In 1985, the Innovative Design Fund placed an ad in Scientific American offering up to $10,000 to support clever prototypes for clothing, home decor, and textiles. William Freeman Ph.D., then an electrical engineer at Polaroid and now an MIT professor, saw it and submitted a novel idea: a three-sided zipper. Instead of fastening pants, it'd be like a switch that seamlessly flipped chairs, tents, and purses between soft and rigid states, making them easier to pack and put together.
  • west2seven@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    817·
    7 hours ago

    “William Freeman Ph.D., then an electrical engineer at Polaroid and now an MIT professor, saw it and submitted a novel idea: a three-sided zipper. Instead of fastening pants, it’d be like a switch that seamlessly flipped chairs, tents, and purses between soft and rigid states, making them easier to pack and put together.”

    Interesting but useless.

    • chiliedogg@lemmy.worldEnglish
      22·
      6 hours ago

      If it’s durable and affordable, I can see the use for things like bags and tents.

      Or more specialized stuff like a camera strap that can zip into a basic tripod.

    • Drusas@fedia.io
      111·
      6 hours ago

      Sounds like you haven’t pitched many tents before. Or, more importantly, taken them down. Worst part of camping is packing it all up.

      • vrek@programming.devEnglish
        71·
        6 hours ago

        Jokes on you… I’m pitching a tent right now… And sad lemmynsfw is gone

      • titanicx@lemmy.zipEnglish
        12·
        3 hours ago

        It’s really not hard. Most people are just lazy or lack the ability to look at something for more then 30 seconds before becoming frustrated. I camp all the time, just spent a week out at a lake with 3 tents. All of them ended up back in their bags nicely, like they do at the end of every trip.