NTUST Design Department Graduation Exhibition: Benches from Recycled Ball Skins, Stools Transform into Earthquake Protective Gear
The National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST) Design Department's graduation exhibition features innovative works focusing on sustainability and disaster prevention, including stadium benches made from recycled ball skins and stools that transform into earthquake protective headgear.
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- 📰 Published: May 7, 2026 at 12:26
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Xu Zhi-wei, Taipei 7th) The National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST) Design Department held its graduation exhibition, where students incorporated sustainable concepts, repurposing discarded ball skins into new materials to create stadium benches; other students combined disaster prevention issues, transforming stools into head protective gear for earthquakes.
The 26th graduation exhibition of the NTUST Design Department opened today, with "Jie" (介) as its theme and "Rope" (繩) as its central imagery, symbolizing students' repeated struggles between freedom and norms, weaving their creative trajectories. A total of 61 works are on display, reflecting concerns for environmental sustainability, disaster safety, cultural exploration, animal friendliness, and demonstrating thinking and practice in responding to real-world problems through design.
NTUST Design Department students Huang Fang-yu and Lin Si-qin collaborated with manufacturers to experiment with disassembling, crushing, and high-density pressing to repurpose discarded ball skins into new environmentally friendly materials, creating the "Sustainable Stadium Bench RE-BOUNCE."
Huang Fang-yu told the Central News Agency that discarded balls are often seen on sports fields and are eventually incinerated. However, many of them contain plastic components. According to their research, approximately 2.77 tons of discarded balls are generated annually in schools across Taiwan. Incinerating such a large amount of waste balls can also cause air pollution, so they hope to give discarded balls a new life.
Huang Fang-yu explained that they focused on three types of balls with similar structures: volleyballs, soccer balls, and basketballs. After testing, they combined PU (polyurethane) and adhesive to create a new material, which became the seat cushions for the stadium benches. The benches are designed in three shapes—straight, curved, and right-angled—to maximize space on the field. The bottom of the benches and tables can also temporarily store sports equipment, allowing discarded ball skins to be reborn.
NTUST Design Department students Lin Qin-hao and Yuan Xu-dong started from the issue of disaster prevention, designing the "FLIP Shock-absorbing Headrest Stool." The product appears as a simple low stool, but by flipping it, it transforms into head and neck protective gear. The outer shell uses a ridge-like wavy structure to disperse impact force, and the interior uses TPU honeycomb material to enhance cushioning and breathability. It also features a luminous design, making it clearly visible in power outage environments.
Yuan Xu-dong stated that earthquakes are frequent in Taiwan, but people's homes rarely have disaster prevention equipment. The reasons include unattractiveness, space occupation, and unwillingness to spend money. Therefore, they hope to integrate disaster prevention equipment into daily life, choosing to give common stools protective functions. Normally, they can be used as stools, but during an earthquake, they can be flipped and worn on the head as protective gear. They designed four sizes, suitable for children aged 4-5 to adults. (Editor: Guan Zhong-wei) 1150507
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(Central News Agency reporter Xu Zhi-wei, Taipei 7th) The National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST) Design Department held its graduation exhibition, where students incorporated sustainable concepts, repurposing discarded ball skins into new materials to create stadium benches; other students combined disaster prevention issues, transforming stools into head protective gear for earthquakes.
The 26th graduation exhibition of the NTUST Design Department opened today, with "Jie" (介) as its theme and "Rope" (繩) as its central imagery, symbolizing students' repeated struggles between freedom and norms, weaving their creative trajectories. A total of 61 works are on display, reflecting concerns for environmental sustainability, disaster safety, cultural exploration, animal friendliness, and demonstrating thinking and practice in responding to real-world problems through design.
NTUST Design Department students Huang Fang-yu and Lin Si-qin collaborated with manufacturers to experiment with disassembling, crushing, and high-density pressing to repurpose discarded ball skins into new environmentally friendly materials, creating the "Sustainable Stadium Bench RE-BOUNCE."
Huang Fang-yu told the Central News Agency that discarded balls are often seen on sports fields and are eventually incinerated. However, many of them contain plastic components. According to their research, approximately 2.77 tons of discarded balls are generated annually in schools across Taiwan. Incinerating such a large amount of waste balls can also cause air pollution, so they hope to give discarded balls a new life.
Huang Fang-yu explained that they focused on three types of balls with similar structures: volleyballs, soccer balls, and basketballs. After testing, they combined PU (polyurethane) and adhesive to create a new material, which became the seat cushions for the stadium benches. The benches are designed in three shapes—straight, curved, and right-angled—to maximize space on the field. The bottom of the benches and tables can also temporarily store sports equipment, allowing discarded ball skins to be reborn.
NTUST Design Department students Lin Qin-hao and Yuan Xu-dong started from the issue of disaster prevention, designing the "FLIP Shock-absorbing Headrest Stool." The product appears as a simple low stool, but by flipping it, it transforms into head and neck protective gear. The outer shell uses a ridge-like wavy structure to disperse impact force, and the interior uses TPU honeycomb material to enhance cushioning and breathability. It also features a luminous design, making it clearly visible in power outage environments.
Yuan Xu-dong stated that earthquakes are frequent in Taiwan, but people's homes rarely have disaster prevention equipment. The reasons include unattractiveness, space occupation, and unwillingness to spend money. Therefore, they hope to integrate disaster prevention equipment into daily life, choosing to give common stools protective functions. Normally, they can be used as stools, but during an earthquake, they can be flipped and worn on the head as protective gear. They designed four sizes, suitable for children aged 4-5 to adults. (Editor: Guan Zhong-wei) 1150507
Choose to stand with the facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and audio-visual content on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.