Awardee: Ir Simon Ng Chi Wai

A new era for fire services inspection

The award-winning project, “Smart Fire Services Inspection with AI,” represents a significant step forward in the digital transformation of fire safety inspections in Hong Kong. By integrating artificial intelligence with handheld SLAM (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) scanning technology, the solution introduces a more efficient, accurate and data-driven approach to inspecting fire service installations. It demonstrates how advanced engineering innovation can directly support regulatory efficiency, construction quality and public safety.

Proprietary algorithm at the core of the solution

At the core of the system is a proprietary AI Scan-to- BIM algorithm developed in-house. The model has been trained on more than 10,000 real-world labelled images and is capable of recognising and segmenting building components from 3D point cloud data. Through a sophisticated workflow, the system converts scanned site conditions into identifiable digital elements, generates 2D masks, and projects them into 3D spatial coordinates. This enables automated comparison between as-built site conditions and the original design BIM models or statutory drawings. The result is a comprehensive and objective inspection report produced with far greater speed and consistency than traditional manual methods.

Fig. 1: The AI Scan-to-BIM algorithm

A breakthrough in engineering innovation

The innovation lies not only in automation, but in the integration of vision-based AI, 3D localisation and 3D-aware segmentation within a single inspection framework. This technical integration is supported by multiple national invention patents, underlining both its originality and engineering value. In practical terms, the solution reduces reliance on subjective judgement during inspection, improves dimensional verification, and minimises the risk of human oversight. For the engineering and construction sector, this represents an important advancement in the application of AI to compliance assurance.

Delivering tangible benefits to society

The societal benefits are equally compelling. The system reduces on-site inspection time while enhancing measurement accuracy, resulting in an overall operational efficiency improvement of approximately 30%. In addition, its fully paperless workflow supports sustainability goals by reducing paper consumption and administrative waste. More importantly, the initiative aligns closely with the Hong Kong Fire Services Department’s One-stop Coordination Office for New Fire Protection Facilities Acceptance (OFFA) initiative, which aims to shorten the fire services inspection cycle from 52 to 35 working days. The project has already been recognised by the Hong Kong Fire Services Department and has proven, through real cases, its capability to help achieve this ambitious target.

A scalable vision for Hong Kong’s smart future

“Smart Fire Services Inspection with AI” is therefore more than a technical achievement. It is a practical and scalable engineering solution that strengthens fire safety governance, enhances industry productivity, and supports Hong Kong’s continued development as a smart city.

Fig. 2: The System User Interface (UI) and reports generated

Ir Alice Chow (L) with awardee of the HKIE Grand Award - Gold Award