The CUHK Faculty of Engineering has been awarded grants totalling HK$8 million by the Innovation and Technology Commission to develop new technologies in support of the digital entertainment industry in Hong Kong.
Digital entertainment is a new industry ushered in by rapid advances in computing and telecommunications technologies. It covers video and on-line games, film and advertising production, and multi-media information delivery services. The industry is burgeoning in different parts of the world.
To promote digital entertainment in Hong Kong, the Innovation and Technology Commission recently invited proposals to develop new technologies for the industry. Three such proposals submitted by the Faculty of Engineering have subsequently been selected for funding; a total of HK$8 million was awarded from the commission for the purpose.
The first project is conducted by Prof. Michael R.T. Lyu of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. He will develop 'Augmented Reality' technologies that can be applied to entertainment kiosks and mobile phones, enabling better integration of real-life images and computer animation in video games. His project is conducted in collaboration with three local firms: CSL, Global Digital Creations Holdings Ltd, and Video Club International.
In the second project, Prof. John C.S. Lui of the Computer Science and Engineering Department teams up with Infoislive, a local mobile game developer, to design a software system specifically for developing multi-player on-line games that can be played in the wireless environment. Such a game engine will be the first of its kind in Hong Kong. The project is supported by Group Sense Limited, a mobile phone manufacturer.
The third project involves the development of computer-aided design technologies for the presentation of curved or waved objects. Such technologies are particularly useful for portraying game characters in action such as Chinese Kung Fu masters, or characters with long hair or wearing long gowns. The project is headed by Prof. K.C. Hui of the Department of Automation and Computer Aided Engineering, and conducted in collaboration with several computer game developers, including GameOne and DigitFORCE.