The post Pop-Up Prefab Porch Shelter first appeared on Dornob.

Looking at the design, it’s clear from the outset that the Portless Catamaran isn’t going to win any awards for aesthetics or speed. Then again, that’s not really the point of this ultra-lightweight vessel. It’s a big step up from a simple raft, or even the kind of small, sub-$10K boat you might tow with a trailer. You could try to cram a lot of occupants on either of those, but it won’t be safe, and it definitely won’t be comfortable. The Portless Catamaran, on the other hand, has enough lounging surfaces to go around.

The inflatable catamaran comes in two sizes: a smaller standard version measuring 14.8 feet long that can support four to six people, and the larger Deluxe Catamaran that measures 19.7 feet long and is safe for up to eight occupants. Unlike the kind of folding fabric shade top seen on many pleasure crafts, this catamaran’s “roof” is strong enough to use as a second deck. The main deck of the standard size model measures 97 square feet, and the upper deck offers 32 square feet while holding up to 350 pounds. Ladder-like steps built into the side wall offer access from below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djc8Q-bnePM

The standard size Portless Catamaran starts out as a compact 265-pound package that fits in the trunk of a car. You’ll definitely need a few people to get it in and out, but what other kind of boat can be transported to the water in a Kia sedan? You’ll probably need a trailer to transport the larger version, since it weighs 772 pounds, but the Deluxe still breaks down into four pieces that zip together. The creators say you can get the standard size out of your vehicle, inflated, and launched in less than 10 minutes, while the deluxe takes about 20.

The vessel is made with the same type of materials and construction as inflatable paddle boards, equipped with a small 1-kilowatt Epropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus electric outboard motor and lithium-polymer battery powered by a flexible solar panel. It’s not clear exactly how much of a range you’d get with those specs, but it’s probably safe to say you shouldn’t plan to cruise around for hours on end.

Okay, so the experience probably doesn’t come close to a day out on a billionaire’s superyacht, but the Portless Catamaran still looks extremely fun to use. The motor will definitely allow you to jet out to the open water to find a prime spot away from the crowds for swimming, diving, sunbathing, and whatever else you might get up to. With prices starting at $12,375 for the standard Portless Catamaran and $23,750 for the Deluxe, it’s reasonably affordable, too, and it could even work for people who don’t have a garage or driveway to store it.

The post Portless Catamaran: Inflatable Party Boat Packs Down to Fit in Your Trunk first appeared on Dornob.

The precision of this installation was no mistake. The architects went to great lengths to make sure their creations felt like a natural part of the forest, as if the tents were giant drops of water that landed there and remained frozen in place. The design process began with 3D scans of the natural environment, which mapped the position, size, and shape of each tree down to the tiniest details. Yuko Nagayama Associates then determined how their massive teardrops could fit in the available spaces without disturbing the natural setting.

The architects wanted their tents to enhance and reflect the surrounding trees while also maintaining their own dramatic presence. Standing more than 30 feet high, each of the three inflatable tents faces a different direction, its pointed tip visible from a distance. For those inside the tents, the not-quite-transparent material blurs the forest without blocking it out, lending the experience a surreal, dreamlike effect. The pointed shape encourages visitors to look straight up at the canopy and the sky.

Each of the three tents has a different function. One is for sleeping, one is for gathering, and one is for solitary study or contemplation. Visitors were invited to stay in them overnight, their sleeping bags providing their only cover in a place where privacy is hard to come by.

The event took place at Kiyoharu Art Colony, which was established on the former site of an elementary school in 1983. The village includes museums, studios, restaurants, and shops set among birch trees and Yoshino cherry trees, with arts exhibitions taking place indoors and out.

Architectural works on site include creations by famous architects, including the Museum of Light by Tadao Ando, where exhibited pieces interact with natural light; the Kiyoharu Shirabaka Art Museum by Yoshio Taniguchi; the studio of painter Ryuzaburo Umehara created by Isoya Yoshida; and even a portion of the original stairs from the Eiffel Tower. One of the most popular features on the grounds is the Tetsu “treehouse teahouse” created by architect Terunobu Fujimori, which stands on a central pillar of an 80-year-old Japanese cypress and hovers four meters above the ground.

On Instagram, Yuko Nagayama Associates revealed that they weren’t quite ready to move on from their unusual teardrop tents once Hokuto Art Program ed.1 was over. For lead architect Yuko Nagayama’s birthday, the firm commissioned a special cake from Katsutadai cake shop VIN ROSE that captured the scene in sugar, matcha powder, and little birch trees made of pasta.

The post Translucent Tents by Yuko Nagayama Look Like Giant Teardrops in the Forest first appeared on Dornob.

Created by artists Ella and Nicki, Hugh Broughton Architects, Professor Lucy Berthoud, Dr. Bob Myhill, PEARCE+, and public input, Mars House features an inflatable gold foil structure designed to sit on the surface of the red planet, and a subterranean level beneath it. The prototype is currently on display in the English city of Bristol along with a four-month public program of workshops, events, and research that will ultimately help determine what the interiors of the house look like. For now, it’s just a shell providing space for small research groups to collaborate on projects that help us envision what a future life on Mars could look like.

“The two-story 53-square-meter house is powered by solar panels and designed to be lightweight and withstand the environmental challenges that would be faced on Mars — such as average temperatures of -63 degree Centigrade and exposure to galactic and cosmic radiation,” says PEARCE+ Architects. “The upper level is designed to sit on the Martian landscape and is formed using a pressurized inflatable gold-coated foil, making it lightweight enough to be transported to Mars.”

The architects note that: “in Bristol the foil is filled with air so it can be reused, but on Mars it would be filled with Martian concrete made of regolith (soil) and the water found below the surface, to provide protection from galactic and solar radiation. The house has a glazed elevation, with views towards Bristol’s Princes Wharf standing in for the Martian landscape. Inside, a hydroponic living room is designed to surround occupants with plants to aid relaxation. This will feed into a circular waste water system linking the plants with the ablutions and kitchen water systems.”

The entirety of the structure can currently be seen above-ground in the Martian House’s Bristol location, so we can imagine what the underground portion would look like as well. This area would occupy lava tubes that naturally exist beneath the surface of Mars, protecting inhabitants from high levels of radiation. It contains an environmental control room that houses all life support systems for the house, two tiny bedroom pods, a shower, and a low-water “Martian loo.”

All those who interact with the project in person will be welcomed to contribute to the design of its interior components, which include everything from furniture and appliances all the way down to toothbrushes. This level of public participation turbo-charges creativity, introducing a wide range of ideas that might just help us figure out real-world solutions for our quest to populate the most promising planet in our solar system. Check out the schedule of events lasting throughout the rest of October here.

The post Building a Martian House: Inflatable Installation Explores the Possibility of Life in Space first appeared on Dornob.

For starters, most tents are designed for outdoor adventures, but they could have many more uses with just a few tweaks. The “Crucoon,” a cocoon-style tent by Crua, adds one major feature to a standard tent: the ability to block out the world around you. Instead of thin nylon, it’s topped with an insulated cover that reduces the transmission of both light and sound while still keeping out the elements. On top of that, it’s inflatable, so you don’t even have to assemble tent poles.

The design sort of looks like somebody tossed their down sleeping bag over their tent to darken the interior — but the reality is much better than that. The air beam construction means you can set up the Crucoon in less than 60 seconds with a manual air pump. It has two doors for versatility and ventilation holes covered in insect mesh for fresh air. The insulation is covered in rip-stop nylon, treated with durable water repellent, and infused with graphene, a lightweight, durable, breathable, and antibacterial thermo-regulator.

Crua is best known for previously designing an insulated tent, which itself can be surprisingly hard to find. The company envisions Crucoon being used for all kinds of different purposes: as a nap pod, a play space for kids, a study room, or a tent for camping in super cold conditions (though they recommend covering it with a tarp or another tent in rainy weather, since it’s not completely waterproof). You could set it up on top of a bed in a shared hostel room for darkness and privacy, or use it as a warm and cozy emergency shelter inside your home if the power goes out in a winter storm. There’s also another potential use for the Crucoon that Crua doesn’t specifically call out: as a dark, quiet place for people with autism to self-soothe.

“When I designed the first Crua tent in 2014 it was simply out of necessity,” says Derek O’Sullivan, founder and CEO of Crua. “I couldn’t find a tent that offered me any reasonable level of insulation. I wanted a correctly insulated tent so that my family’s camping experience could be a memorable one. From that first tent, spawned several new insulated tents in all shapes and sizes. From a 5 to 6 person ‘Family’ tent to the ‘Solo’ individual insulated tent. Now, we are moving beyond just the tent. We would like to introduce you to the Crucoon… this is not just a tent, it’s so much more. It’s your private space when you are on the go. There is practically no end to where the Crucoon can go. We can’t wait to get these into your hands and see all the places you’ll go with the Crucoon!”

The Crucoon can be purchased alone or with the Full Kit, which includes one customized self-inflating mattress and two graphene-infused sleeping bags. The mattress can either be zipped together into one extra-plush sleeping pad, laid out flat as a double mattress, or unzipped as two separate single mattresses. When it’s in double mode, it can be inserted into a zippered compartment in the Crucoon’s base. The sleeping bags can also be zipped together, and feature hoods and hidden pockets. In the near future, Crua plans to offer other add-ons like a rain fly, tarp, and inflatable pillow.

The Crucoon recently raised over $170,000 in crowdfunding on Kickstarter, with backers getting special early bird pricing and access, but it’ll also be available at a retail price of $499 later this year.

The post Crucoon: Insulated Tent Blocks Light and Sound to Provide a Safe Space Anywhere You Go first appeared on Dornob.

Co-designed and built with teachers and 44 students from Haroun Tazieff high school in Saint-Paul-lés-Dax, France, ProtoCAMPO is the third iteration of a building technique developed by Frédérique Barchelard and Flavien Menu, themselves former fellows of Villa Medici (2019-2020). The first was the Proto-Habitat, built during their stay in Rome, and the second was the SOLARproto, a 300-square-meter exhibition space built in Amsterdam. ProtoCAMPO takes those concepts and builds upon them, tailored to its unique environment and purpose in one of the city’s most beautifully preserved Renaissance palaces — not to mention home to The French Academy in Rome.

“ProtoCAMPO is both low-tech and high-tech,” explain the designers. “Low tech, as it is assembled by hand using traditional and basic carpentry and joinery assemblage techniques to build up the prefabricated timber pieces. High-tech, in the conception of the inflatable cupola that can be implemented in less than an hour to unfold a six-meter diameter dome weighing only 300 kilograms. protoCAMPO subtly plays with the rhythm of the Villa Medici’s garden framing views of the 200-year-old pine trees and the historic villa. The repetitive timber structure echoes the Renaissance grid structure of the garden being both classical and wild. The dialogue between the pavilion and the surrounding nature evolves over the day, playing with the sun’s path and the rhythm of the garden.”

The cupola of the pavilion shelters up to 350 occupants while remaining open to the sun and wind, and the wooden base is sturdy enough to withstand heavy traffic. In the first week of the festival, protoCAMPO welcomed 300 high school students as part of the Residence Pro educational program developed by Villa Medici with the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region. Now, it’s hosting events, concerts, dinners, shows, and some of the villa’s cultural events for the remainder of the year. Like WALD’s other “proto-architecture” projects, it’s prefabricated, locally sourced, and modular, so it can be quickly assembled and disassembled. No word yet on how it will be used next.

Located near Rome’s famous Spanish Steps, the Villa Medici was designed by Bartolomeo Ammanati and built by Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando de Medici in the 16th century as an estate and open-air museum celebrating the Medici family’s influence in Rome. Its grounds include Roman bas-reliefs and statues, botanical gardens, formal gardens, and palatial architecture. In 1803, it became home to The French Academy in Rome, which aims to welcome artists, creators, and art historians in residence, curate cultural and artistic programs, and conserve the palace’s architectural and landscape heritage.

The post ProtoCAMPO: An Inflatable Dome-Shaped Pavilion for the Villa Medici in Rome first appeared on Dornob.

Made of waterproof and fire-resistant fabric in bright white, the tent is made to stand out. During the day, it looks like a small cabin vividly visible against a backdrop of dark woods. At night, when it’s illuminated from the inside, it glows like a lantern. So whether you’re heading off on a hike or just trying to pee at 3 a.m., you’ll always be able to find your way back to your cozy nest. Yibei describes it as a “cloud,” as if you pulled a wisp of a shelter down from the sky and set it down in your ideal camping spot.

The inflatable tent boasts a simple shape with a triangular roof and rectangular body. Made of 210D Oxford polyester with polyurethane coating on the fabric and seams, it’s durable enough to use in most weather conditions, including rain. Instead of unwieldy and annoying poles, the tent is held up by its airframe made of flexible, flat-pack TPU pipes that expand to 120 millimeters when inflated. The frame is designed to mimic the columns and beams of an actual stick-framed house. The tent also expands to an impressive 8 feet by 7 feet with a much higher ceiling than you’d normally get in a traditional tent, making it feel even more like a hut or cabin.

The best part of all might just be the tent’s many generously-sized windows. One giant window on each side can be opened to the fresh air, with insect screens to protect you from bugs, of course. The tent even has two huge skylights for stargazing after dark. The result is a space that feels fully connected to your outdoor setting while maintaining protection from the elements. The large size also means you can stand up to change in private, or set up a table and chairs to dine indoors in inclement weather.

Yibei explains that “when you enter the cozy white space, the ceiling is high and the room wrapped in white fabric is very bright. Opening windows on all sides connects the inside and outside, blurring the boundaries. In the forest, you can just hear the trees blowing in the wind, the chirping of birds, and the smell of wood and earth. The sound of the waves and the scent of the tide create a pleasant time on the beach. When it gets dark, close the windows and turn on the lights, and you’ll be able to relax in the comfort of your own warm home.”

The Air Architecture inflatable tent comes in a portable carry bag and can be inflated with any standard battery-powered air pump. The one downside may be that it takes a full eight minutes to fully inflate, which could drain the battery quickly. It’s also likely that the tent will slowly start to sag after a while if you set it up for a long trip, but if that happens, all it takes is a quick top-off of air through the tent’s valve.

Alas, if you’re chomping at the bit to hit “add to cart,” the tent is currently only available in Japan at Tsutaya Home Appliances+, so it might be a little hard to get your hands on in other countries.

The post Air Architecture’s House-Shaped Inflatable Tent is a Perfect Home Away from Home first appeared on Dornob.

As you can see, the Pontos looks a lot like a tent in the shape of a kayak. It has a similar lightweight frame sheathed in waterproof nylon and an inflatable seat that closely resembles a sleeping pad. That was part of the inspiration behind this unique design. The creators wanted performance on the water and packability on land, perfect for traveling or impulsive paddles after work. And it doesn’t just fit inside your car – it fits in your closet, suitcase, and even your backpack, just one-third the size and weight of the next-smallest portable kayak when packed down.

“We believe that the benefits of outdoor recreation and a connection with nature should be available to everyone, and we’re here to help knock down some traditional barriers,” the creators write on Indiegogo. “For paddle sports, those barriers are often storing, transporting, and deploying your vessel. We’ve simplified all of these by combining the concept of a skin on frame boat with new durable lightweight materials. At just seven pounds, Pontos kayaks are far lighter than existing folding and inflatable kayak options, which weigh anywhere from 20 to 45+ pounds, and [they’re] more affordable, too! With a pack down size similar to a two person tent, Pontos is the first truly packable kayak.”

Naturally, a kayak this lightweight is designed for calm waters, not whitewater conditions. Those who prefer the latter will have to stick to their more conventional kits for now. But a good deal of thought has gone into the design to make it just as reliable and easy to use as a standard kayak. The lightweight carbon fiber frame, which consists of 18-inch sections connected with shock cord, gives the boat its structure. Once on the water, the “keel pole” presses the TPU-bonded nylon shell just enough into the water to provide excellent tracking. Other portable kayaks are often flat on the bottom, which causes fishtailing as you paddle.

The Pontos’ shell easily pulls over the assembled frame and zips along the top, so it takes just a few minutes to put it together. The 210 denier nylon used for the shell also has some advantages over the heavy plastic usually used for inflatable kayaks. Inflatables are generally hard to pack down to a small size and even harder to get completely dry after use, which makes them prone to developing mold. On top of that, inflatable packrafts also require an additional device for inflation – or a serious test of your lung capacity after a hike.

Currently, the Pontos is available for pre-order via Indiegogo for $497, a 13 percent discount off the expected retail price of $575. It comes in five shell styles in shades of beige, green, blue, and yellow. The crowdfunding campaign will raise funds to order the components and hire a team to finish production, and the boats are expected to ship by June.

The post At 7 Pounds, This Might Be the Lightest, Most Portable Kayak Ever first appeared on Dornob.

Elsewhere on the 800-acre grounds of this UNESCO World Heritage Site were two more of Messam’s large-scale artworks: “Bridged,” a similarly spiked installation placed across the River Skell, and “Drifted,” a series of floating replicas of the Studley Pyramid set on the upper Canal.

All three sculptural works are part of “These Passing Things,” a temporary exhibition aiming to infuse the landscape with “visual exuberance.” Originally intended for installation in summer 2020 and delayed due to the pandemic, the exhibition aims to revive the playful spirit of Georgian follies in a contemporary way, lightening the mood of all who view it.

“The work is inspired by designs for a 16-meter-high funerary pyramid in the water garden,” Messam explains. “Archive records show this was commissioned by William Aislabie in the 18th century, after his father’s death. Despite scale drawings and detailed costings for the piece, no further mentions of it were ever made, and no record or evidence exists of this mysterious pyramid ever being built.”

He adds that “the original designers of the Studley Royal water garden, the Aislabie family, created many follies to surprise and delight their 18th-century guests. Since 2015 The National Trust at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal have been celebrating these fashionable and whimsical structures and the Georgian water garden they sit within, through its former folly exhibition series.”

The managers of Studley Royal Garden say they hope the installation will get visitors thinking and start a conversation about the connection between the past and the present while offering a fresh perspective on the Georgian garden. Like many traditional follies (ornamental structures built purely for decoration), Messam’s are ephemeral and have no specific function other than their visual impact.

“While over time we may invest them with meaning or stories, at their core they’re just there – large-scale artworks in the landscape, and as an artist that’s what I’ve been interested in for the past 20 years,” he says. “I’m also interested in the role that follies play in creating focal points in constructed views of the landscape.”

To create “Spiked,” Messam used old plan drawings of the temple to create life-size paper patterns using CAD software. He worked with preservationists to ensure that the inflatable piece wouldn’t damage sensitive elements of the temple like the plaster ceilings. A single quiet fan kept the artwork inflated to maintain the contemplative nature of the setting.

Both “Spiked” and “Bridged” are made of hundreds of yards of fire-resistant polyester, and the steel bridge was custom-built for the project by an engineering firm. About 500,000 visitors crossed the installation between July and November 2021, itself located near the site where a Georgian iron bridge was once located.

The post Colorful Spikes Explode from a Georgian Temple to Celebrate the Fun of Garden Follies first appeared on Dornob.

“One of the major future crises of the world is rising sea levels, which could pose a serious threat to human survival,” says Navidi of his design. “… We need a system that can adapt to sea level conditions. Nature always has the best answer for us.”

He used the lake village of Ganvie in Africa’s Benin region as an example of a place where his idea might have great benefits. The people there build their houses right on the water, but with constant exposure to the elements, they get easily worn out and destroyed over time. Residents live under constant threat of collapsing homes and potential loss of life from this unpredictable occurrence.

Navidi’s creative solution to the problem began by looking to the survival skills of that area’s native animal populations. With many varieties of pufferfish in the nearby Lake Nokoué, the architect studied their biomimetic structure and the way they escape enemies by means of water or air inflation.

The scheme of the resulting Puffer Village is comprised of individual dwelling pods that can rise to the water’s surface when the tide is high or as the level rises gradually over time. It can also deflate and hunker down during stormy conditions, protecting the homes from floating away or being damaged.

The process involves balloon skins integrated on the roof and under the water that can fill with air or water according to climate conditions. In stable water and weather periods, the skins are closed and collapsed, giving the roofs of the houses a flat appearance. When the sea level rises, a sensor is triggered that activates the air fan under the house, inflating the balloon skins and causing the structure to rise to the surface of the water. During storms or times of rough seas, a separate water wave sensor tells the base pores to let in water, making the houses heavier and better able to withstand the wind and breaking surf.

Even better, each pod is meant to be self-sustaining in its energy needs. A tidal energy system will generate electricity from sea waves, while flexible photovoltaic panes on the roof will produce additional power from solar radiation. An aquaponic system will support food production by supplying fresh water to the plants growing vertically on the houses’ wooden walls.

Each home is secured to a concrete column in the sea floor, and Navidi envisions placing pillars all over the region to allow for generational village expansion.

Navidi’s unique Puffer Village proposal was a top ten finalist (out of 2,000 entrants) in the 2021 Jacques Rougerie Foundation competition, an annual contest promoting innovative ideas for living on the sea or in space.

Photos of Navidi’s inflatable village and his other works can be found on his Instagram page.

The post Inflatable “Puffer Village” Concept Protects Homes from Rising Sea Levels first appeared on Dornob.

This year, the prehistoric theme has been drawn outdoors among the plants for “Evolution on a Path to Enlightenment,” a gorgeous illuminated exhibition filled with ghostly hand-painted silk sculptures made by Sichuan-based company China Lights. Some of these creatures tower several meters into the air, gently billowing in the wind so they almost seem to be alive.

A Spectacular Voyage Through Time

The installation follows the evolution of biodiversity through the ages, created through the research and reconstruction work of the museum’s paleontologists. Over a hundred luminous structures represent the many species that have inhabited the Earth over the last 600 million years, including not just dinosaurs, but also lesser-known creatures that went extinct long ago.

The journey starts from Place Valhubert with the Origins of Life (3,700 to 490 millions years ago) during the Precambrian and Cambrian times, and moves into the Primary Era (490 to 250 million years ago) and Paleozoic times when organisms first started to adapt to the terrestrial environment. Then comes the Secondary Era (250 to 66 million years ago) in Mesozoic times when dinosaurs appeared. Finally, the Tertiary Era (66 million years ago to the present time) presents the Cenozoic era, in which many of these animals became extinct and mammals came to dominate the planet.

The inflatables are pretty noteworthy in their own right for the artistry that went into them. Lit from within, each one dazzles against the dark backdrop of the nighttime gardens. Naturally, an enormous T-rex with wide-open jaws is the star of the show, but even the delicate invertebrates are strikingly beautiful. It would be fun to take in this artistic display at dusk after spending the afternoon looking at all the skeletons and fossils inside the museum.

“Evolution on a Path to Enlightenment” opened November 21st, 2021 and will close on January 30th, 2022. It’s hosting visitors every day, and you can buy tickets online for €12 to €15.

A Must-See Paris Attraction

If you’re not familiar with the Jardin des Plantes, you’re going to want to add it to your dream tour of Paris. Founded in 1626 as a royal garden of medicinal plants, it opened to the public in 1650 and became associated with scientific study of botany and zoology in the late 1700s. It covers over 68 acres and houses 6 greenhouses for display and 22 for research, along with 23,500 species of plants like bromeliads, orchids, ferns, aroids, alpine plants, confers, cacti, grasses, and more.

There’s also a zoo on site with Art Deco buildings like the Vivarium, Monkey House, and Big Cat House. One of the oldest zoos in the world, second only to Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Vienna, Austria, The Ménagerie opened in 1794 and still hosts many animals. The most popular is Nénette the orangutan.

The post Luminous Inflatable Dinosaurs Haunt Paris’ Jardin des Plantes first appeared on Dornob.

As helpful as it is, Grandin’s squeeze machine isn’t exactly easy to integrate into the average home or public space. So when designer Audrain Alexia was challenged to produce a piece of furniture that meets a real unmet need, she decided to adapt Grandin’s active, customizable pressure concept into a chair she calls OTO. This modern armchair looks similar to high-back privacy chairs, with a top that curves over the user’s head but incorporates inner walls that inflate to apply deep pressure to the chest or legs.

Designed to mimic the “squeeze machine” but in the form of “more aesthetic, less stigmatizing furniture,” the OTO chair has a remote with + and – signs to inflate or deflate the cells. Its cocoon-like shape grants the user a sense of privacy and safety while also muffling external sounds. People with autism seeking the calming effect of deep pressure might usually try to achieve it with an intense hug, a passive weighted blanket, or even by asking someone else to lay on top of them, but these solutions either require the help of a companion or a private place to lay down. OTO, on the other hand, looks enough like normal furniture to offer discreet relief, even if it were installed in places like lobbies and workspaces.

Created during Alexia’s studies as a cabinetmaker and designer, OTO was developed with the assistance of educators who work with autistic people and the input of autistic people themselves. Alexia spent a year and a half researching the therapeutic effects of pressure, creating prototypes and testing them before coming up with the final design. The chair has been tested in the child psychiatry department of PR Bonnet-Brilhault, a French autism research center, since January 2021.

“The integration of users in the design process allowed me to improve the user experience and focus on noise or light emitted by the chair and understand what could be an issue for a person with an autism spectrum disorder,” Alexia says. “This approach will help me to produce furniture that is useful, usable, and used in the long term. For people with autism who are sensitive to touch, a sensoriality course has been carried out. This decor composed of different materials such as wool felt or soft resin brings a graphic design to the armchair. Pastel colors have been chosen with care for their calming effect. The interior trim is fully removable and its velvet fabric is machine washable.”

The OTO chair is currently undergoing additional testing in various environments to fine-tune its effectiveness, and Alexia hopes that it will be commercially available by September 2022. The design was named among the top 20 international entries in the 2021 James Dyson Awards.

The post OTO: The Hugging Chair Designed to Comfort People with Autism first appeared on Dornob.

As complex as it looks, the ARK isn’t too hard to set up. It comes with a lightweight military-grade telescopic carbon fiber frame, which is a pretty big upgrade from your standard tent poles and tarp. Of course, this inflatable frame is what gives it the extra stability it needs to be roomy and comfortable, whether you’re setting it up on the ground or between a few trees. Inspired by kitesurfing technology, the frame also holds the tent erect in stormy conditions. On top of that, a multi-anchor strap system gives you virtually infinite possibilities for suspension set-ups, including using a single hook point to hang it from something like a bridge or branch overhead.

A description on the ARK’s Kickstarter page explains that “a classic camping stretcher weight is usually around five to 10 kg, and it’s bulky. Thanks to our carbon tubes we have reached the weight of 2.9 kg. In addition, our telescopic system allows unparalleled compactness for easy transport. This type of profile has a highly specific mechanical resistance (related to its weight), lightness, rigidity, great resistance to fatigue and vibrations, resistance to oxidation and corrosion, a low coefficient of thermal expansion, and durability.”

Designed for either a comfortable single occupant or a tight fit for two, the ARK measures about 38.5 inches tall and 122 inches wide once assembled, and when it’s in hammock mode, the floor creates three storage areas for all your gear, so it stays dry no matter what’s happening outside. It packs down reasonably small, too, at about 8 by 20 inches for the compression sack and 27.5 inches for the poles (both of which can be strapped to your hiking pack like a normal tent).

Another cool feature is the transparent roof, made of high-quality medical polyurethane to resist extreme temperatures and rain while giving you a view of the stars. Fabric shutters let you close it if you’d rather shut out the morning sun, and stiff Dacron fabric and kevlar reinforcement keep the whole thing from being damaged or punctured by falling sticks and rocks.

As you might expect, the ARK hammock tent costs a little more than something you might pick up at REI. The complete kit, which includes the tent, carbon frame and cam straps, was recently offered as a reward on a recent Kickstarter campaign for €1,895+ ($2,240). Shipping is set to start from France to the United States in April 2021, and it will likely be available on the retail market around that time as well.

The post Ark Adaptable Outdoor Shelter: Part Inflatable Tent, Part Hammock first appeared on Dornob.

David Moomaw of East Aurora decided to take on the role of Dr. Frankenstein this year, giving life to a monstrous robotic spider that descends a gigantic web from its perch on the third story of his home, all the way down to the lawn. After unveiling his disturbing delight to town residents on September 30th, news of the colossal creation quickly spread around the globe via TikTok. The original post has already garnered 10.4 million views.

Moomaw, a mechanical engineer and retired toy designer for Fisher-Price, constructed his eight-legged fright using an inflatable spider and an electric motor. The entire creature spans roughly 10 feet in diameter and dangles 35 feet off the ground from a metal crane attached to the roof of his home’s front porch. The legs have been rigged to move independently, too, providing an eerily realistic vision of a leviathan stalking its prey. The entire journey takes about 30 seconds from beginning to end, before the beast winds back up to start all over again.

The designer’s pieced-together behemoth is almost completely homemade. He sewed the fabric body, painted it, and engineered the pulleys and wires that facilitate its movement. He also built the crane that holds up the creepy critter, and a few baby spiders to drop down behind it. Moomaw even strategically placed 1,500-watt lights under his green giant. “Everything glows in the dark,” he said in an interview with the East Aurora Advertiser.

“It’s his COVID project,” says his wife, Ellen. Moomaw responds that “I think she’s a little nervous about what I’ll come up with next now that I’m retired. I don’t handle boredom well.”

That boredom has clearly translated into both a trick and a treat for the surrounding inhabitants. A neighbor who posted photos on Twitter reports that local children are begging to visit the spectacle every night. Other parents with kids just drive by, honking their approval and flashing thumbs up signs.

Moomaw plans to operate his sneaky, spooky spider every afternoon through Halloween.

Another East Aurora neighbor, Joe Dubois, has also decked out his yard with ghoulish fiends, including an enormous (albeit stationary) tarantula. His inspiration probably echoes Moomaw’s thoughts. “So much has been taken away from kids already this year,” Dubois told The Examiner. “I really want them to have a fun Halloween.”

This spider sensation also joins the ranks of other viral Halloween trends this year, like a giant 12-foot-tall skeleton sold by Home Depot that became a social media hit when a TikTok video surfaced in September of one strapped to the top of a Mini Cooper with the caption “never send an emo on an errand.” Since then, the oversized bones have been showing up in scary scenes all over the internet.

Elsewhere, Tennessee resident James Worsham came up with perhaps the most frightening decorations yet. His terrifying front lawn has been featured in news outlets and social platforms all over the country, featuring only a huge cutout of “2020” and a sign next to it saying, “It was the scariest thing I could think of…”

The post This Local NY Designer’s Giant Crawling Spider is a 2020-Worthy Halloween Scare first appeared on Dornob.

Combining “soft robotics technology” with mobility devices like scooters, wheelchairs, and motorcycles, Poimo aims to offer soft, safe, and lightweight rideable creations that can be easily carried around as necessary. Their latest offering, created in collaboration with Kawahara Lab/Niiyama Lab of the University of Tokyo and Mercari R4D, is a scooter that weighs just 5.5 kilograms and can be folded into a reasonably-sized backpack.

The scooter’s inflatable body is made of a durable thermoplastic polyurethane attached to an electronic and mechanical base which includes the electric motor, handlebars, battery, front and rear wheels, and a wireless controller. It takes just five minutes to get it ready to ride. The Poimo’s creators have already tested it in Tokyo, and for now it at least seems like it actually works.

They explain that “this mobility [scooter] aims to support the first mile / last mile and connect public transportation and destinations seamlessly. To reduce the weight of its body along with its inflatable structure, we have developed a wireless / battery-less powering system suitable for this mobility in cooperation with the wireless power transfer group.”

Poimo’s other equally weird and cool creation is a customizable inflatable vehicle that acts as both a manual wheelchair and an electric motorcycle. In this case, even the wheels are inflatable. They’re definitely a few steps beyond folding bikes in terms of portability, but one wonders just how long they’d last in real-world conditions on the road. Info about this particular model has disappeared from the company’s website, but you can still see how it works in the YouTube video above.

The creators add that they “developed the personal mobility Poimo with a balloon structure that can be designed to suit each individual simply by taking a riding pose. We have prototyped an electric motorcycle type and a manual wheelchair type that can be completely folded when the air is removed. By developing a new vehicle whose body and wheels are made of balloon structure, it has become possible for the first time to customize each vehicle one by one. Newly developed design software makes it easy for anyone to design personal mobility.”

“The light and soft Poimo, which can be deflated and folded, opens up a new field of personal mobility. Taking advantage of being custom-made for each individual, we will contribute to the realization of an inclusive society where everyone can acquire the means of transportation that suits them.”

This invention in particular seems to present an intriguing potential step forward in accessibility: allowing a wheelchair user to seamlessly transition from indoor use to outdoor commuting, going just as fast as anyone else on the road. Whether “Poimo” is really the answer is up for debate, but it’s a great example of thinking outside the box that could lead to more practical innovations in the near future. For more details on how it works, check out the press release from Mercari.

The post Poimo: Inflatable Wheelchair Transforms Into an Electric Motorcycle first appeared on Dornob.

Aether Architects allowed the city of Shenzhen, China to do just that with “Air Mountain,” an inflatable pavilion created for this year’s Oct Phoenix Flower Carnival. It’s made of just two materials, PVC and air, and its massive play surface is absolutely perfect for climbing and bouncing. On top of that, it contains inhabitable spaces that serve as a venue for the event’s concerts, theatrical performances, forums, and workshops. The outer surface is free to access and open to the public.

The architects say they envisioned Air Mountain as both a multifunctional building and a natural terrain that would allow people to free their imaginations. They explain: “the architectural design of Air Mountain is based on two main thoughts: ‘micro-ecological geometry’ and ‘multidimensional relationship, multidimensional phenomenon.’ ‘Micro-ecological geometry’ is a concept of the process from the basic geometric deformation to final architectural form based on the evolution of the ‘Environment/Event’ demand.”

“‘Multidimensional relationship’ is a concept of ‘fusion/penetration’ between things. Architecture is not a single function solid volume, nor is it a static object…it is a synthesis based on the synchronic combination of multi-element and multi-function. Here, the Air Mountain presents not an independent physical individual, but a fusion of architecture and surroundings, the fusion of different activities, the fusion of different states and behaviors, and the relationship between manmade and natural.”

You might say that’s a lot of lofty language for an inflatable play structure, but Air Mountain is pretty special in a variety of ways. It draws from the surrounding landscape, the needs of the festival, the desires of the public, and a sense of childlike wonder and combines it all in one fun-filled installation. Plus, since it’s inflatable, it offers an incredibly easy way to install, transport, and take down a large-scale temporary structure that’s truly interactive.

It’s fun just to see pictures of adults bouncing on all of Air Mountain’s surfaces with wild abandon. Doesn’t it make you wish you could hop on a flight to China and climb the unusual installation yourself?

The post Air Mountain: This Transparent Inflatable Pavilion is Clearly Fun first appeared on Dornob.