Symposium on Advances in Origami was successfully held from January 8th to 9th, 2024 in Tianjin University, Tianjin, China. The symposium was co-organized by Professor Zhong You from the University of Oxford, Professor Yan Chen and Jiayao Ma from Tianjin University. This symposium brought together Professor Evgueni Filipov from University of Michigan, Professor Joe Gattas from the University of Queensland, Professor Kazuya Saito from Kyushu University, Professor Martin Walker from the University of Surrey, Professor Qingkun Liu from Shanghai Jiaotong University, Professor Fufu Yang from Fuzhou University, Professor Yang Li from Wuhan University, all members from Motion Structure Laboratory (MSL), as well as students from Shanghai Jiaotong University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Wuhan University, and Hebei University of Technology.

        During the two-day symposium, participants actively communicated and exchanged the latest research achievements in origami. First, Professor Yan Chen gave a fascinating presentation entitled “Origami Engineering in Motion Structures Laboratory” to introduce the recent outcomes in origami of the laboratory. Then Professors Evgueni Filipov, Joe Gattas, Kazuya Saito, Martin Walker and Zhong You gave interesting lectures on “Mechanics and Design for Origami at Multiple Scales”, “Deployable and Portable Structures Developed Origami-Inspired Design and Folded Assembly Techniques”, “Bioinspired Deployable Structure”, “Spherical Image Analysis and the ‘Origamisation’ of Shell Mechanics” and “From Single DOF Miura-ori to a Reconfigurable Origami Tessellation”, respectively. Participants engaged in-depth discussion and communication about theoretical exploration, engineering application, and future development.

        This symposium not only invited international leading experts to deliver splendid talks, but also offered a valuable opportunity for the MS members to present the latest research outcomes. Research Associate Xiao Zhang, Dr Yuanqing Gu, Ph. D students Weiqi Liu, Kaili Xi, Zhibo Wei, Mengyue Li, and Sibo Chai shared their research in thick panel origami, reconfigurable modular origami, curved-crease origami, and origami-inspired metamaterial, which were highly recognized by the experts.

        During the symposium, the participants also visited MSL, and gained deep insights into the novel design and research achievements in origami.

        This symposium has built an international platform for the researchers in origami engineering to communicate and collaborate, and will further push the development of origami structures in basic theory and engineering applications.