To help the project teams of final-year students draw inspiration for their "Inventions for the Community," Kelly Willis, Creative Development Executive, Walt Disney Imagineering from Hong Kong Disneyland and Belle Cheng, Creative Manager, Disney Consumer Products, shared with them how Disney builds on the company's legacy of storytelling to pioneer new forms of entertainment and new products. During the course of developing the prototypes, the project teams also received feedback and mentoring from a Walt Disney Imagineer via one-on-one coaching sessions.
The three distinguished projects that embrace the spirit of "Star Wars" have been selected:
#1: A soft robotic hand that is inspired by Luke Skywalker's mechanical hand installed to replace the damaged organic arm after his duel with Darth Vader on Cloud City. This safe and cost-effective soft robotic hand could potentially replace conventional prosthetics and enhance human interaction.
#2: The brain-computer interface (BCI) for wheelchair control is a system used to simulate the ubiquitous power in the Star Wars – the "force" – to control and manipulate objects. With the BCI system, users suffering from mobility impairments can control their wheelchair simply with the power of their mind.
#3: The gas sensor system is developed with an aim to help people improve their living in crowded cities in real world similar to the impoverished places in Star War such as Tatooine. This low-cost gas sensor system for H. pylori bacteria detection is designed to diagnose people infected with Helicobacter pylori in developing countries such as Cambodia.
Meet the grant recipients and learn more about their funded projects:
#1: Soft Robotic Hand (https://youtu.be/B4SkMHB5caw) [Transcript]
#2: Brain-Computer Interface for Wheelchair Control (https://youtu.be/T4LBag1NzhI) [Transcript]
#3: Gas Sensor for H. pylori Bacteria Detection (https://youtu.be/m94gJU2E4U4) [Transcript]
"Disney is committed to strengthening the community and inspiring others to think creatively," said Kerwin Lo, General Manager, The Walt Disney Company Hong Kong. "By providing the HKUST students with tools and resources, we enable them to harness their creativity and come up with ideas that could potentially enhance the lives of people in the community and shape our collective future."
"We are very grateful for Disney's support. The grant offers a precious learning experience for our students, not only inspiring their innovative thinking for solutions, but also encouraging them to create value from knowledge for the betterment of society. The school will continue to fulfill the vision of providing holistic education to nurture global citizens and future leaders," said Professor Tim Kwang Ting Cheng, Dean of Engineering, HKUST.
"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" will hit the theaters this December.