Travelling westward to Tin Shui Wai, our new student Joseph CHU poured his heart and soul into upgrading his invention at his high school’s laboratory – a hands-free tracking shopping cart designed for the elderly living in Hong Kong’s neighborhoods. Come the academic year 2024/25, Joseph who admitted to the Integrative Systems and Design program (ISD) via the School Nominations Direct Admission Scheme (SNDAS), will continue to pursue his inspirational dream at HKUST. Alongside his academic pursuit, his talent is  poised to thrive through the University’s holistic education and personalized support.

Offering a flexible curriculum across disciplines, the University’s Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) has been a great appeal to students with boundless curiosity and entrepreneurial aspirations. Joining the AIS family is Joseph Chu, the inventor of the ‘hands-free tracking shopping cart’ who has decided to major in integrative systems and design.

Joseph first tasted the joy of invention in Form 2, when he was selected by his teacher to form a team of four which created their first shopping cart model. “There are many villages in the New Territories, where the elderly have to pull their shopping carts for a long distance to buy daily necessities, so I want to create an automated cart to help ease the daily hassle,” he said.

Showcasing a knack for innovation, Joseph CHU aspires to immerse himself in a vast array of knowledge through HKUST’s interdisciplinary program.

After four years, his team has dwindled to a one-man band, with his former counterparts’ ambitions changing their trajectory. “Everyone has their own goal, while I have found mine from this excursion. At different competitions, I am increasingly amazed by my peers’ brilliant creations, which have reinforced the hope that I may be able to make contributions to the world with my own invention,” he said with steely determination.

After receiving a short-term patent last year, the young inventor confronted hiccups arisen from the limited knowledge and skills he could receive in traditional classroom settings, leading to his upcoming exploration of a broader scope of knowledge at HKUST’s AIS.

Joseph finds the process of invention fulfilling as he hopes to give back to society through his own innovation one day. 

“During a former HKUST info day, I was impressed by the sharing and innovations of AIS students, some of whom have even become successful entrepreneurs,” he reminisced. The soon-to-be undergraduate now envisions following in the footsteps of his senior peers at the University in the not too distant future.

Read the original article here: https://hkust.edu.hk/news/diversity-and-equal-opportunities/hkusts-incoming-student-athletes-and-inventors-set-their