Friday, August 24, 2012

Bed resists earthquakes, serves as disaster shelter

12 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.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/bed-designed-resist-earthquakes-serve-disaster-shelter-958791

jionni lavalle earthquake san francisco donald payne elizabeth berkley lenny dykstra the voice jenelle evans

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