The "Loving Baby" research team from the Institute of Special Needs and Inclusive Education (ISNIE) at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) recently won a Silver Medal at the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival 2026 in Santa Clara, California, USA.
The award-winning project, "Loving Baby: A Multi-modal Interactive Cognitive Ability and Language Enhancement System for Special Needs", is developed by Prof. SIN Kuen Fung, Executive Director of ISNIE, Dr FUNG Ka Yan, Dr LUI Tsz Leung Rick and Dr FUNG Kwong Chiu.
"Loving Baby" integrates artificial intelligence and robotic technologies to support students with special educational needs (SEN) and diverse learning needs. The system includes voice interaction, body movements, language and cognitive training, and scenario-based activities, allowing students to learn in a relaxed, interactive environment while developing their language, communication and emotional expression skills.
The team has also integrated principles of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and positive education into the system's design. Through a variety of interactive tasks, students are encouraged to actively engage, express their ideas, and share their feelings. This approach not only boosts learning motivation but also fosters positive thinking and emotional well-being. By leveraging the robot's structured yet engaging interactions, the system provides students with diverse learning needs greater opportunities to communicate and express themselves, ultimately advancing inclusive education.
"Loving Baby" is currently being deployed in various schools to support teaching and training activities. To ensure the robot adapts to diverse educational settings, the research team continuously refines the system's content and interaction modes based on students' evolving needs and real-world performance.
During SVIIF 2026, EdUHK was also invited to participate in an engagement programme hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in San Francisco. At the roundtable networking session, Dr FUNG Ka Yan showcased the “Loving Baby” project and shared its application in enhancing students’ language learning and engagement with venture capitalists and industry leaders.
Moving forward, we will continue to enhance "Loving Baby’s" interactive capabilities, driving the future of AI in inclusive education and scaling our impact across more schools and communities.