Orange pitches Glastonbury Solar Concept Tent
Orange revealed their vision for the tent of the future. Utilising cutting edge eco-energy technology, the Orange Solar Concept Tent will allow campers to keep in touch and power their essential camping gadgets.
The Concept Tent has been designed in association with American product design consultancy Kaleidoscope and builds on learnings from the original Orange Solar Tent that was trialled at Glastonbury in 2003, as well as 2004’s Orange Text Me Home Dome. Having worked closely with Glastonbury for the last eleven years, Orange know the importance of keeping in contact with friends while onsite and undertook this concept project to look at how the festival goers communication and power supply needs might be met in the future.
Photovoltaic Fabric
Latest research shows that by weaving specially coated solar threads into conventional fabric, revolutionary new ways of capturing the sun’s energy could soon become a reality. These radical advances mean that rather than relying upon familiar fixed panels, designers were free to conceive how a tent of flexible solar fabrics might look.
The Concept Tent’s solar shell uses this technology to full effect with three directional glides which can be moved throughout the day to maximise its solar efficiency, capturing the optimum amount of energy which can to be used throughout the tent in a variety of new and exciting ways.
Glo-cation technology
To avoid festival-goers ever losing their tent, the Concept Tent would be fitted with innovative “glo-cation” technology. Glo-cation works by enabling campers’ mobile phones to identify their tent using either an SMS message or automatic active RFID technology (a longer range version of that used in London Underground Oyster cards); both would trigger a distinctive glow in the tent helping identify it from a distance.
Wireless control hub
The heart of the Concept Tent is a central wireless control hub which displays energy generated and consumed as well as providing a wireless internet signal; all information is displayed on a flexible, touchscreen LCD display screen.
Integrated into the hub is a wireless charging pouch which powers mobile phones and other portable devices without the need for messy wires and multiple chargers. The ‘magnetic induction’ technology passes an electric current through a coil embedded in the charging pouch, this in turn generates a magnetic field which creates a charge and powers the battery.
Groundsheet heat
Also controlled by the central hub is an internal heating element embedded within the tent’s groundsheet; this under floor heating is triggered automatically once the interior temperature falls below a set level.
Kaleidoscope Strategist, Finn McKenty, said: “The development of photovoltaic fabric will revolutionise festival tent design, in working with Orange we have created a vision for a solar tent that we believe is a great glimpse of what’s to come.”
Ian Smith, Head of Sponsorship, Orange UK, said: “Since becoming Official Communications Partner of Glastonbury Festival in 1997 Orange have strived to enhance the camping experience through a variety of sustainable initiatives. Our vision of the concept tent builds on this heritage and recognises the revolutionary effect cutting edge solar technology and wireless communication could have on festival goers’ camping experiences.”
Whilst currently only a concept, the vision of the Orange Solar Concept Tent has been designed to celebrate Orange’s 11th year at Glastonbury. This year, Orange Chill ‘n’ Charge tent will be at Glastonbury again, providing 600 mobile phone charging points, free internet access and live music. The Orange Chill ‘n’ Charge tent will be open from Friday to Sunday, 10am-10pm.
For all the latest updates from the field go to www.orange.co.uk/glastonbury, for more information about Glastonbury Festival go to www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
-Ends-
Image Appendix
‘Cutaway 1’ caption – “Revolutionary photovoltaic fabric contains interwoven solar threads to capture the sun’s energy.”
‘Cutaway 2’ caption – “Using SMS or active RFID the Concept Tent glows to notify inhabitants of its location.”
‘Cutaway 3’ caption – “The Concept Tent’s control hub displays energy generation and consumption information on a flexible, touch screen LCD display.”
‘Cutaway 4’ caption – “Energy collected by the photovoltaic fabric is transported around the Concept Tent by wires integrated in the flexible tent poles.”
For more information on Orange at Glastonbury please contact: Holly Ferguson at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment Tel: 0207 544 3855 / Mob: 07837 252565 Email: holly.ferguson@mcsaatchi.com
About Orange
Orange is the key brand of the France Telecom Group, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. With 123 million customers, the Orange brand now covers Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the Group operates.
At the end of 2008, France Telecom had consolidated sales of 53.5 billion euros (12.7 billion euros for the first quarter of 2009) and at 29 April 2009, the Group had a customer base of almost 184 million customers in 30 countries. These include 123 million mobile customers worldwide and 13 million broadband Internet (ADSL) customers in Europe. Orange is the number three mobile operator and the number one provider of broadband Internet services in Europe and, under the brand Orange Business Services, is one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies. In the UK, Orange provides high quality GSM coverage to 99% of the UK population. At the end of March 2009, Orange had almost 17 million customers in the UK – 15.8 million active mobile customers and close to one million fixed broadband customers.
Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Personal Communications Services Limited.
For more information: www.orange.com, www.francetelecom.com, www.orange-business.com
For further information, call the Orange press office on 0870 373 1500 or email: Orangepr@golinharris.com or visit www.orange.co.uk/newsroom
About Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope is a product development consultancy that helps their partners create innovative new products through a comprehensive process that includes research, strategy, design, visualization and engineering. They focus on creating groundbreaking solutions that are beautiful, usable, sustainable and create competitive advantage. With clients including industry icons like Ford, Procter & Gamble, Motorola, Rubbermaid and Black & Decker, Kaleidoscope has earned more than 70 patents and offers nearly 350 collective years of experience. For more information, visit: http://www.kascope.com.
The Concept Tent has been designed in association with American product design consultancy Kaleidoscope and builds on learnings from the original Orange Solar Tent that was trialled at Glastonbury in 2003, as well as 2004’s Orange Text Me Home Dome. Having worked closely with Glastonbury for the last eleven years, Orange know the importance of keeping in contact with friends while onsite and undertook this concept project to look at how the festival goers communication and power supply needs might be met in the future.
Photovoltaic Fabric
Latest research shows that by weaving specially coated solar threads into conventional fabric, revolutionary new ways of capturing the sun’s energy could soon become a reality. These radical advances mean that rather than relying upon familiar fixed panels, designers were free to conceive how a tent of flexible solar fabrics might look.
The Concept Tent’s solar shell uses this technology to full effect with three directional glides which can be moved throughout the day to maximise its solar efficiency, capturing the optimum amount of energy which can to be used throughout the tent in a variety of new and exciting ways.
Glo-cation technology
To avoid festival-goers ever losing their tent, the Concept Tent would be fitted with innovative “glo-cation” technology. Glo-cation works by enabling campers’ mobile phones to identify their tent using either an SMS message or automatic active RFID technology (a longer range version of that used in London Underground Oyster cards); both would trigger a distinctive glow in the tent helping identify it from a distance.
Wireless control hub
The heart of the Concept Tent is a central wireless control hub which displays energy generated and consumed as well as providing a wireless internet signal; all information is displayed on a flexible, touchscreen LCD display screen.
Integrated into the hub is a wireless charging pouch which powers mobile phones and other portable devices without the need for messy wires and multiple chargers. The ‘magnetic induction’ technology passes an electric current through a coil embedded in the charging pouch, this in turn generates a magnetic field which creates a charge and powers the battery.
Groundsheet heat
Also controlled by the central hub is an internal heating element embedded within the tent’s groundsheet; this under floor heating is triggered automatically once the interior temperature falls below a set level.
Kaleidoscope Strategist, Finn McKenty, said: “The development of photovoltaic fabric will revolutionise festival tent design, in working with Orange we have created a vision for a solar tent that we believe is a great glimpse of what’s to come.”
Ian Smith, Head of Sponsorship, Orange UK, said: “Since becoming Official Communications Partner of Glastonbury Festival in 1997 Orange have strived to enhance the camping experience through a variety of sustainable initiatives. Our vision of the concept tent builds on this heritage and recognises the revolutionary effect cutting edge solar technology and wireless communication could have on festival goers’ camping experiences.”
Whilst currently only a concept, the vision of the Orange Solar Concept Tent has been designed to celebrate Orange’s 11th year at Glastonbury. This year, Orange Chill ‘n’ Charge tent will be at Glastonbury again, providing 600 mobile phone charging points, free internet access and live music. The Orange Chill ‘n’ Charge tent will be open from Friday to Sunday, 10am-10pm.
For all the latest updates from the field go to www.orange.co.uk/glastonbury, for more information about Glastonbury Festival go to www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
-Ends-
Image Appendix
‘Cutaway 1’ caption – “Revolutionary photovoltaic fabric contains interwoven solar threads to capture the sun’s energy.”
‘Cutaway 2’ caption – “Using SMS or active RFID the Concept Tent glows to notify inhabitants of its location.”
‘Cutaway 3’ caption – “The Concept Tent’s control hub displays energy generation and consumption information on a flexible, touch screen LCD display.”
‘Cutaway 4’ caption – “Energy collected by the photovoltaic fabric is transported around the Concept Tent by wires integrated in the flexible tent poles.”
For more information on Orange at Glastonbury please contact: Holly Ferguson at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment Tel: 0207 544 3855 / Mob: 07837 252565 Email: holly.ferguson@mcsaatchi.com
About Orange
Orange is the key brand of the France Telecom Group, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. With 123 million customers, the Orange brand now covers Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the Group operates.
At the end of 2008, France Telecom had consolidated sales of 53.5 billion euros (12.7 billion euros for the first quarter of 2009) and at 29 April 2009, the Group had a customer base of almost 184 million customers in 30 countries. These include 123 million mobile customers worldwide and 13 million broadband Internet (ADSL) customers in Europe. Orange is the number three mobile operator and the number one provider of broadband Internet services in Europe and, under the brand Orange Business Services, is one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies. In the UK, Orange provides high quality GSM coverage to 99% of the UK population. At the end of March 2009, Orange had almost 17 million customers in the UK – 15.8 million active mobile customers and close to one million fixed broadband customers.
Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Personal Communications Services Limited.
For more information: www.orange.com, www.francetelecom.com, www.orange-business.com
For further information, call the Orange press office on 0870 373 1500 or email: Orangepr@golinharris.com or visit www.orange.co.uk/newsroom
About Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope is a product development consultancy that helps their partners create innovative new products through a comprehensive process that includes research, strategy, design, visualization and engineering. They focus on creating groundbreaking solutions that are beautiful, usable, sustainable and create competitive advantage. With clients including industry icons like Ford, Procter & Gamble, Motorola, Rubbermaid and Black & Decker, Kaleidoscope has earned more than 70 patents and offers nearly 350 collective years of experience. For more information, visit: http://www.kascope.com.
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