Mobile network operator, Orange, have utilised state of the art, eco-technology to come up with the tent of the future. The company have worked closely with Glastonbury over the last eleven years, to research how campers’ needs might be better met at festivals. To turn their ideas into a working model, Orange recruited Kaleidoscope, an innovative design firm.

The Concept Tent will be made out of photovoltaic fabric. This is achieved by weaving specially coated solar threads into ordinary canvas ñ a revolutionary way to capture the sun’s energy, which will soon become a reality. An outer solar shell, made up of three directional glides, move throughout the day to track the sun for optimum exposure.

The tents will be fitted with innovative glo-cation’ technology. Campers use SMS messaging on their mobile phones or tap into a longer-range system, called Radio Frequency Identification, to activate a distinctive glow. This would enable them to find the place where they are pitched.

In the heart of the structure, a central wireless hub provides an internet signal. A touch-sensitive LCD screen displays how much energy has been generated and the amount that has already been used. A charging pouch powers mobile phones and other portable devices. Underfloor heating ñ an element embedded in the ground sheet ñ is triggered automatically if the temperature falls below a set level.

‘Since becoming the Communications Partner of Glastonbury Festival in 1997, Orange has strived to enhance the camping experience through a wide variety of sustainable initiatives,’ says Ian Smith, from Orange UK. ‘Our vision of the tent builds on this heritage and recognises the revolutionary effect that cutting-edge solar technology and wireless communication could have on the festival goers’ camping experiences.’

Website: www.orange.co.uk/newsroom

The Orange Concept Solar Tent
Photo: © Orange Personal Communications Services Limited