The Observatory's first patented invention

23 April 2009

The Hong Kong Observatory has successfully registered a patent in Hong Kong for its in-house developed "Heat Stress Monitoring System" on 17 April 2009. This is the first patented scientific invention of the Observatory, marking a milestone in the Observatory's pursue of scientific excellence. It is also a testimony to the team spirit, proactiveness and innovation of the Observatory's staff.

The Observatory started the development of the "Heat Stress Monitoring System" in September 2005 for providing heat stress information for the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events. Through the dedicated effort of the Observatory's staff, the system has undergone phases of improvement during the development. The final product not only fulfills the ISO 7243 standards for heat stress measurement, but also incorporates an additional solar radiation measurement unit and real-time data quality monitoring technology to enhance data quality. Furthermore, the system is environmentally friendly as it operates on solar energy. It also employs wireless communication technology and the Global Positioning System (GPS) such that it is able to provide real-time heat stress information at any places that are covered by the mobile telephone network.

Figure 1The Certificate of Grant of Patent for the "Heat Stress Monitoring System"

Figure 2The Observatory's in-house developed "Heat Stress Monitoring System"