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Taking the Pop Up to the Next Level

Posted July 13, 2017 11:00 AM by MaggieMc

This crazy little pre-fab ‘builds itself’ at the touch of a button, in less than ten minutes. Termed a “dynamic property asset” by its creators at Ten Fold Engineering, this mobile structure is aimed at a variety of industries, with applications from mobile homes, offices, and clinics, to shops, exhibitions, restaurants, and schools.

“Ten Fold” seems an appropriate name for the U.K.-based company when you watch the origami-like structures unfold from a compact box. It reminds me of creating folded paper building templates for elementary schoolers.

These designs, of which there are many presented on the site, are patent pending. However, the concept is intriguing despite its proclaimed simplicity, and the videos that provide proof of concept tests for the individual joints are impressive to watch (at least in my humble opinion).

The systems operate without complex drive systems and use very little power, instead relying on their “‘family’ of pin-jointed linkages that preform specific useful movements repeatedly, precisely and reversibly … with each element counterbalancing the other.”

Ten Fold Engineering minimized manufacturing costs by designing linkages that can perform multiple movements depending on the position of the fixed bar. Another aspect of uniformity multiplies the cost-saving benefits, as each standard design uses just three different bar-lengths throughout the structure.

Without an on-site power requirement, the fully deployable units can be “built” anywhere, making them uniquely suited for emergency services or remote locations. Of course, as Ten Fold Engineering reminds us in their graphic above, the opportunities for these structures do not end there.

At a starting price of £100,000, they may not be perfect for your next camping trip, but given a few years, you may be able to get an affordable Ten Fold Pop Up mansion.

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#1

Re: Taking the Pop Up to the Next Level

07/13/2017 11:34 AM

What happens if somebody presses the collapse button while you're sleeping....?? Free housing for refugees....at last, a solution to the housing shortage...

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#7
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Re: Taking the Pop Up to the Next Level

07/18/2017 3:23 AM

Maybe FREE housing, from the refugee's point of view.

But we all know nothing's for FREE.

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#8
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Re: Taking the Pop Up to the Next Level

07/18/2017 9:56 AM

Kinda like that $2000 free puppy we took in recently...

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#2

Re: Taking the Pop Up to the Next Level

07/13/2017 11:06 PM

Rather reminds me of those mobile sound stage rigs many larger bands use while on tour.

About 15 years ago some christian rock bands came through here on tour and they had a pretty impressive stage rig that worked similar.

Folded up it looked like a normal semi trailer but in a few minutes it folded out a into a pretty impressive self contained stage plus overhead lighting systems!

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#3

Re: Taking the Pop Up to the Next Level

07/14/2017 10:18 AM

I'll wait to get excited when it is a bit farther along. Although the computer graphics are nice.

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Re: Taking the Pop Up to the Next Level

07/14/2017 10:38 AM

This one's cooler...

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#6
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Re: Taking the Pop Up to the Next Level

07/14/2017 11:31 AM

I want Bumble Bee! Love that guy!

Sorry to see Shia LaBeouf in trouble, some have orator skills to learn, what words to never use, etc.

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Re: Taking the Pop Up to the Next Level

07/14/2017 11:30 AM

That is cool, but are there interlocks against self-stowing while people are unconscious inside?

If not, then while being used for refugee sheltering, it could also be used for refugee processing?

Soylent Green is people, damn it!

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#9

Re: Taking the Pop Up to the Next Level

07/18/2017 1:42 PM

Oh.....so this isn't a story about getting someones father to move up in the world? There is a bit of a problem with the English language, especially with slang terms thrown into the mix. So that title is to be read as pop-up, not taking "Pop" up a level or two.

I really did read it that way at first.

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Re: Taking the Pop Up to the Next Level

07/18/2017 4:33 PM

This is not Our Father's (whom art in heaven) Oldsmobile, but what a ride it is!

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#11

Re: Taking the Pop Up to the Next Level

07/19/2017 3:30 PM

This (deluxe) version appears to be rather nice, but it also seems like the (Military) should find an (economy) version of this very useful to the (Seabees, etc.) on (disaster-relief-type missions), or (other emergency deployments)...

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#12
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Re: Taking the Pop Up to the Next Level

12/22/2017 2:26 PM

The military already has the economy version of this, it's called "Lots of tents, and lots of soldiers to put the tents up."

Remember, the military isn't interested in glamorous living when out at the 'forward bases,' if it provides enough shelter for a soldier to get a reasonable facsimile of a good night's rest, it's "good enough for Government use."

Besides, those fancy, semi-trailer delivered buildings would just be big targets for an enemy scouting the area to tell his buddy with the mortar about.

Keep the forward base simple, so it can be set up and torn down fast; keep it cheap, do the inevitable destruction of the base is not a major loss of materials; make it repairable and make it possible to cannibalize for parts. so even a 'devastated' base still has useful salvage to support the fight.

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