EdUHK showcases two major AI education tools "Technology + Humanities" supporting language learning and emotional health

The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) has long been committed to advancing education technology that integrates innovation with human-centred design. Yesterday, the University announced the application of two inventions developed by its researchers. First is a language‑learning social robot designed for nursery and primary children. In trials, the robot boosted English comprehension scores by up to 21.2% and extended attention spans by 5.43% during a 20-minutes reading session, outperforming both tablets and more mechanical-looking robots. 

The second innovation, EmoCare, is an AI-powered emotional health support application built on the positive psychology model PERMA. It helps users avoid excessive immersion in negative states by embedding positive elements into generated images and conversations, thereby supporting emotional regulation. The launch comes amid growing concern over adolescent suicides linked to unmoderated online chat rooms powered by generative AI without structured psychological safeguards.

Social Robot Joey: Supporting 2,000 Teachers and Students in Three Years

Led by Professor Susanna Yeung Siu‑sze, Associate Vice President (Quality Assurance) and Professor of the Department of Psychology at EdUHK, the Joey project has reached 2,000 teachers and pupils across more than 30 primary schools and kindergartens. Designed with expressive facial features and hand gestures, Joey engages children in interactive activities including listening, co-telling, and retelling stories, strengthening both language skills and social-emotional development.

Equipped with a content management system, Joey allows teachers to upload teaching materials and use AI to generate images, sounds, and comprehension exercises for interactive learning. The system also provides performance data to support personalised teaching. Among the 18 participating schools, 83% of teachers reported that Joey boosted pupils’ motivation and interest in English learning.

Professor Yeung said, “Governments worldwide are vigorously promoting digital education to help schools harness AI for improved learning outcomes. These initiatives underscore AI as a key direction for the future of education. We aim to maximise the educational value of social robots and will continue to invest in research and development to meet evolving needs."

Principal Ms Wong Yuen-yee and two teachers of The Women's Welfare Club (Eastern District) Nursery Hong Kong, which has adopted Joey, observed that Joey not only engages children and stimulates their interest in English, but also offers teachers valuable insights through its learning data analysis reports.

The project, funded by the Innovation and Technology Commission’s Innovation and Technology Fund for Better Living, has earned international recognition, including Gold Medals at the 2024 International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada (iCAN) and the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival (SVIIF). To advance commercialisation, the team has established a start-up, EduFuture Robotics.

EmoCare: AI-powered Application with Positive Psychology for Emotional Well-being

Developed under the leadership of Professor Song Yanjie, Associate Director of the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching and Professor of the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology, EmoCare integrates AI with the PERMA model of positive psychology. The application supports students through diary reflection, image generation, AI-assisted conversations, and emotion tracking.

Data from 700 students, including 68 with special educational needs (SEN), showed that users’ average happiness index increased by 1.881 points, a 14.6% improvement compared with the app without the PERMA model. Nearly 94% of SEN students reported improved emotional states after one month of continuous use.

Professor Song explained: “Based on these findings, we plan to strengthen support for SEN students in their pursuit of accomplishment and design interaction models that better align with their learning and emotional development.” She added that the team intends to develop a data visualisation platform to help education and psychological counselling professionals track emotional trends. The application will be promoted to schools and institutions under a B2B model for students’ use.

Educators and counsellors have welcomed EmoCare’s potential. Mr William Chow, Psychological Counsellor, highlighted its counselling value, while Mr Kam Wai Ming, Principal of HKSKH Bishop Hall Secondary School, emphasised its role in making education “warmer and more human-centred.” Professor Sin Kuen Fung, Executive Director of the Institute of Special Needs and Inclusive Education at EdUHK, noted its contribution to resilience and social inclusion.

EmoCare has been showcased at the Belt and Road International Conference on Special Education 2025 and InnoCarnival 2025. MetaAI, a start-up founded by Professor Song, is seeking industry partners to expand the application to schools in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and beyond.

­