Innovation drives opportunities for inflatable structures
June 1st, 2024
Designed by Pneuhaus for NASA, this Mars Simulation Environment consists of 200-denier translucent fabric for the sky, with the Martian landscape printed on a flexible blackout nylon. Image: Pneuhaus The first image that springs to mind when inflatables are mentioned is likely bouncy houses or holiday decorations tethered on people’s lawns—unsurprising, since these are typically […]
Out of this world inflatables
April 1st, 2023
NASA’s Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) demonstrated inflatable heat shield technology. After launch LOFTID inflated and deployed in space. It was released and re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. Photo: NASA When you hear the phrase “inflatable structure,” the first image that comes to mind is likely to […]
Inflatable forest comes to life with human interaction
November 1st, 2020
The Canopy is an inflatable art installation that invites visitors to interact as they choose—some pedaling on bikes that transform the sculptures with movement and light, some cheering on the bikers, and some wandering through the grove, allowing the canopy of trees to open and close around them. Photos: Pneuhaus. The Canopy, an inflatable installation […]
Surrounding the market—and finding (or creating) new ones
October 1st, 2019
You can find and create new profit centers with existing technology, products and capabilities—and with new technology, innovation and creativity. Don’t let the details hold you back. by Laurie F. Junker Today’s marketplace is dynamic, competitive and sometimes confusing—but still full of opportunity. Choosing a path can be both daunting and potentially expensive. Smart business […]
Exhibition combines the physical and digital worlds
February 1st, 2019
Contemporary artist Michael Rees likes to create artwork that connects to a specific space. His experimental exhibition at Grounds for Sculpture, a 42-acre sculpture park, museum and arboretum founded on the site of the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds, began in the exhibit hall looking for inspiration. His show, “Synthetic Cells, Site and Para (Site)” […]
Growth in the inflatables market is coming from safety and protection
December 1st, 2018
Everybody knows about inflatables. They’re the bouncy houses rented for kids’ birthday parties, or the big blow-up gorilla that the local car dealership uses to attract customers. The real growth in the use of inflatable technology, however, is in much more serious (and practical) applications—even if they aren’t nearly as visible to most of us. […]
Inflatables grab public attention
December 19th, 2016
Companies and event organizers use inflatables to grab public attention and promote their brands. Although he now sells spaces in luxury subterranean survival shelters, Robert Vicino once focused his entrepreneurial spirit on loftier altitudes. He put a 90-foot King Kong on the Empire State Building and designed Otto the Autopilot for the farcical movie Airplane. […]