Spooktacular Nights: Robotics Team Haunts Tram Depot

The EdUHK robotics team often participates in various robot design competitions and information and communications technology (ICT) events, but this time, team members were found in an unusual place. They painted their faces white, put on Halloween costumes, and disguised themselves as captains, mechanics, depot managers and ticket checkers at the Hong Kong Tramway's Whitty Street Depot during the Shadow Depot Halloween Event (夜闖異廠) held from 25 to 31 October 2024. Over seven nights, instead of controlling their robots as usual, team members spent Halloween with citizens in a depot-transformed escape room.

Participants who entered the eerie, creepy space of the empty depot were given two hours to escape. To do so, they needed to use teamwork and creative thinking to discover clues, decipher codes, solve logical problems, and complete tasks at six different stations located on tram cars, in the maintenance bays, monitor room, etc. In the two months leading up to the event, Cloof Siu Chun-ping, Jimmy Chan Ming-kit and Eric Ng Chun-kit from the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology (MIT), along with students from other local universities, were invited by the tram company to design game flow, produce game mechanisms, and create props used in various locations.

“We used our AI and ICT knowledge to design devices and mechanisms at four stations. At one station, players were given clues to identify and then place the correct record onto the reader. Behind the scenes, our team attached a Near Field Communication (NFC) chip to dozens of records, and produced the NFC-enabled record reader using a 3D-printer at the school. We also employed generative AI to create paintings embedding clues for solving puzzles at another station. To establish a chilling ambience on-site, my team used generative AI to produce spooky background music,” Cloof explained.

The escape game was based on a story created by local online writer Blue Orange (藍橘子). Different characters such as tram captain, ticket checker, mechanic, engineer, and depot manager presented puzzles for players to solve. “Besides designing the games and providing technical support, we also portrayed these characters at the depot,” Cloof explained. In addition to the three core members of the project, Cloof, Jimmy, and Eric, other students provided logistics support and acted out the haunted story at the depot. All of them were students in the Bachelor of Education (Honours) (Secondary) - Information and Communication Technology (BEd(S)-ICT) programme.

Louis Li, a first-year student of the BEd(S)-ICT programme from Chengdu in Sichuan Province, provided backend support for the project by sourcing and creating game parts. He also dressed in black to work as an extra at the depot during the escape event. “There isn’t any Halloween culture in my city, so this was my first time experiencing it in Hong Kong. It was quite an experience working in such a haunted setting. I was impressed by the team spirit in solving technical problems throughout the project,” he fondly recalled.

The contributions from MIT were greatly appreciated by Hong Kong Tramway. “Their professionalism, quick thinking, and technical expertise were evident at every stage of development and operation. From 3D printing and programming to robotics and electronic engineering, Jimmy, Cloof, and Eric designed sophisticated mechanisms and props that significantly enhanced the event’s interactive elements,” said Mr Joseph Lin, Head of Academic Affairs at Tramplus. Tramplus is a subsidiary set up by the tram company to promote STEM education in the city.

Dr Henry So Chi-fuk from MIT, advisor to the robotics team, was delighted with his students’ contributions to the community. “It was Hong Kong’s first-ever Halloween night and escape room event held at a tram depot. The event was a big success, and our student teams received appreciation from the tram company. Cloof and his team are big fans of robotics and AI technology. I am glad that they not only applied their IT and STEM knowledge in this project, but also enjoyed participating in it through their character roles.”

Cloof stated that “Ding Ding”, the affectionate name for trams among locals, is one of the oldest forms of public transport in the city, and for this reason, it has become a symbol of Hong Kong's rich history and cultural heritage. “Even though it was a tiring project, we felt excited to see citizens enjoy the event. What’s more, we are proud to play a part in promoting tram culture, even if we only played a small role,” he said.