Supervised by Prof. Yam Yeung, a team of postgraduate students from the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering won the Jardine Engineering Corporation Outstanding Engineering Project Award this year, outshining competitors from other local universities. The team members Yu Cheuk-him Derek, Chan Chi-chong Carl and Lai Wai-yin William were presented the championship prize money of HK$55,000 on 27 June.

The team’s winning project is ‘FLOAT—An Interactive 3D Paradox’, which is a prototype of a 3D image projector that utilizes a specially crafted optical chamber to construct levitating 3D objects with a touchable effect. The virtual 3D objects it created is visible to the naked eye within a specified range of viewing angle. Equipped with a sensing module, FLOAT is an interactive device that can react to hand motion.

The technology can be applied to various industries, including building services, advertising and household electronics for 3D visualizations, decorations and non-contact human-machine interfaces.