Strengthening Cooperation Across Industries to Move Towards a Smart City

Governments around the world have been actively applying artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to promote the development of smart cities, bringing about a wave of innovations and technological advancements. To seize the opportunities, all should facilitate the upgrading and transformation of their industries by making use of innovative technologies. Recently, Ir Prof. Thomas HO, Chairman of the Construction Industry Council (CIC), Ar. Marvin CHEN, Council Member and Ir Albert CHENG, Executive Director, along with government representatives and industry professionals, visited Dragonfly Park Future Parking Lot and Hikvision in Hangzhou to understand how corporations in the mainland integrates its innovative technologies to forge ahead smart city development.

Innovative Technologies Empower “Smart Mobility”

As smart city has become a global trend in city planning and development, innovative technology adoption continues to advance.. “Smart Mobility” is identified as one of the key areas for developing a smart city. The delegation visited Hangzhou to explore the Dragonfly Park Future Parking Lot, a modern urban park that integrates smart parking and public spaces. This project utilises advanced Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) technology, enabling robots to autonomously locate available parking spaces. These compact robots, standing at a height of only 10 cm, can navigate under vehicles easily and support a load-bearing capacity of up to 3 tons. They are equipped with features such as high levels of positioning accuracy, safety obstacle avoidance, and advanced route planning. The system not only increases parking lot provision but also significantly enhances efficiency and safety.

Innovative development of the Park does not stop at hardware. Dragonfly Park has partnered with the Q·Parking app to track real-time parking vacancies at various car parks, keeping users informed of the latest information. This initiative enhances the utilisation rate of parking facilities, ensuring resources are used efficiently. Additionally, the app offers a convenient service for scheduling vehicle retrieval, which greatly reduces waiting times and optimises the overall parking experience.

This project serves as both a pilot for exploring innovative technology as well as a means to push the boundaries of sustainable development and architectural aesthetics. The structure of the car park is primarily tower-based, and the metal louvred cladding of the facade creates an atmosphere of futuristic technology while enhancing the lateral stability of the structure and serving as a natural ventilation system. Meanwhile, the smart lighting and ventilation system facilitates real-time and automatic adjustments, which can reduce energy consumption significantly, thereby achieving a sustainable operating model.

The shortage of parking spaces is a constant challenge for the community. In the face of limited land resources, we should harness the power of innovation and effectively utilise technologies such as big data and robotics to create a smarter and more sustainable parking system, bringing greater benefits to the community.

Building a Safe and Smart Site Together in the Digital Era

The delegation then visited the headquarters of Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd. (Hikvision) to learn how mainland companies use innovative technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), AI, and big data to reshape safe and smart construction sites. Hikvision showcased advanced monitoring devices and intelligent analysis platforms they developed. These technologies enable real-time monitoring of construction sites. They accurately identify and prevent potential safety threats through big data analytics, thereby reducing incidents, for example, the tower crane monitoring system serves as a model by collecting environmental data and images real-time, allowing workers to have a better grasp of the comprehensive operational status of the machine in order to ensure operational safety.

The CIC continues to promote a safe and healthy working environment in the industry, fostering a positive safety culture and driving the widespread adoption of the smart site safety system (4S) in the industry to ensure a safer working environment for all workers. In light of the ever-evolving technological development, the construction industry should keep pace with the times, strengthening ties and cooperation with the mainland industry to explore ways to apply the latest technologies to local projects and create opportunities for transitioning to new approaches for the industry. Accelerating digital transformation will surely enhance construction safety and help Hong Kong move towards becoming a smart city.