For the final project, our group’s idea is to have a rounded, tunnel structure that has an outside and inside layer. Ideally, the animation projection would be displayed on the inside layer of the tunnel so when people walk through the tunnel, their silhouettes can be seen on the outer layer. The inflatable would resemble a multi-faceted interactive landscape with different displays, allowing the audience to interact with it in different ways. We anticipate the inflatable to be approximately 7 feet tall and 5 feet wide. We expect to use a translucent fabric for the outside layer and most likely ripstop nylon for the inside layer.
There may be several challenges throughout this project, including maintaining the curved structure of the inflatable as it is inflated and expanded with air. To ensure this inflatable has the intended structure, the pieces patterned will need to be in smaller sections and account for the expansion into a rounder shape when inflated. Another challenge will be making sure a person can fit under the structure both in height and width, especially after the two walls are connected and curved at the top of the structure. We will be modeling this structure with real dimensions before patterning to make sure it can be walked through. Finally, we need to test that sewing together two different types of fabric with different opacities can still be robust when inflated, and that the seams will look clean and intentional.