Whoever knew that origami and transport were such good friends? The art of folding offers a dynamic solution for on-the-go city dwellers with limited space. One such offering is the Oru Kayak -- a rigid, fully functioning kayak that folds up to form its own carry case.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- U.S. Designer Anton Willis has developed a kayak that folds itself into its own portable case
- Oru Kayak is made from a single sheet of plastic and can be unfolded in under five minutes
- Willis' Kickstarter campaign reached its $80,000 goal in just five and a half hours
Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, is believed to date back as far as the 17th century. Traditionally done with a single sheet of paper, its elegant principles have come to influence package design, mathematics and -- more recently -- an unusual new folding kayak.
The Oru kayak is the brainchild of Californian designer Anton Willis. Made from a sheet of plastic (polyethelyne), the entire boat, including paddle, folds down to the size of a large suitcase. While it may not be practical to carry long distances, it can fit into the trunk of a car and be has been designed to be able to be stored in a home closet.
Willis says he was inspired by an article on "advances in the science of origami," which led him to begin sketching ideas for a folding kayak.
No comments:
Post a Comment