THESE colourful domes are set to transform the "dated and old-fashioned" image of caravanning holidays.

The idea is to shake off the "stigma" of a pursuit often associated with retired people and appeal to the young city professional looking for a "cool" get-away.

The collapsible Caravan Pods, devised by a Poole graduate, fold away to fit standard car parking spaces and are light enough to be towed by the smallest of cars.

But they stretch out to reveal a spacious holiday home.

The interior is split into two pods. The Comfort Pod has seating and sleeping space for two adults, with a 12-volt power supply and audio system.

The Service Pod offers a water system, power supply and storage space for personal items.

And the large central window contains an electrochromatic film, which changes from transparent to opaque at the flick of a switch, removing the need for blinds and helping trap heat.

Their inventor, industrial design graduate David Tonkinson, 23, said: "Caravanning is a relatively inexpensive and environmentally friendly way to get out of the city, into the countryside and experience nature.

"But caravans and caravanning are regarded among younger generations as a dated and old-fashioned pastime.

"I believe caravans are in desperate need of modernisation if they are to overcome the stigma surrounding them and appeal to more than just retired people.

"I wanted to create a novel, two-person caravan that appeals to a fashion-conscious user. It also had to be small and lightweight enough to be towed by a small car.

"In its closed position the caravan is small enough to be stored in a standard car parking space but when it's open it's not claustrophobic."

The exterior coloured body panels, interior panels, walls and floor are contact moulded glass-reinforced-plastic.

The window is polycarbonate with a polished aluminium frame and neoprene seal.

And the chassis is cast steel, nickel-plated to protect it from corrosion.