About the Project: Robot for Autism Behavioral Intervention (RABI) is an evidence-based and robot-aided intervention programme for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Riding on the success in offering RABI services to NGOs and schools and with funding from the SIE Fund, the venture launched a new RABI programme with online and home-based service plans for ASD children aged three to six. The programme helped them continue their learning and acquire social and behavioral skills despite the suspension of school classes during the COVID-19 epidemic.

• Provided RABI training to 166 children with autism, including 126 from low-income families;
• Refined the pricing models of subsidised and non-subsidised service plans

About the Project: To improve elderly patients’ appetite and provide cognitive stimulation of multiple forms, as well as to facilitate their social engagement, the venture launches unique sensory-based experiential events, namely “yum cha”. The events are designed based on the five senses – sight, touch, smell, taste and hearing so that the elderly will gain different sensory experiences.

The set-up and ambience of a “traditional Chinese restaurant” are created at the participating elderly homes/centres with freshly-made soft meal dim sum produced and served on-site to stimulate the elderly’s five senses and enhance their interest in food.

• Developed 10 soft meal dim sum items;
• Organised 18 sensory-based experiential events for 291 elderly with dementia and dysphagia at elderly homes/centres;
• Filmed 12 videos related to dementia and posted to Facebook and YouTube;
• Collected feedback from 26 caregivers of the elderly homes/centres

About the Project: As the first all-dimensional food support collaborative platform in Hong Kong, FOOD-CO makes use of information technology and data analysis to connect stakeholders in the sector to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of food support services. Operators can share best practices and better coordinate their operations through this platform. Donors can reach out to suitable operators for more efficient food donations. Members of the public and people in need can better understand different food support services in their own districts. FOOD-CO 2.0 has introduced new features and functions including an automated one-stop logistics system, a one-stop volunteer recruitment and training platform, and an artificial intelligence chat robot (i.e. Chatbot).

• 326 food support service points registered on the platform; the number of donors reached 850;
• Food donation transactions amounted to over 1 550 tonnes with about HK$152 million worth of food donation made through the platform

About the Project: Putting the concept of “Sharing Kitchen” into practice, it recruits the grassroots to run their own food production and sales business by making use of the kitchens of participating restaurants during non-peak hours. They will be matched with restaurants to help the latter develop new products and increase revenue. It not only alleviates the labour shortage problem of the restaurants but also promotes local food production.

• Entered into agreement with 6 restaurants;
• Engaged 17 persons from grassroots to develop and produce 27 new food products

About the Project: The first 3 to 6 months after stroke onset is taken as the “Golden Recovery Period” for stroke patients. However, most patients face difficulties getting access to affordable rehabilitation training after hospital discharge and within the period. Riding on the success of the start-up project supported by the SIE Fund in 2018, the project team has launched a new “Home Edition” robotic device to provide more affordable, frequent and easy-to-administer rehabilitation training at home for stroke patients.

• Launched new product – HandyRehab Home Edition:
• Sold 10 units of Home Edition;
• Organised 21 demo sessions and workshops with 120 medical professionals involved;
• Improved existing product - HandyRehab Medical Edition:
• Sold 11 units of Medical Edition

About the Project: Persons with severe disabilities or cerebral palsy patients often encounter difficulties in using the computer. Because of limited muscle control and coordination, they have to spend more effort in using the keyboard to input characters and in controlling the mouse to drag and drop objects. The venture has developed a new software programme by which the users can use a joystick and a voice recognition tool to control the computer. The programme will make use of speech recognition technology to identify and execute the vocal commands given by the users.

• Recruited three students with disabilities from two special schools to test the prototype system;
• Recruited 30 persons with disabilities to conduct system trials and collect their feedback on system features;
• Consulted occupational therapists on their professional advice in using the system and made subsequent system enhancements;
• Conducted briefing sessions for seven organisations/special schools with 100 participants;
• Followed up with one organisation which has indicated interest in procuring the system