As the story goes, Lawrence Drake wanted to go camping with a pop-up camper instead of a tent, but his ride could only tow 450kg. So to stick it to the ‘camping man’ he invented a set of lightweight modular panels that can be assembled just like Lego to create various sized temporary dwellings.
The Teal Panels — which we might point out are in no way teal — assemble using simple screws and a ratchet strap tightened around the entire structure for added stability. The lightweight panels can be assembled on top of a flat bed trailer, sleeping two persons as a DIY camper, or on the ground in a considerably larger cabin configuration topped with a tent roof to keep out the elements.
There are also optional panel accessories available like doors, windows, and even a pop-up roof providing more head room when assembled as a smaller structure.
Like Lego, you can theoretically rebuild the entire city of Rome with the Teal Panels, if only they were available for sale right now. While awarded a patent for their design, Drake is still looking for investors to put the panels into mass production. And he’s thankfully not turned to Kickstarter as a funding source. [Teal Panels via Gizmag]