By Matthew Swenson, Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Interdisciplinary Capstone Design Program, and NSF I-Corps Faculty Lead, University of Idaho

About seven years ago, an idea was born to potentially develop a novel suspension system for trailers that we pull behind our vehicles. The premise was to design a system that dampened and redirected the shock loading that the cargo experiences when traversing uneven terrain. Through the collective work of a capstone design team, a graduate student, and myself, a new design was realized that reimagines the physics for trailer suspension systems.

But even with a working design, the question remained, would anybody actually buy this? To find out, I enrolled in an NSF I-Corps™  Regional training course in the Fall of 2023 and interviewed a multitude of industries that utilize trailers as part of their business. Most of them indicated that they did not have an existing problem, and it seemed they would not have interest in a clever new alternative. But one industry emerged as the clear beachhead. Horse trailers transport animals that would benefit from being more comfortable, and this is an industry that is emotionally attached to their cargo and is willing to spend money to improve the lifestyle of their horses. This was my “aha moment”.

With this invaluable information, I worked with the University of Idaho to pursue a patent. The process took nearly two years but ended in the successful outcome of a utility patent for this novel design earlier this year. Armed with a beachhead and a patent, I enrolled in the NSF I-Corps Regional+ course, with the explicit goal to attend the World Ag EXPO in Tulare, CA in February 2026. Attending the Ag EXPO enabled me to interview trailer manufacturers and horse industry stakeholders to gain clarity about how to position the innovation in the market with a value proposition, while also building a viable business model in parallel. In one month, I was transformed from a guy with an idea to one that has an operational plan with very low risk and a very high potential reward.

Moving forward, I recently secured agreement with the University of Idaho to start my own company (CalmTrailR, LLC). This enables me to pursue an exclusive licensing agreement with the university, build another demonstration trailer this summer, and seek potential manufacturing partners and paying customers to begin commercializing the product. The roadmap is in place, and I am confident and ready to go. All this is due to the help of the NSF I-Corps program and its instructional team that enabled me to explore the market in a systematic way with a focus on customer discovery.

Interested in exploring customer discovery for your own innovation? Learn more about NSF I-Corps courses and apply here: desertpacificicorps.org/apply/