NASA Architect Designs Tiny FireFly Camping Trailer for Adventure and Disaster Relief Applications

It might not be the TARDIS, but this futuristic camping pod definitely looks like it could transport you to another universe. Former NASA Architect <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/garrett-finney" target="_blank">Garret Finney</a> has just unveiled the FireFly, a trailer that's even more compact and utilitarian than its predecessor, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nasa-architects-cricket-trailer-showcases-space-age-design/" target="_blank">the Cricket</a>. With its super-efficient and lightweight design, this tiny trailer is a minimalist and robust mini home fit for any eco-camper.

Designer Garret Finney drew upon his experience working as a senior architect for NASA's Habitability Design Center (HDC), where he designed small, ergonomic habitats for astronauts.

Conceptual sketches for Firefly show technical sizing constraints.

Using aerospace engineering techniques, Finney's team of builders designed a rugged yet lightweight exoskeleton assembled from laser-cut sheets of bent sheet aluminum.

High R-value composite insulation panels with foam cores wrapped in a thin aluminum skin line the siding of the bunker.

In addition to outdoor adventures, Finney envisions that Firefly could also be used in industrial or disaster-relief areas as temporary base camps in inhospitable areas.

Finney has introduced the Firefly prototype, an even more compact and lightweight trailer designed to fit in a pick up truck bed.

The completed prototype, which was assembled in TAXA's Houston manufacturing facility, weighs in at just over 600 pounds.

Both doors open out on either end of the module for maximum ventilation.