Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, who is well known for his large inflatable duck that was displayed in waterways around the world, has a new creation – a giant inflatable hippopotamus.

Earlier this year, the organizers of Totally Thames, an annual London festival that celebrates the Thames River, asked Hofman to create a work of art to display in the water. Hofman researched the history of the river and learned that hundreds of thousands of years ago it was populated with hippopotami.

That finding inspired Hofman to create an inflatable hippopotamus, which he dubbed “HippopoThames.” He hopes his creation will inspire people to get out of their homes and explore London with a fresh perspective.

Hofman had to consider some practical limitations when designing the inflatable hippopotamus. Since it had to be towed into place, it had to fit under bridges along the way. He also had to consider the cost of the project.

Many of Hofman’s works are inspired by everyday objects. “HippopoThames” was inspired by a children’s book that Hofman’s parents gave him for his child. One of the pages in the book had an illustration of a hippopotamus.

Some of Hofman’s other works, such as the giant cuddly toys he exhibited at the Hague in 2009 and the sparrow statues he created for Belgium’s Rock Werchter music festival, were also inspired by found objects, such as children’s toys and items he bought at flea markets.

Hofman focuses on the beauty and design of objects but changes them by giving them different skins. He especially enjoys working with objects manufactured in China and Taiwan because they are sent to the United States and Europe and bring enjoyment to children around the world.

Hofman likes to display his creations in beautiful urban and rural spaces. He likes to show those places in their natural state.

Hofman said that after creating the traveling duck installation, it was difficult to come up with another project that had a water-based theme. He said the inflatable hippopotamus would be his last water-based art project.

Engineers at the University of Maine developed inflatable composite technology they call Bridge-in-a-Backpack. NASA is now considering using their technology on future missions to Mars.

The patented Bridge-in-a-Backpack consists of light, portable carbon fiber tubes that are inflated. The tubes take the shape of arches and are infused with resin. Concrete is then poured into the carbon fiber tubes. The tubes protect the concrete from water and other elements, which gives the bridge a lifespan two to three times that of a traditional bridge. The Bridge-in-a-Backpack technology has received certification from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

NASA is looking into the possibility of using similar technology for its Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD). The HIAD consists of a giant cone made of stacked rings that can be mounted on the nose of a spacecraft. The cone is designed to slow the spacecraft as it enters Mars’ atmosphere so it can safely land. NASA hopes to use the Bridge-in-a-Backpack technology in its HIAD to land a craft that is large enough to carry heavy loads of scientific equipment and humans.

University of Maine engineers Bill Davids, Joshua Clapp, Andrew Goupee, and Andrew Young are working with NASA on the project. The researchers believe their inflatable technology could be used to land heavier payloads at higher elevations than was possible with previous missions to Mars.

NASA approached the team at the University of Maine several years ago about using the technology for the HIAD. The University began a three-year, $750,000 project funded by NASA and the Experimental Program to Stimulate Creative Research (EPSCoR) through the Maine Space Grant Consortium.

The researchers are working on a HIAD that is 6 meters in diameter at NASA’s National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex, the world’s largest wind tunnel, in Moffeo Field, California. The team is testing stresses and deformations in the HIAD. It created the most air blockage of anything ever tested in the wind tunnel.

The HIAD for a manned mission to Mars will need a diameter around 20 meters, so the team will not be able to conduct aerodynamic testing in a wind tunnel. It is therefore important to create a model that can be used to predict the technology’s performance.

Davids also led a group from the University of Maine that worked for the U.S. Army’s Natick Soldier Systems Center on portable, lightweight inflatable structures supported by fabric arches that could be quickly deployed. The inflatable tents are designed to be used by military forces as disaster relief shelters, temporary medical facilities, and storage.