Pop-up igloo! Amazing emergency shelter inspired by polar bears has an origami ‘skin’ to trap snow and use it as a natural insulator
- A team of students from the Royal Danish Academy has developed a pop-up igloo inspired by polar bears
- It features an origami-like design, which helps to anchor the tent and to keep the inside warm
- The emergency shelters could be positioned along hiking routes, where they could be deployed in seconds
- It was recently awarded Winner Of The Year at the Design Educates Awards in the Product Design category
The idea of getting stranded in extreme Arctic conditions is enough to fill even the bravest adventurers with dread.
But a new emergency shelter could make surviving in sub-zero temperatures much easier.
A team of students from the Royal Danish Academy have developed a pop-up igloo inspired by polar bears, with an origami ‘skin’ to trap snow and use it as a natural insulator.
‘Inspired by local flora, fauna, snow caves, and the traditional Inuit igloos, snow is considered a building material rather than a burden,’ the team explained.
During tests in Alaska, the designers showed that with up to 15 inches (400mm) of snow, the emergency shelter could maintain an average of 37°C (66.6°F) difference between inside and outside, compared to a conventional winter tent which offered a 13°C (23.4°F) difference.
A team of students from the Royal Danish Academy has developed a pop-up igloo inspired by polar bears, with an origami ‘skin’ to trap snow and use it as a natural insulator
During tests in Alaska, the designers showed that with up to 15 inches (400mm) of snow, the emergency shelter could maintain an average of 37°C (66.6°F) difference between inside and outside, compared to a conventional winter tent which offered a 13°C (23.4°F) difference
Inspired by polar bears
The team took inspiration from polar bears, who retain body heat within their fur coat with hollow fibre hairs.
In the same way, the mylar material incorporated on the inside of the origami skin reflects the heat back into the space, keeping anyone inside the tent warm.
While you might worry that the tent would struggle to remain intact during blizzard-like conditions, the researchers reassure that it can withstand the weight of 154lbs (70kg) human standing on top.
‘The internal fiberglass lattice structure is connected and deploys simultaneously with the origami outer shell,’ the said.
‘The lightweight and structural optimized lattice has been put to the test – withstanding the weight of a 70kg human standing on top.’
The pop-up igloo was recently awarded Winner Of The Year at the Design Educates Awards in the Product Design category.
In the description, the team, led by Henry Glogau and Samuel Barratt, explained the inspiration behind their design.
‘What would you do if you found yourself in extreme arctic conditions?’ they said.
‘Lost with little visibility, no cell phone coverage and sub-zero temperatures. Hypothermia is a serious threat, and help could be hours away.
‘Cold extreme environments are hostile, with conditions often unpredictable and uncontrollable.
‘This project proposes an alternative shelter design, which looks to harness extreme conditions to its advantage, rather than fight against them.’
The tent is made from a mylar material, and features an origami-like design, which helps to anchor the tent and to keep the inside warm.
‘In strong winds the aerodynamic water droplet form naturally anchors the shelter to the ground while dispersing wind forces,’ the team explained.
‘At micro scale, local level turbulence is created within the origami pockets, encouraging snow to naturally build up in blizzard like situations, thereby creating a natural insulation and protection layer.’
The team took inspiration from polar bears, who retain body heat within their fur coat with hollow fibre hairs.
In the same way, the mylar material incorporated on the inside of the origami skin reflects the heat back into the space, keeping anyone inside the tent warm.
While you might worry that the tent would struggle to remain intact during blizzard-like conditions, the researchers reassure that it can withstand the weight of a 154lb (70kg) human standing on top.
‘The internal fiberglass lattice structure is connected and deploys simultaneously with the origami outer shell,’ the said.
While you might worry that the tent would struggle to remain intact during blizzard-like conditions, the researchers reassure that it can withstand the weight of 154lbs (70kg) human standing on top
‘The lightweight and structural optimized lattice has been put to the test – withstanding the weight of a 70kg human standing on top.’
To test the tent – the price of which remains unclear – the team put it through rigorous testing over a one-month period in Alaska.
The results indicated that with 11.8 to 15 inches (300 to 400mm) of snow cover, an average of 37°C (66.6°F) difference between inside and outside could be maintained.
For comparison, conventional winter tents offer a 13°C (23.4°F) difference, according to the team.
In the future, the emergency shelters could be positioned along checkpoints and hiking routes, where they could be deployed in seconds when needed.
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