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February 26, 2006
Escape Pods?
Sounds like a good idea...
The idea emerged after Jonathan "Yoni" Shimshoni and a team of aspiring inventors in Israel watched a television documentary about victims trapped on the upper floors of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 (Never Forget).
Shimshoni recalled seeing the towers ablaze and thinking, "This is nuts. This shouldn't have to happen."The team came up with a $1 million escape device with expandable cabins that could be lowered like lifeboats outside a high-rise in distress. A prototype tested in Tel Aviv drew praise from politicians, public safety experts and the landlord of a Manhattan skyscraper, who offered his property for a pilot program.
CNN.com
Even after successful trial runs in Tel Aviv, NYC's Office of Emergency Management claimed that the system has too many faults--possible confusion by rescuers and chaos by evacuees, spreading fire due to open windows, and risk to pod passengers of being burned on descent--to warrant a permit--to cost prohibitive.
engadget
Video demonstration
Step-by-step Video
Posted by Butch at February 26, 2006 5:33 PM
