Entrance to the Central Hall of the Shanghai Exhibition Center

On April 16th, the 5th University Student Art Exhibition was held in the Shanghai Exhibition Centre by the Ministry of Education and Shanghai Municipal People’s Government. The University Student Art Exhibition is currently the highest-profile, largest-scale and most influential university art event in our country. This year, the event introduced a new section named University Student Practical Art Workshop, which attracted highly creative products from 47 schools across the nation. The ZJU “Origami Robot Workshop” made a stunning display at this exhibition.

Workshop supervisor Prof. Sun Lingyun introducing the workshop to Assistant Minister of Education Liu Dawei and Shanghai Deputy Mayor Weng Tiehui

Assistant Minister of Education Liu Dawei visited the workshop accompanied by Shanghai Deputy Mayor Weng Tiehui and Director of the Department of Sports Health and Art Education Wang Dengfeng. Professor Sun Lingyun of Zhejiang University mentioned in the introduction that “The origami robot is a robot that creates motion through folding of paper, motor drive and programming control. The origami robot workshop incorporates design methods, programming skills, mechanical principles and folding techniques. The lightweight, expandable, malleable and highly personalized features of this robot are a new paradigm for innovative thinking training for students.”

Group photo of workshop members   

“This exhibition collects the best products of our workshop from the past 2 years. The origami workshop was first introduced to exchange students from our school to Singapore University of Technology and Design by Professor Wang Guanyun and Tao Zhi back in the summer of 2017. The theme of the workshop is bionic. Students are required to observe the biological world, analyze their patterns of movement and simulate the movements through origami. This year, the theme of the workshop is dynamic geometry. Students are asked to explore the deformation of geometric bodies and apply it an origami structure. These practices effectively train the students’ creative thinking and their expression of design ideas.” Said Zuo Kui, planner of exhibition, to the reporter.

Planner of exhibition Zuo Kui interviewed by reporters

Visitors getting hands-on experience with origami production

  Guests and viewers at the workshop

Product on display

The exhibition will be on display until April 21th at Central Hall of the Shanghai Exhibition Center (延安中路1000号上海展览中心中央大厅). Visitors are welcome at the site to gain hands-on experience with origami robots.

This workshop is part of Design of Information Products (DIP), a third-year undergraduate course by Design Institute of Zhejiang University. The course ends with a conceptual release conference, where students will be asked to present their product to the public. This year’s conference will be held in Zijingang Theatre on June 27th at 7pm. Please follow this official account for follow-ups on this course.

Supervisor Team

Professor Sun Lingyun, Associate Professor Chen Shifu, Instructor Yang Ying

Dr. Wang Guanyun, Dr. Tao Zhi

Teaching-Assistant Team

Xie Xinhang, Zuo Kui, Zhou Zhibin, Lu Yujia, Zhang Rui, Zhang Caowei, Liu Xin, Li Xuan, Tang Chuqi, Han Jiupo, Wu Fan, Liu Yun, Shi Tuo

Planner of Exhibition

Zuo Kui

Expansion Team

Zuo Kui, Lu Yujia, Zhou Zhibin, Xie Xinhang, Zhang Rui, Li Haotian, Feng Shoubo, Xu Xiaoxue, Zhang Jiahui, Ying Xiayin, Cai Guangxi, Shen Liuyi, Zhang Ningyi, Lin Qiuxia, Edgar, Ji Yue, Zhou YaNan, Huang Jiawen, Gong Qing, Ali, Ye Wei, Shu Tieli