The worst way to experience an earthquake has to be waking up in the middle of the night to all that chaos. So a Chinese inventor has revealed a new and improved version of an earthquake-proof bed that supposedly helps you survive a worst case scenario—but at what cost?
Wang Wenxi received a Chinese patent for his earthquake-proof bed back in 2010. He’s been slowly improving its design since then to provide more protection, as well as to store basic supplies if a survivor finds him or herself trapped inside for a prolonged period.
A few concerning questions come to mind after watching the demo video, though. Namely, what happens to someone who isn’t lying perfectly on the mattress when the bed’s “safety” features are activated? When you wake up to an earthquake in progress there’s little chance you’re going to be calm, cool, and collected, and suddenly being sucked into a steel coffin isn’t going to help that. Especially if it closes on a leg you have sticking out.
And how does one move this bed once it’s been installed? If you thought carrying a sofa bed up a couple of flights of stairs was a nightmare, this thing looks like you’ll actually need a crane and permission to remove your building’s roof to get it into your bedroom. It’s doubtful there will be an Ikea version—or at least an Ikea version that doesn’t require welding and an acetylene torch to assemble, instead of just a wrench.
[YouTube via MetaFilter]