Camp Napper Cervical Castrensis Portabile by Chen Xu

Camp Napper Cervical Castrensis Portabile by Chen Xu is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Praemium A' Design Award Aureum in Instrumenta Castrametationis Competition Category.

AurumInstrumenta Castrametationis· 2025

Camp Napper Cervical Castrensis Portabile

by Chen Xu

Client: RestBase

Praemium A' Design Award Aureum Winner in Instrumenta Castrametationis Category

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Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #168729

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About Camp Napper Cervical Castrensis Portabile

Camp Napper est cervical castrense portabile, usui et sub divo et intra tecta destinatum. Forma eius bionica est, formis sporarum, fungorum atque caulium plantarum cavorum inspirata. Eminentiae in parte anteriore pressionem diffundunt ventilationemque meliorant. Foramina caeca in parte posteriore, una cum crassitudinis mutationibus, quattuor sensus distinctos praebent pondusque minuunt. Cervical ex spuma memoriali confectum est, formis specialibus atque processu spumificationis figuratum. Particulae cummeae antilapsus efficiunt ut cervical loco suo maneat. In sacculo repositorio conditum, cervical ad magnitudinem poculi aquae comprimitur.

The Recognition

About the Praemium A' Design Award Aureum

Camp Napper Cervical Castrensis Portabile victor est Praemii A' Design Award Aureum, honoris amplissimi formis primi ordinis, mirabilibus et praestantibus dati. Victores Aurei sunt opera valde nova, provida et splendida, quae ingenium, sapientiam et peritiam auctorum suorum referunt. Exspectatur Camp Napper Cervical Castrensis Portabile inventum laudatissimum, inclinationes creans et monumentale fore, quod pretium inauditum afferat. Haec forma Aureo praemio victa est incepto mirabile et honoratum, quod fines artis, scientiae, formandi rationis et technologiae promovet. Camp Napper Cervical Castrensis Portabile cupiditatem vehementem excitat, studium accendit, ingenium creandi fovet et capit.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The Camp Napper is a portable camping pillow with a special bionic shape. The front protrusions can relieve pressure and ventilate, boosting comfort. the blind holes on the back, combined with changes of pillow's thickness, can offer four distinct feels. The punched holes also cut down the weight and improve compressibility. When packed in the storage bag, it can be compressed to a water cup size for easy portability. Also, anti-slip rubber particles help it fit different camping conditions.
Dimensions & Packaging: The size of the pillow is 35cm*30cm*10cm, and when compressed in the storage bag, it is 10cm*10cm*20cm. The weight of the whole pillow is approximately 400g.
Tags: Product Design, Pillow, Bionics, Parameterization, Outdoor Camping
Production Technology: To shape the pillow core, developers measured and simulated its deformation under volunteers' head, neck and shoulder pressure, then built a math model. Based on it, the bionic structure was obtained via simulation. In production, special molds and foaming process are used, with memory foam of suitable soft - hard degree as the material.
Design Challenge: The challenges of the project lie in the product shape design and the process limitations during industrial mass production. To obtain a suitable product shape, designers and developers carried out a large number of simulation calculations. In the processing stage, through continuous adjustment of the material ratio and the parameter details of the foaming molds, the product was finally able to meet the requirements for the yield rate of qualified products and the appearance design.
Research: Using Voronoi polygons, the pillow - surface structure is optimized to fit the pressure from the head and neck, improving comfort. The pillow core has high - neck, low - neck, head - pillow, and wrapping - enhancement areas. Protrusions in each area are adjusted to match compression changes during use. This structure disperses pressure, preventing circulation problems during sleep, and its grooves boost breathability.
Inspiration: For camping pillow, both portability and comfort are essential. The Camp Napper achieves them by drawing inspiration from the organic forms of organisms in nature. By imitating the surface structures of spores and fungi, the contact area between the pillow surface and the skin is increased, which improves comfort. By mimicking the hollow structure of plant stems, the pillow core achieves maximum weight reduction while maintaining strength and durability, and creates rich experiences of feels.
Project Duration: The project started in March 2024 in Beijing and finished in December 2024 in Beijing.
Operation Flow: The Camp Napper, as a multi - functional camping pillow, can be used in various indoor and outdoor scenarios. Its typical use is to be paired with camping tents, sleeping pads, camping chairs, etc., to enhance sleep comfort during outdoor camping. Meanwhile, it can serve as a backrest cushion during business trips or travels, and replace overly soft down pillows in hotels. At home, it can also be used as a backrest cushion or an everyday sleeping pillow.
Team Members: Chen Xu, Huang Hao, Dr. Zhang Rong, Liu Beibei, Hao Qian, Wu Fangbo, Li Shulong, Yu Ziran, Zhang Mingjie, Dr. Wang Lijing, Zhao Yanzeng