Venue of the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (Osaka Kansai Expo)
Meiji Institute for Advanced Study of Mathematical Sciences (MIMS) held a workshop on stereoscopic illusions titled “Experience the world of stereoscopic illusions through seeing, touching, and experiencing: Understanding the principles allows you to create them too” on May 8 at the Playground of Life: Jellyfish Pavilion within the ongoing Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (Osaka Kansai Expo).
Stereoscopic illusions are optical phenomena where impossible movements appear to occur or objects seem to transform into different three-dimensional shapes when viewed in mirrors. This workshop was held with the aim of helping visitors understand the principles of stereoscopic illusions and learn how to create them themselves. At the venue, eight 3D-printed stereoscopic illusion works and four paper stereoscopic illusion works created by Dr. SUGIHARA Kokichi (Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the Meiji University Institute for Advanced Study of Mathematical Sciences) from the Organization for the Strategic Coordination of Research and Intellectual Properties were on display. Visitors actually touched the works and experienced the stereoscopic illusions.
Distinguished Professor Emeritus SUGIHARA Kokichi (right) explaining stereoscopic illusions to visitors
The venue was bustling throughout the event, with visitors freely picking up works to view and asking questions to Professor SUGIHARA and MIMS staff. In addition, paper craft kits that allowed participants to make their own stereoscopic illusions were distributed to those who wished to try. A total of 269 kits were taken home, indicating the high level of interest in the event.
The event was a success, sparking interest in optical illusions among many visitors and serving as a venue for disseminating the research results of MIMS in the fields of mathematics and mathematical sciences.