New Industrialisation:
The path to smart garment manufacturing
The garment industry is embracing AI and robotics to navigate its challenging business landscape. While this marks a significant step forward, the journey of digitalisation and automation is still fraught with technological challenges, from mastering advanced technologies to overcoming the limitations posed by varying skill levels of factory operators.
This forum brings together influential leaders from the garment industry to share practical expertise and visionary insights on integrating AI and robotic automation into the sector to facilitate digital transformation. Additionally, brilliant minds from top echelon universities will present the latest advancements in AI and robotics, offering essential principles for adoption and paving the way from research and innovation to real-world applications.
Date: 18 October (Friday) 2024
Time: 14:00 – 17:00 (Registration starts at 13:40)
Venue: Conference Halls 4 – 5, 2/F, Building 10W, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin
Language: English, Simultaneous Interpretation in Putonghua
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Speakers, Moderator & Panelists
Welcome Remarks & Panel Discussion (Moderator)
Prof. Norman TIEN
Managing Director, Centre for Transformative Garment Production
Taikoo Professor of Engineering and Chair Professor of Microsystems Technology, Executive Vice-President (Administration & Finance) (Interim), The University of Hong Kong
Professor Norman C. Tien is the Taikoo Professor of Engineering and Chair Professor of Microsystems Technology of the University of Hong Kong (HKU). He is also currently the Head of Innovation Academy of Faculty of Engineering and the Managing Director of the Centre for Transformative Garment Production. He served as the Dean of Engineering from 2012 to 2018, and as the Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Institutional Advancement) (VP(IA)) from 2019 to 2021 at HKU.
Prior to joining HKU, Professor Tien was the Nord Professor of Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, US, where he was the Dean of Engineering from 2007 to 2011. He previously held faculty positions at University of California at Davis, University of California at Berkeley and Cornell University.
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Professor Tien received his Ph.D. from the University of California at San Diego, MS from the University of Illinois, and BS from the University of California at Berkeley. His research interests are in the area of micro and nanotechnology, microelectromechanical (MEMS) systems, and robotics.
Speaker
Mr. Xiaolai LUO
Chief Technology Officer, Tessellation Group
Xiaolai Luo is the Chief Technology Officer of Tessellation Group, which is an innovator and investor specialized in solutions and operations in textiles and apparel assembly, with a strong focus on creating an ecosystem that fosters manufacturing excellence, digital value chains, climate actions and workforce transformation.
Prior to his current position, Xiaolai had 20 years of operational experience as managing director, bringing technology to industrial applications such as de-skilling by automation, quality management, energy efficiency, water saving, product innovation.
Topic:
Qonvolv systems: entwining Machine Material and human
Speaker
Prof. Kazuhiro KOSUGE
Deputy Managing Director, Centre for Transformative Garment Production
Chair Professor of Robotic Systems, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Hong Kong
Professor Emeritus, Tohoku University
​Professor Kazuhiro Kosuge joined Tohoku University and served as a Professor, Department of Machine Intelligence and Systems Engineering from 1995 to 2003, a Professor, Department of Bioengineering and Robotics from 2003 to 2016, and a Professor, Department of Robotics from 2016 to 2021. From 2018 to 2021, he was a Tohoku University Distinguished Professor. For more than 39 years, he has been conducting research on robotics and its applications in the real world. He has published over 390 technical papers. Over 70 of his patents have been transferred to the industry.
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He served as 2020 IEEE Vice President for Technical Activities, 2015-2016 IEEE Division X Director, and 2010-2011 President of IEEE Robotics and Automation Society. Honours include the Medal of Honor with purple ribbon in 2018 in the name of the Emperor of Japan, and the 2021 IEEE RAS George Saridis Leadership Award in Robotics and Automation. He is a Life Fellow of IEEE and a member of the Engineering Academy of Japan.
Topic:
Leading the Future of Sewing with Excellence in Quality
Speaker
Dr Huamin WANG
Chief Scientist, Style3D
Dr Huamin Wang is the chief scientist at Style3D and he leads Style3D’s global research team. His research interests revolve around physics-based animation, with a specific focus on high-performance and high-fidelity animation of digital human by GPU and generative AI.
Before joining Style3D, he was a tenured associate professor in the CSE department at the Ohio State University (2011 – 2021), and a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley (2009 – 2011). He has served on the technical committees of numerous conferences and chaired the papers programs of CASA 2017 and SCA 2023. He has been an associate editor of the Visual Computer since 2020.
Topic:
3D + AI: The Game Changer for the Textile and Fashion Industries
Speaker
Prof. Jia PAN
PhD (North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering,
The University of Hong Kong
Prof. Pan is currently an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Hong Kong. He is also a principal investigator of the Centre for Transformative Garment Production. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research interests are robotics and artificial intelligence as applied to autonomous systems, particularly for developing intelligent algorithms, sensors, and machines to accomplish fully autonomous robots and human-robot collaboration mechanisms.
Topic:
Fast manipulation and task understanding for garment industry
Panelist
Mr. Danny CHENG
General Manager, Technical Services Centre,
Dongguan Crystal Knitting & Garment Company Limited
Danny Cheng is a General Manager at Dongguan Crystal Knitting & Garment Company Limited, a subsidiary of Crystal International Group Limited, with over 30 years of experience in textile and garment manufacturing. Leveraging this extensive background, Danny explores opportunities in technology development and innovation to help businesses thrive.
By focusing on sustainable practices and quality assurance, Danny has effectively utilized the education earned at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Over the years, his strengths in textiles have garnered recognition from clients and industry peers alike, solidifying his reputation as a leader in the field.
RUNDOWN
13:40 - 14:00
Registration
14:00 - 14:10
15:30 - 15:50
"Fast Manipulation and Task Understanding for Garment Industry" by Prof. Jia Pan
15:50 - 16:00
Break
16:00 - 17:00
Panel Discussion on "The Future Unfolded: Innovations in Smart Garment Factories"
Remarks: The programme rundown is subject to change without prior notice.
Co-organiser:
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
Supporting Organisations: