The product is designed in the way that the portable bridge can be expand from a folded mode to a bridge length takes up to across a river. It expanded in a scissor-like (90° turned scissor lift) action, then slides out the decks with end-to-end to provide platforms for vehicles.
This design is “Made of aluminum alloy and steel, it’s lightweight and easy to transport, yet sturdy enough for cars to cross.” [1]
Since the article reported that this is the fourth edition of the design, most of the problems are solved during the refurbishment of product. So there are not many problems with the design as they tested with the publics. But they plan to make the bridge “stronger, longer, lighter, more compact and quicker to set up”.
The Origami Bridge (Mobile Bridge Version 4.0) is designed to use in the area that have been destroyed and yet need a temporary bridge in order to connect the transportation to other areas. So the design is intended to use in area that has earthquakes, floods or landslides.
This temporary bridge has filled the gap in the field of emergency responses that is focused more on the environment rather than humans. As far as the focus on the issue that tend to solve, the competition with other products might not be that obvious.
Since the design used the aluminum alloy and steel as the main materials, the product cost should not be unaffordable for emergency uses. For the design, it is definitely attainable for the imagined user in a disaster situation.
Most of the news agencies have provided the similar information that constructed by the university and BBC. It is a great design that focused on the issue that most designer might ignore.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150722081121.htm
http://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/news/show/lang/en/id/1909/dir_id/0
http://www.popsci.com/best-of-whats-new-2015/engineering
http://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/news/show/lang/en/id/1785/dir_id/0
The development funding is not mentioned in the article or from the university sites. Therefore, personally will assume that the funding is raised by the university and relevant engineering associations.
Personally thinks that this design is quite innovative in the way of applying existing design structure and mechanic to form new designs for the greater use such as building temporary bridges.
The bridge is developed by a team led by Dr. Ichiro Ario from Hiroshima University (Institute of Engineering), Japan.
"A crucial point is how to expand a portable bridge. Usually a crane and a team of technicians is needed, but not in this case," Dr Paolo Beccarelli, Assistant Professor in Architectural Structures at the University of Nottingham explained to BBC News. This makes it a quick and simple solution when emergency bridges are needed. [2]