Lavochkin's towering inferno escape pod
A Russian aerospace company by the name of Lavochkin Association is developing an inflatable pod that can be used to escape from fires in tall buildings. From the looks of it it'd be a pretty terrifying way to escape a high-rise fire, but hey, it's probably better than the alternatives (i.e. either waiting to be rescued or base jumping with a parachute).The pod itself is made from inflatable tubing and a fire retardant fabric, and the idea is that—and here's the tough part—that in the event of a fire you would strap on a backpack containing one of these escape pods, jump, and while jumping pull a ring which would inflate the pod around you, with your leap of faith ideally bringing you gently to the ground (the pod is supposed to work at heights as low as five meters). Should cost about $1000 when they commercialize it.
[Via pasta and vinegar]
