FoldaPod: Origami-Inspired Privacy Pod for Women in Crisis Zones

In many humanitarian settings, women and girls face significant barriers to privacy and dignity due to the lack of safe, enclosed spaces for personal hygiene, breastfeeding, or private consultation. FoldaPod addresses this need with a deployable, origami-inspired privacy pod designed specifically for crisis zones.

This project involves designing a compact, rapidly deployable, modular structure that unfolds into a private enclosure. It must be lightweight, weather-resistant, stable, and ergonomic. The system should deploy tool-free in under three minutes, fold flat for shipping, and incorporate fabric panels and modular frame systems optimized for humanitarian field use.

Students will focus on foldable linkages, structural joint design, and wall deployment strategies using origami-inspired mechanisms. They will conduct FEA simulations, fatigue testing, wind-load modeling, and prototyping. This project offers technical depth while delivering real-world social impact.

Project Details

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