Concept Design of an Inflatable Roofbox
Master Thesis project with
Concept Design, Design research, Prototyping, Testing
Problem: Up until now roofbox are made out of polycarbonate shells in a clam shell design. In order to offer the maximum space they end up being big and bulky. They are difficult to install by a single person without special equipment and require large storage area when not in use.
The Project explores the idea of an inflatable roofbox made with dropstitch material.
Proposal: An inflatable roofbox offers the benefits of being stored in compact size and when needed it can be inflated to full size roofbox. It is also lighter and not bulky so it can be handled easily
From a medium duffel bag to a roofbox
Roofboxes are bulky and occupy a lot of space when not in use
As more people live in urban areas, space is being challenged and there is a need of compact solutions
In 1950s Goodyear made an inflatable airplane using a material called dropstitch fabric.
It is like a regular fabric but due to the interconnected stitch pattern in between, it can be inflated to 5 times more pressure than similar material without dropstitch.
The result is it becomes stiff and hard and can resist enough forces to even become an airplane
