Bulletin No. 2, 2024

Maximising possibilities with R&D commercialisation With his dream of scaling up communication networks and data storage systems towards enhanced efficiency, reliability and security in favour of smart city developments, Professor Yeung co- founded n-hop technologies with Professor Yang in 2018. The tech startup’s name implies the pros of BATS: the transmitted information remains intact after passing through a vast number of wireless links. Three years after its inception, the startup received its first round of venture capital funding. In summer 2019, n-hop technologies successfully deployed BATS in the Hong Kong government’s pilot smart lamppost system. Laying new optical fibre is not only expensive, but also very disruptive to traffic and pedestrians. BATS provides a wireless internet connection for the smart lampposts without the need to lay optical fibre to everyone. The benefits include low operating cost, enhanced security and stable bandwidth, providing a city-friendly, economical solution that can enable massive deployment of the technology. The startup also worked with the government on a pilot project at the Lantau Country Park to provide WiFi services using BATS in locations with weak cellular coverage. WiFi has an advantage over cellular because it can be used by all mobile phones, regardless of the network. He adds, “Besides providing hikers with a WiFi network, BATS can be used for weather signage, emergency buttons, wildfire detection, environmental data collection and so on.” Vision, focus and clarity To date, there are three BATS-related technologies with 11 patents, which have a wide range of applications, such as a shared satellite broadcast communication network that propels the development of aerospace technology, and an underwater sonar transmission network for monitoring the operation of underwater infrastructure, so as to overcome barriers in ocean data transmission. Network coding theory is a major breakthrough in information sciences. Its fundamental concept was introduced in the late 1990s, largely due to the visionary hypothesis of Professor Yeung. He has won numerous accolades for his contributions, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) Richard W. Hamming Medal, one of the highest awards in electrical engineering, and the Claude E. Shannon Award, the highest honour in the field of information theory. He was also elected a Fellow of the US National Academy of Inventors. Professor Yeung’s bold attempt at mathematical reconceptualisation has the potential to become one of the most far-reaching telecommunication applications. Network coding theory has been offered as a postgraduate course by universities around the globe. His team is now working with various standards organisations to make BATS code one of the international communication standards. However, going from theory to application may take decades, he says. He also enjoys photography, playing the harmonica and practising tai chi. The common thread among these hobbies is concentration, which facilitates the mental clarity necessary for conducting rigorous research. “This attitude is much inspired by my PhD supervisor Professor Toby Berger, who is talented in explaining difficult concepts through writing,” he says. Smart lampposts support a wide range of smart city applications, including autonomous driving, intelligent transportation, real-time surveillance and high-speed WiFi coverage on a city-wide scale (photo courtesy of n-hop technologies) 29