Month: July 2026

We are pleased to announce that a final-year project developed by Bosco CHIM Ho Yin, under the supervision of Prof. Hongliang Ren, has received an Outstanding Award at the ASMPT Technology Award 2026.

The project addresses critical safety challenges in endoscopy, where clinicians often face limitations due to a lack of direct physical feedback during procedures. The team developed an intelligent, integrated device interface that enables real-time monitoring of interactions between medical instruments and patient tissue.

By utilizing advanced sensing and optimized processing, the system provides precise data that enhances procedural safety and control. This research contributes a valuable framework for future automated and semi-automated surgical tools, aiming to improve patient outcomes by reducing operational risks.

On July 13, 2026, in Sydney, Prof. Hongliang Ren participated as a distinguished keynote speaker and panelist at the Robotics: Science and Systems (RSS) 2026 workshop, titled “Bridging AI and Robotics: Towards Safer and Smarter Healthcare“.

The workshop brought together leading researchers, clinicians, and industry experts to explore the future of intelligent surgical robotics. Prof. Ren delivered the keynote presentation for Session 1, sharing insights on his recent developments in dexterous robotic motion generation and perception. His talk highlighted the advancement of intelligent, image-guided minimally invasive procedures and the practical pathways for moving surgical robotic systems from technical development toward real-world clinical use.

In addition to his keynote, Prof. Ren contributed to a 30-minute panel discussion centered on the theme: “Closing the Translation Gap: Aligning Research, Industry, and Clinical Practice for Safe, Deployable Intelligent Surgical Robotics“. Drawing on his extensive experience in robotic technology, AI development in academic settings, and collaborations with hospitals, Prof. Ren provided a unique perspective on the regulatory, usability, and safety challenges facing the field.

July 2026 – The Ren Lab at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was pleased to host a productive visit from Prof. Emmanuel Vander Poorten (KU Leuven) and his postdoc, Dr. Ruixuan Li. This visit offered a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and strengthen collaborative ties in medical robotics.

The delegation visited Hong Kong on July 9th, where they spent a busy morning at the Medical Robotics Center (MRC) in Science Park. The afternoon was dedicated to a half-day visit to the Ren Lab. During this time, Prof. Vander Poorten and Dr. Li engaged directly with our students, reviewing ongoing research in soft robotics and embodied AI.

We look forward to continued joint efforts. We extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Zhongliang Jiang for coordinating this memorable visit and to all the team members who made it a success.

July 2026 – The Ren Lab hosted Prof. Peter Xu from the University of Auckland for a week-long visit (July 2–8).

Prof. Xu visited CUHK under the Faculty Mobility Scheme, during which he collaborated with our faculty members on ongoing research. The week was filled with high-level technical discussions and knowledge exchange, further cementing the research ties between our institutions.

We thank Prof. Xu for a very productive visit and look forward to continuing our collaboration.