Tsunami survival capsule

[Ghostrider]

Anyone remember the Rescue Ball (Personal Rescue Enclosure) that was meant to be a part of the emergency kit on Shuttle missions but never got off the ground? Well, here is the Japanese more sturdy cousin, supposedly designed to get you out of a tsunami.

Don't know about you guys, but this thing seriously needs redesign, especially the holding bar in the middle.

Doesn't it just scream: "Oi! My bones! My teeth!"?

 

[Gerdih]

agree, maybe beginning with belts

 

[Ghostrider]

I'd have the capsule enlarged, padded and fitted with restraining belts or bars. The bar has to go, and there should be an option to split the capsule open or blow the hatch should it become impossible to operate the ingress/egress port.

 

[Artlav]

So, you get inside this, the water crumbles the building on top of it, and voila - no need to bother with burying the bodies afterwards.

Seriously, utility of this is not exactly obvious. What exactly is it supposed to protect against during a tsunami?

 

[Ghostrider]

Well... Mainly against being swept away, crushed, drowned or a combination of those.
Seriously, better a slight chance than no chance but it does need a redesign.

 

[Gerdih]

I think the hatch have to be above the flotation line

 

[PennyBlack]

Where are the air holes.! Where's the kettle supposed to go.!
This is a very bad design and a waste of money for sure.

 

[N_Molson]

The survival odds would be better by sitting inside a carefully sealed Soyuz (re-used) SA on the beach, I bet... :hmm:

 

[Ghostrider]

Where are the air holes.! Where's the kettle supposed to go.!

According to the specs, there are breathing holes. However, they could easily be blocked by dirt or debris. A pop-out snorkel would be better, and it could also use air scrubbers.

As I stated before, the concept may be sound but as it is now it looks like a lifeboat made of paper.

 

[PennyBlack]

The Japanise executives could get one and have a couple of pole dancers swing around the center. I think they'd get used to the idea of a couple of scrubbers in a floating coffin.

I suppose it would be better than this though... The poor persons chioce.

 

[RisingFury]

Given that Japanese seem to like inflicting pain on themselves, this isn't as much of a surprise to me

 

[Jarvitä]

Let me put it this way, the choice between getting into that thing, and facing a 10m wall of water rushing towards me is not immediately obvious. It looks positively like a death trap.

 

[Wishbone]

Please, while jokes are good for morale in general, it is not obligatory to say that the Japanese nation as a whole liked the enormous suffering from the tsunami, quake and rad contamination. Re: survival - there's not much one can practically do against a tsunami except moving to the mountains. Capsules may save lives if equipped with food, water, beacons, straps, AND if getting into them and securing oneself is a matter of 30-40 seconds, AND if they are dirt cheap in terms of money, maintenance AND storage space.

 

[T.Neo]

When I first read "Tsunami survival capsule", I immediately thought: a coastal launch pad for a Titan II rocket and a Gemini capsule on top... at first sign of tsunami warning, ascend to the capsule, launch, and avoid all damage while you orbit the Earth and land some tens of thousands of kilometers distant.

:shifty:

 

[FADEC]

I don't think that this is an entirely bad concept. Imagine you are at a flat area and you see all the water comming. You can try to run away but the water definately will be faster than you. I would rather try to jump into one of these capsules would they be available, rather than to be in the riptide of a tsunami. At least there is a chance to survive it this way. Your pure body most likely won't whitstand the riptide through the streets in the middle of lots of debris. It will be an uncomfortable ride for sure, ending up somewhere. But still better than to drown.

This car for example was a safe place for the driver in that particular case: