Newsletter No. 315

第 315 期 2008 年 4 月 4 日 No. 315 4 April 2008 望遠鏡製造技術獲科技成就獎 Telescope Mirror Making Technology Wins Award 機械與自動化工程學系系主任任揚教授（中）及其研究小組 Prof. Yeung Yam (central), chairman of Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, and his research team 中 大機械與自動化工程學系研發 的大型望遠鏡製造技術，能提 高香港光學工業的專業技術水平，並促 進相關綜合性技術的發展，因而獲得 2007年香港工商業獎科技成就組別優 異證書。 該系自行開發了新的技術系統，包含特 別針對鏡面的打磨、拋光和成形過程的 特殊機械結構，能穩定和可靠地製造高 精密的0.6米直徑望遠鏡鏡頭。其電腦化 和閉環控制技術為監控光學製造上的自 動測試、形狀驗證提供了依據，同時也 為鏡面的良好成形提供了保障，為超級 望遠鏡鏡頭的製造奠定了基石。 A system for making high-precision telescope mirrors developed by the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering received the Technological Achievement Certificate of Merit of the Hong Kong Awards for Industries. The system incorporates a number of new technological developments for making telescope mirrors of near meter-size diameter. It also has a unique mechanism for the grinding, polishing and figuring processes, guided by efficient tool path selection and execution algorithms. A computer- controlled measurement assembly for automatic optical testing and pattern interpretation serves to enable closed loop quantitative monitoring and fine figuring of the work-piece. The machine as developed accommodates the making of a 0.6 m diameter mirror and is readily scalable to bigger versions. 左起：成公明教授、教育局局長孫明揚先生及呂榮聰教授 From left: Prof. Tony K.M. Shing, Mr. Michael M.Y. Suen, Secretary for Education, and Prof. Michael R.T. Lyu 中大兩學者榮膺裘槎基金會優秀科研者 Two CUHK Scholars Named Croucher Senior Research Fellows 計 算機科學與工程學系呂榮聰教 授及化學系成公明教授，獲頒授 裘槎基金會2008至09年度「優秀科研者 獎」，以表彰他們在國際科學界的卓越 成就。頒獎禮於3月27日舉行，由教育局 局長孫明揚先生主持。 「優秀科研者計劃」於1997年設立，得 獎者可暫免半年至一年繁重的教學和行 政工作，專心致志投入研究。基金會則 發出約10萬美元的獎金，資助得獎者所 屬院校另聘講師代教，另頒六萬港元獎 金予得獎人。 呂榮聰教授是享譽世界的軟件可靠性工 程學專家。他的發明獲業界廣泛應用， 使我們能在生活中時刻享受到電腦軟件 提供的各種便利，而不必擔心它們出錯。 呂教授和其研究小組最近研發的先進視 像技術，使數碼娛樂的電腦畫面由二維 變為三維，即把現時流行的Wii遊戲立 體化。業界正與他磋商，探討將技術轉 化為商業產品。 成公明教授是合成有機化學的專家。他 的研究重點是：利用幾乎供應無虞的糖 （如葡萄糖）作為原料，發展嶄新方法 來合成可用於化療（用以治療癌症、抗病 毒和醫治糖尿病）的有機分子。成教授 的研究有三方面的重要意義：一、促進 合成有機化學科學的進步；二、有利於 製藥業，因為業界可以採用他研究的合 成方法，生產用於製藥的化學品；三、有 助研發新藥物。 連同今年獲獎的兩位教授，中文大學至 今共有17名學者獲頒裘槎基金會優秀科 研者獎。 T wo academics from the Chinese University were awarded Senior Research Fellowships by The Croucher Foundation. They were Prof. Michael R.T. Lyu of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and Prof. Tony K.M. Shing of the Department of Chemistry. The award presentation ceremony took place on 27 March. It was officiated byMr. Michael Suen, Secretary for Education. The Croucher Senior Research Fellowships scheme was founded in 1997. The value of each fellowship is about US$100,000 and it is used to sponsor the awardee's institution in recruiting a replacement for the awardee for six months or a year. The fellow will be relieved from teaching tasks so he/ she can devote more time and effort to research. Each awardee also receives a cash award of HK$60,000. Prof. Lyu is aworld-renowned researcher in software reliability engineering. His inventions and contributions enable people to enjoy the convenience of services provided by sophisticated automatic systems without having to worry about the impact of their failure on daily life. Prof. Lyu and his research team’s latest work enables the application of 3D computing technology on various digital entertainment such as the Wii games. An internationally renowned expert in organic synthesis, Prof. Shing’s research interest is on the development of novel methods for the syntheses of organic molecules with chemotherapeutic potential, namely, anti-cancer, anti-viral, or anti-diabetic activities, using sugars as starting materials. His research is important for the advancement of science in synthetic organic chemistry and useful for the pharmaceutical industry which may employ his synthetic routes/methods for the preparation of chemicals of pharmaceutical interest. It also contributes to the discovery of new medicines. A total of 17 scholars from CUHK have been awarded the Croucher Senior Research Fellowship so far.