images courtesy Jun Mitani | click to enlarge
Sure, origami might be the traditional Japanese art of paper folding that dates back to the 17th century. But in the hands of computer scientist and engineer Jun Mitani, the ancient art form has never been more modern.
When he’s not giving lectures on non-numerical processing algorithms and other subject I won’t even pretend to grasp, the PhD professor at Tsukuba University is using his background in precision machine engineering to create computer models and algorithms that generate complex, geometric origami patterns. And although his process is steeped in technology, the folding is done just as it was back in the 1600s – all by hand. I can’t even begin to imagine what that was like.
You might remember Mitani from 2 years ago when he collaborated with fashion designer Issey Miyake on a line of foldable, origami-like clothing.
source: origami blog | Jun Mitani’s flickr stream
January 8, 2013 at 7:11 am
I love your blog. I currently live in Tokyo, and I write about Japanese culture, and your posts are incredibly inspiring.
January 8, 2013 at 10:12 am
@Vivian – thanks! so nice to be in touch with you!
January 8, 2013 at 6:15 pm
fabulous designs.
Thank you so much for sharing I forwarded your site to my computer techie son and his family (all 4 techies).
Do you accept guest author posts? If so what topics or topic areas would be most helpful for your readers?
Elaine
January 9, 2013 at 12:31 pm
@Elaine – we don’t typically have guest authors but we are always looking for regular contributors to write about Japanese art & design
January 9, 2013 at 12:16 pm
SmartWaterBomb by Chapman was created in 2007. This model by JunMantani looks strangely similar and more inflated too.
Check it out to see what I mean: http://origami.oschene.com/archives/2007/03/24/lead-foot-melvin-and-the-smart-waterbomb/