Process
For the first week of the project we began testing different materials for the skin of the tent. The three different fabrics are: Cloth tarp, Breathable Plastic and Tuff tarp. The experiment involves putting four samples of each fabric in the sun for two-three weeks. We put the four of each to test: the UV protective spray, the waterproof spray, a combination of both and a control that was not messed with. Here are some of the pictures of the experiment so far.
DesignsOriginal Design
In the first design, we created a foldable family of three horizontal rings that would serve as the support for the tent with two wires horizontal to the ground keeping it from collapsing inward on itself. Using the special screen material we create a vent in the back of the tent to allow heat to escape from the tent. Second Design The second design we set out to simplify the design in many ways and we were able to create into the prototype.. With a base consisting of two arches attached to each other and a smaller arch perpendicular to the ground, all covered by the canvas. When actually building it we spent about nine days creating the frame and sewing the outside skin to it. After finishing the initial infrastructure, we created a simple door by cutting out material. Since the product is still a prototype we are still working on the foldable aspect of the tent along with a simple and efficient door system. ExhibitionFor our exhibition we presented our webpage, the instructable page and the working frame for our tent along with explaining the design and how the tent works with the canvas attached to it. We also provided sample metals similar to those we used for the frame and the bonds, we also had a sample piece of the UV protected and waterproof canvas for the tent.
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Day by Day5/12: We have recently gotten the wire we will be using for the skeleton of the tent and have begun figuring out how to put them together.
5/13: We have begun creating the first of three cylinders that will serve to keep the tent open. Creating new frames to connect the wires together to create a wire big enough to serve as the opening the tent needs. 5/14: We are almost done with the first opening's wire skeleton, finally putting it together to form the 4ft diameter circle. We did this by creating our own wire connecters out of malleable spare metal. 5/15: Finished major loop and kept checking the fabrics, raining so we took only a few pictures. 5/18: Redesigned the tent to be compatible with our material restraints, taking inspiration from portable soccer goals we decided on a final design and chose the canvas material with the water proof and UV resistant sprays. 5/26: Today we double enforced the wire skeleton of our tent to prevent it from getting blown over or reshaped by natural forces. 5/27: Today we continued yesterdays work while also beginning to plan our intsructable page on how to build our tent. 5/28: Today we got more metal material to create more locks and used them to continue putting together the double enforced wire. While we did this we finished writing out our instructable page and began working on it. 6/1: Yesterday we finally got our tarp (12x15) to create the skin for our tent. Once we opened it we took our waterproof and UV protective spray and coated what we could (About 1/3 of the tarp). 6/2: We coated the tarp with the remaining sprays, not being able to get much the cans. After we packed up the tarp we returned inside to continue work on the frame and instructable page. 6/4: We finished coating the trap with all the substances it needed. We finished the script for our commercial and finished double layering the top wire of the frame. 6/5: We finished the instructable page, shot the green screen section of our commercial, created the metal bonds to put together the rest of the double wire frame and put together one half of it. 6/8:Today we cut the tarp to meet our requirements, filmed the narration of the infomercial and finished the double wires for the frame. We are not putting the connecters to finish the frame. 6/9: Due to time restraints work on the back up brochure has begun instead of the commercial. The tent frame is done and trusty Kai is taking it home to finish up ahead of tomorrows exhibition. |