Hong Kong Observatory won an Award in the 13th Guangdong-Hong Kong IoT Competition

26 March 2024

The Hong Kong Observatory was awarded the Best IoT Innovation Award in the 13th Guangdong-Hong Kong IoT Competition for its project “Estimation of Standing Water Conditions at Airport Runways”. The award ceremony took place in Guangzhou on 22 March 2024.

The award-winning project of the Observatory is based on IoT data connectivity, coupled with a novel algorithm and nowcasting techniques to provide fully automated measurement and assessment of wetness conditions of the runways at the Hong Kong International Airport, for the purpose of estimating the presence of standing water on the runways. The system not only aids pilots in assessing take-off and landing performance of the runways with an aim to mitigate the risk of runway excursions by aircraft and safeguard aviation safety, but it also enables the airport to fully comply with the International Civil Aviation Organization's requirements for real-time reporting of runway surface conditions, which have been in effect since November 2021.

The 13th Guangdong-Hong Kong IoT Competition was organised under the guidance of the Office of Industry and Information Technology, Guangdong Province and the Hong Kong Office of the Government Chief Information Officer with the aim of recognising advanced IoT technology products and applications and promoting the adoption of IoT technologies by enterprises in Guangdong and Hong Kong.