Echoes of the Art and Science | 2024 TASA Key R&D Project Results

 As an important initiative to serve the discipline development of Tsinghua University and local industrial growth, TASA brings together high-quality resources from enterprises and universities to build six innovative industry development platforms for future mobility, lifestyle, fashion, health and well-being, learning and R&D, and cultural sustainability. Leveraging Tsinghua University's comprehensive disciplinary strengths, these platforms form cross-disciplinary and cross-industry R&D institutions, encourage collaborative applied research on basic research and key technologies, and output innovative products and service results, continuously providing new momentum for the new quality productive forces. Each R&D institution covers diverse industrial fields such as clothing, food, housing, transportation, and education, aiming to develop an industry-university-research integrated ecological chain of art, science innovation, and R&D. The achievements of TASA's key R&D projects in 2024 can be found in its WeChat official account, demonstrating how the innovative integration of art and science can lead us into a new world of infinite possibilities.

A New Era for Domestic Cruise Ships: Artistic Exploration of Leisure Space Design of Adora Flora City

R&D Institution: Waterfront Environment Innovation Lab, TASA

Project Leader: TU Shan, Associate Researcher of Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University and Director of Waterfront Environment Innovation Lab, TASA

R&D Team Members: XU Guobin, OUYANG Haili, ZHAO Hang, FAN Jingyu

Cruise Ship Adora Flora City

Adora Flora City is the second large-scale cruise ship built in China by Adora Cruises, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation. Inspired by Guangzhou Flora City, this cruise ship not only represents a new milestone in China's cruise manufacturing industry, but also marks the beginning of a new journey in leisure and space design for Adora Cruises. Compared with the first domestic cruise ship Adora Magic City, Adora Flora City has a larger gross tonnage, a longer length, and more cabins (2,130) which can accommodate a total of 5,232 passengers. It is expected to be delivered by the end of 2026. Adora Flora City has optimized the design and layout, doubling the size of the atrium and expanding the public area to provide a more comfortable and relaxed cruise experience.

After completing the artistic furnishing design of Adora Magic City, the cruise design research team of TASA Waterfront Environment Innovation Lab continued to participate in the leisure space design of Adora Flora City, which marks a further deepening of the team in the field of cruise ship design. Under the framework of international multi-party cooperation, the team successfully advanced the design program to ensure that the multiple needs of the shipyard, shipowner, and design regulatory authorities were met.

In the design of Adora Flora City, the team introduced an open multifunctional social space, integrating elements of the Maritime Silk Road and Lingnan culture. Moreover, with the design theme of flowers, a vibrant and creative space, Sea Street Garden, was created. This space combines performance, relaxation, social interaction, and cafe culture to provide passengers with an immersive, relaxing, and enjoyable leisure experience at sea through scenes that vary by time. In the design of Adora Magic City, the team enhanced the artistry and interactivity of the public space through original artwork, sculpture, and graffiti, highlighting the theme of the Maritime Silk Road.

Adoption of leisure space design program in the cruise scenario

Through the Adora Flora City project, the cruise design research team of the Waterfront Environment Innovation Lab, TASA has successfully integrated traditional Chinese culture with modern cruise ship design, creating a leisure space with both cultural and modern nature. The design not only enhances the comfort and interactivity of the cruise ship, but also provides passengers with a diversified cultural experience.

Cruise Ship Adora Flora City

Time Travel with AI | The Night Revels of Han Xizai AI Immersive Experience Exhibition

Project Director: LU Xiaobo, Senior Professor of Liberal Arts, Tsinghua University

Project Leader: JU Yao, Postdoctoral Fellow of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University

AI Technical Director: JIANG Jie, CTO of Himalaya

VR Technical Director: ZHAO Rui, Chairman of Original Force

VR Production Director: CHEN Dong, CTO of Original Force

Dance Movement Director: TIAN Tian, Associate Professor of Beijing Dance Academy

Pipa Music Director: ZENG Jiayang, ICH Inheritor of Nanyin Pipa

The Night Revels of Han Xizai AI Immersive Digital Painting Exhibition project is a virtual digital painting exhibition that integrates VR scenarios with AI dialogue. It was a collaborative effort involving over 100 members from 19 organizations, including the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, TASA, Tsinghua University-Tsingshang Joint Institute for Smart Scene Innovation Design, Original Force, Himalaya, Yesvision, Muyunji Cultural Technology, and others, spanning two years. The work uses VR technology to recreate the characters and situations in The Night Revels of Han Xizai and employs AI technology to revive the painter Gu Hongzhong. The AI painter guides viewers back to the residence of Han Xizai in the Southern Tang Dynasty, where they can appreciate the ritual and music culture together. Supported by technology, a unique art appreciation method is constructed to better analyze ancient Chinese paintings and the traditional Chinese culture behind them.

CAI Wu, the then Minister of Culture of the People's Republic of China, ZHU Tong, Vice Chairman of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and LYU Zhangshen, the then Curator of the National Museum of China, congratulated the project on its successful completion. They hoped that the research results would be practically applied in museums and art galleries as soon as possible to facilitate the people to fully experience traditional Chinese culture through technology. XU Li, the then Secretary General of the China Artists Association, remarked that the Night Revels of Han Xizai AI Immersive Digital Painting Exhibition represents a deep integration of cultural heritage and innovation, a positive response to the national strategy of building a cultural power and an important initiative to promote the creative transformation and innovative development of excellent traditional Chinese culture.

Using VR technology, the artwork reconstructs the entire scene of The Night Revels of Han Xizai within a three-dimensional space. Based on extensive research on painting imagery, historical verification, and comparisons with unearthed artifacts, it creates 37 digital virtual characters, among which the painter Gu Hongzhong is an AI digital human capable of engaging in free Q&A with viewers through customized language model training. Furthermore, each item within the painting can trigger more detailed graphic and textual introductions, allowing viewers to explore progressively through interactive actions, gradually build a knowledge graph behind the painting's imagery, and thereby understand the cultural symbols and connotations it bears.

The Night Revels of Han Xizai

Infinite Sea — Immersive AI Digital Art Exhibition

Project Development Team: Public Art Team and Visual Communication Team, TASA

Team Members: YOU Xiaotong, XU Ying, CUI Yawen, MA Jiabao

The exhibition is co-organized by TASA, Inspur Intelligent Terminal Co., Ltd., Goldon Digital Creative Co., Ltd., and Shandong Art Museum. The creative planning scheme of this project is undertaken by TASA's Public Art Team and Visual Communication Team.

Photos of the Infinite Sea Exhibition Site

This exhibition, adhering to the integration of art, innovation, and technology, adopts cutting-edge digital art techniques. Centering on the theme of the five-dimensional ocean, it is organized into five sections (the Sea of Life, the Sea of Civilization, the Sea of Reality, the Sea of Time, and the Sea of Ideas). These sections highlight the sea's far-reaching significance as the cradle of life while also conveying people's exploration and reflection on life, the universe, and the inner self. The exhibition also incorporates cutting-edge digital technology and AI interactive art means, breaking the limitations of space and time. It leads the viewers on a sea-themed cross-dimensional journey to explore the mysteries of the sea, re-feel its awe-inspiring impact, and unveil a sea aesthetic feast that transcends space and time and breaks down the dimensions and boundaries.

Press Release of Infinite Sea

First unveiled in July 2024 at the Shandong Art Museum, the exhibition has so far attracted 150,000 viewers on-site and garnered over 100 million searches online. It has become a focal point for both social media and mainstream news outlets, and is scheduled for a national tour. This project represents TASA's first foray into the digital culture and art sector with its in-house team, bringing fresh and innovative energy to the development of the local digital industry and cultural ecosystem.