Function

The ePod is a temporary form of shelter for victims of natural disasters. The ePod is a solution that allows for families to stay together and gives them privacy to come to terms with the event that has put them there. The ePod is made from recycled polyethylene and the structure is rotationally moulded. The design of the pod is simple as it means a more cost effective manufacture. Speed is the essence behind the manufacture as it is important to get these pods out to the affected area as quickly as possible. The beds within the pod can also be manufactured within the original piece. The cost is relatively low to rotationally mould these polyethylene structures and the time taken to do so is also low. The pods have a solar panel on top to supply basic electricity to the pod for lights/electric essentials/personal items. The pods also have room for people to store items they may have salvaged from their homes.

Inspiration

Over the past couple of years, the world has seen many disasters from earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters. These events can wipe out entire towns and leave thousands stranded without anywhere to live. Seeing people having to seek shelter in halls and seeing others homeless began the inspiration for this design. The solution needed to be quick to manufacture and relatively inexpensive. The sharing of living space when everyday amenities such as clean running water are scarce means the spread of disease is more likely. The ePod helps reduce this risk. The pod also provides families with privacy and a bit more space than they would get through the communal halls. To help provide some level of comfort to families that have been hit with these events would be the main driving force behind the inspiration for this design.

Development

Once the inspiration for the project was found, I began looking at what was out there in terms of temporary shelter for disaster hit victims. The next phase was conceptualisation with lots of sketching and prototyping. Research was then conducted into the manufacture of such a product and several meetings were held with an engineer to discuss the possibilities and obstacles in making this design. Fine tuning the design came after this again with lots more sketching and prototyping.