26 Sep 2024
From 20 to 22 September, the World Industrial Design Conference 2024 was held in Yantai, Shandong Province. Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University's Design School was invited to the conference together with domestic and international leading enterprises, design organisations, universities and institutes, and industry experts, to focus on the cutting-edge trends and industrial development opportunities of industrial design, and discuss the future of industry development.
XJTLU Design School attended the Opening Ceremony, Industrial Design Lecture , Preparatory Meeting of World Industrial Design Association, and showcased the installation “Steel Fusion 2.0” and student works in the exhibition.
At the opening ceremony, Professor Marc Aurel Schnabel, Dean of the Design School, delivered his opening speech via video. He said that new technologies, especially artificial intelligence, is presenting fantastic challenges to the design industry.
“This conference has attendees from all over the world who bring together different cultural backgrounds and identities, and I'm excited to exchange our ideas and bring forward the industry,” he said.
Later, Professor Schnabel also gave a keynote speech themed “Immersive Industrial Design Legacies: Intelligent Design Creativity” during the Industrial Design Lecture session.
XJTLU’s exhibition booth was designed by Dr Cheng-Hung Lo, Head of the Department of Industrial Design, and PhD student Yunpeng Xiang.
Xiang explains: “We reinterpreted the elements of Suzhou gardens using geometric forms. The entrance incorporates motifs from traditional lattice windows and ancient city walls, cleverly resembling the Design School’s logo. The characters are placed at the top to emulate the graceful upturned eaves of gray-tiled roofs.
“Inside the exhibition, geometric rock formations function as both dividers and display stands, working together to evoke the ambiance of a futuristic Suzhou garden. The pathway weaves through the space like a walk in a miniature landscape, with each turn revealing new perspectives, inviting visitors to explore and immerse themselves in a calm, leisurely experience.”
The exhibition showcased the installation “Steel Fusion 2.0” designed by Dr Leyuan jiang and Dr Yang Song from the Department of Architecture, which showcased human-machine synergy crafting the future of architecture.
Steel Fusion 2.0 pavilion explores cognitive processes in construction projects, emphasizing how advanced tools and technologies can fundamentally change our design and construction methods. The project also investigates the symbiotic relationship between artificial intelligence (AI), advanced digital construction, and innovation, demonstrating how these advancements enable us to turn imagined concepts into tangible reality.
Through the actual construction of the Steel Fusion 2.0 pavilion, we delve deeper into the virtual world and the reality, showcasing how artificial intelligence, robotic construction methods, and augmented reality (AR) technology enhance our ability to create innovative solutions and shape future building environments. Steel Fusion 2.0 pavilion not only showed the amazing appearance, but also demonstrated the high research and practice potentials behind it.
Apart from the exhibition, Industrial Design student works were also showcased, including “Farmtopic” by Hongfei Xu, “D-Ti Design Type Indicator” by Sijia Li, “Hydroren” by Yuheng Tao, “Try not to forget” by Kexin Ji, “LOVE.Kit” by Chentong Huang, “Baji” by Yanchi Wang, “Realinker” by Zekai Wang, “Smart Vest for Children's Posture Correction” by Ran Tao, “Posture-adapted Cushion” by Thanut Hariraksa, etc.
By Yi Qian
26 Sep 2024