4 hrs.
A Japanese company has developed a wooden canopy bed that doubles as an earthquake shelter. It serves as protection from a collapsing wall in a home that hasn?t been renovated to survive severe shaking.?
The frame is constructed out of cypress wood, which is known for its hardiness and durability. The bed passed ?a 65-ton load-bearing test, according to Japanese video news site DigInfo TV. ?
The company behind the bed, Shinko Industries, says that while the best route to protection is?making a home's structure less susceptible to collapse during a quake, such renovations are costly.
The cheaper route is the Wood Luck bed. "Cheap," is of course relative. This costs $5,600, a company spokesman told DigInfo.?
Most inquiries for the product?come from elderly people living in wood frame houses, but?the concept sounds prudent for anyone living in areas with a high chance of earthquakes, since many people don't have the money (or the ownership?rights) to quake-proof their homes.
The final threshold is style.?Research shows that affordable disaster-proof housing technologies often don?t fit the cultural preferences of communities that need them. As a result, they aren?t adopted.
If the Wood Luck turns out to be fashionable as well as safe, then the world may gain some well-rested earthquake survivors. And that?s a good thing.
??via DigInfo TV?
John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. To learn more about him, check out his website. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.
stefon diggs nazi ss andrej pejic naomi watts macaulay culkin steve jobs fbi safehouse
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.