My work can be grouped into 3 categories: Strategic Design, Product Design, and work with Technology. As these largely overlap the majority of my project fall into multiple of these categories and all feature a technological aspect.
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SHELTER
Inflatable Shelter for Rough Weather Conditions
Inspired by the design of an igloo, this inflatable tent provides a robust shelter agains the harshest conditions.
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Fully Inflatable it is easy to erect in a short time, and when deflated it is compact and light weight.
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The spherical dome forms a rigid structure able to withstand the roughest winds. The double layer, air pocket insulated panels, stop wind and the cold from creeping in.
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The structure is erected from hexagonal and pentagonal panels zipped together along their edges. Using these modules the structure can be expanded to combine multiple compartments.
Below is a nighttime photo of me in the tent with a light source.
Concept Development
A tent or shelter for rough weather conditions has to meet several criteria. It has to be light weight and easy to transport.
It has to be easy to set up, avoiding having to assemble small parts while being exposed to cold weather and strong wind.
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The tent also has to be able to structurally withstand high winds and snowfall, while at the same time shielding the user from low temperatures.
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The proposed design is an inflatable dome which provides high structural rigidity, insulated walls, light weight, and easy to transport and erect.
The design consists of hexagonal and pentagonal modules that mesh together into a domed structure when inflated, but allow for easy folding when deflated.
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Each module consists of two layers of water resistant fabric separated by an inflatable tube. This creates a hollow cavity within each module that provides insulation from low temperatures and maximises the structures rigidity.
Modularity
The shelter can comfortably house 3 people. Thanks to the insulated walls body heat is enough to bring the shelter to a pleasant temperature, even when the conditions are harsh on the outside.
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As the tent retains heat and can be easily erected by one person in a couple of minutes by either using a mechanical or electrical pump the shelter can be used for emergency applications such as mountain rescue.
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Due to the modular nature of the hexagonal dome, multiple domes can be combined by zipping entrances together directly or through the use of special tunnels that zip onto the entrance opening.
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This allows a whole group of people to work together within a communal space, in situations where work has to be performed in a team, such as on a research expedition.
Assembly
The panels have an inflatable tube along their perimeter. When the tube is inflated, it separates the two walls of the panel creating the insulating air cavity.
The inflated tube gives the panel rigidity. As a result the whole structure is very robust and does not require any additional "masts" to be erected.
Testing
The shelter is the same size as a 2 person tent, but takes a significantly shorter time to put up. No assembly is required, except for the inflation using a mechanical or electrical pump.
Tested in snowy conditions in the Tatra mountains. The tent did not buckle under heavy snowfall and strong wind.
This is a photo of me reading in the tent at night. Due to the insulated panels the tent was heated by my body temperature, and stayed a comfortable temperature throughout the night despite windy and snowy conditions outside.
