Kamrat - The holiday camper for a soft adventure

Sammanfattning: There is a growing demand for environmentally friendly ways of transportation, and therefore the electric bicycle has been booming in Sweden. The electric bicycle is often used as means of transportation to and from work, but has potential to be used in other situations as well. The environmental impact caused by transportation during holidays has recently gained attention. At the same time the demand for soft adventures, comfortable and accessible nature experiences, in Sweden has increased according to Visit Sweden. If these different driving forces are combined, an area of use for the electric bicycle could be when on holiday. This master thesis has the purpose of developing a product that connects electric bicycles with the trend of soft adventures, and in that way encourage people to cycle more. The design process started by studying the potential users. Based on the functions noticed in the user study, various concepts were developed in several iterations in the shape of sketches, physical models and computer models. These iterations finally resulted in a concept that was further developed, and a final prototype, taking both form and function in consideration, was created. This prototype was then tested and evaluated. The final concept, called Kamrat, is a foldable holiday camper that is small and lightweight enough to be towed after an electric bicycle. In parked mode Kamrat can be unfolded, which results in a bed for two persons with a tent as a roof. This allows for a comfortable overnight stay in nature. The accessible and functional design helps and inspires the user to bring its electric bicycle on a soft adventure and thereby holiday in an environmentally friendly way.