With the outbreak of COVID-19, it soon became apparent that early screening and detection of the virus to ensure efficient isolation procedures were of supreme importance in controlling the spread of the epidemic. Building traditional laboratories wasn’t going to help because of the long construction period and the high costs involved.

In the early stages of the pandemic, ETOPIA (Shanghai Etopia Building Technology Co., Ltd) responded quickly and, together with the College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University developed the world’s first nucleic acid detection laboratory with an inflatable membrane structure. This made the whole process significantly simpler by bringing the advantages of easy production, transportation, assembly, removal, and storage. The product has now been used in nearly 50 laboratories in 13 countries worldwide and has received many awards.

Taking this design to the next step, the company has developed the concept to produce outdoor, solar-powered tailgate tents using this structure. Based on the integration of an intelligent integrated module and inflatable membrane structure, ETOPIA has created the concept of a module-membrane combination, adding facilities for off-grid energy, water, and food modules into the tents.

The tailgate tent is suitable for most electric vehicles and is designed with a full air column that can quickly inflate. Solar energy generation is installed on the top, and the thermal insulation effectively saves on air conditioning costs. The double-layer sleeve design of the connecting port can isolate mosquitos, and the inner sleeve net pocket is designed to store personal belongings. The bottom of the tent is made from the recycled advertising cloth of the first World Design Cities Conference (WDCC).

There are two versions of these innovative tents. Dragon (large) and Phoenix (small) are so-called because they resemble these mythical flying creatures from the classic Chinese book The Classic of Mountains & Seas. The Dragon model can be expanded into a canopy on three sides, with two rooms and a hallway. Phoenix can be expanded into a canopy on all sides, and the space consists of one room and a hallway. Tents are available in black or white. All tents have been featured in campsites, shopping malls, and many other public spaces.

With this innovative new development, ETOPIA is demonstrating its commitment to constructing smart spaces that promote the continued evolution of global human settlements. This new technology can be applied to camping tents, homestays, and container hotels to help the cultural and tourism industries to improve. ETOPIA also has an event operation team that has organized many activities to showcase their latest invention, including camping, parent-child festivals, and back-to-nature experiences.

The company believes integrating into the natural ecology and embracing outdoor life is the right way to actively fight this and future epidemics, physically and psychologically. ETOPIA is committed to building a new standard for high-end campsites and has established close cooperation with relevant industry-leading enterprises. Their forward-thinking approach and innovative products make ETOPIA  a well-deserved winner of the International Sustainable Award 2022 for their Innovative Solar-Powered Tailgate Tent for Sustainable Tourism.

Learn more about this innovative company on http://www.etopia.com.cn/