On June 6, Macao Polytechnic Institute’s (MPI) research patent in Big Data Application, “Canarin: A cloud-based real-time environmental monitoring system”, was invited by the University of Bologna, Italy, to be presented at the G7-Environment 2017 of the 43rd G7 Summit held in Italy, and was commended by experts and scholars from all over the world.  To promote cross-cultural / cross-country dialogue and national cooperation, interaction, unity and sustainable development, forums devoted to environment, health, transportation, culture, science, agriculture, finance, labor etc. have been convened. Professor Marcus Im, Vice President of MPI, led a delegation to attend the forum.

Canarin, being the research outcome of the teaching staff and student of the Computing Program of MPI in 2015, had won the Gold Award of the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region Universities IT Project Competition 2016, as well as the Silver Award of the 16th Asia Pacific Information and Communication Technology Alliance (APICTA) Award. The real-time environmental monitoring system can be applied to monitor the environment, especially in the protection of cultural heritage. The working principle is to apply specific algorithms at the cloud-based server to aggregate environmental factors such as PM2.5, UV radiation, atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity etc. collected through dispersed sensor nodes to provide the necessary data for developing efficient environmental policy. This intelligent way of monitoring environmental change can be used to replace the traditional fixed-point systems, and be greatly beneficial to monitor and improve the environment and air quality.
    
Recently, MPI has been invited by the University of Coimbra, with a history of over 700 years in Portugal, to install the real-time environmental monitoring system in their Joanina Library and Science Museum. At the invitation of the University of Bologna in Italy, MPI has launched the first phase of installing the real-time environmental monitoring system on 60 bicycles for collecting environmental data in the historic city of Bologna for local environmental assessment.

MPI’s research patent being invited to showcase in G7- Environment 2017 in Italy, and deployed in Portugal and Italy demonstrates the academic level of Macao Polytechnic Institute and that of the higher education institutions in Macao. This is the outcome of the vigorous support of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR and the general community of Macao.