Inflatable

An object designed to expand or become usable when filled with air or another gas. Its shape and function depend on a pressurized interior bounded by a flexible enclosure.

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Pneumatic structure: A structure stabilized by pressurized gas within flexible or partly flexible boundaries. Inflatables are a familiar class of structures whose stiffness comes from internal pressure.
Coated fabric: A textile covered with a polymer layer to add properties such as water resistance or airtightness. Many inflatable skins use coated fabric to combine flexibility with gas retention.
Inflatable boat: A boat whose buoyancy is provided primarily by air-filled flexible tubes or chambers. Its pressurized tubes provide flotation and can absorb impacts.
Rigid structure: A structure that maintains its shape primarily through the stiffness of solid components. Inflatables trade rigid material strength for low weight and compact storage.
Packability: The ability of an object to be folded or compressed into a smaller transportable form. Deflation lets many inflatables occupy far less space than rigid equivalents.
Ideal gas law: An equation relating a gas's pressure, volume, temperature, and amount. It describes how heating or compressing the filling gas changes internal pressure.
Thermoplastic polyurethane: A flexible thermoplastic polymer used for abrasion-resistant films, coatings, and fabrics. Its flexibility and weldability suit many lightweight inflatable products.
Air mattress: A portable mattress supported by one or more air-filled chambers. It uses contained air to provide a lightweight, adjustable sleeping surface.
Tensegrity: A structural system combining isolated compression members with a continuous tension network. Both rely on tension, but tensegrity uses a framework rather than gas pressure to stabilize form.
Buoyancy: The upward force exerted by a fluid on an immersed object. Air-filled chambers can displace water and keep boats or flotation devices afloat.