With skyscrapers becoming a norm in our urban livelihood, safety within those high-rise buildings remains a question. We’ve seen people jump out of the World Trade Center in the unfortunate 9/11, and since the security has been beefed up so should the safety considerations, I guess. Kevin Stone sensed the issue, and in consideration he has designed the Rescue Reel, a device to help people vacate skyscrapers in case of emergencies.
Based on the concept of a fishing reel, the device is a simple harness to lower people to the ground, letting the individual plan his own escape, unless he is buckled in the pressure. The user is expected to open a small container, which is to be hooked to some steady anchor, on support of which the user can slip into a one size fits all harness, automatically controlled centrifugal braking to manage the descent.
The device along with the automatic braking system that takes less than four minutes to climb down a 100 story building also has a manual backup brake lever, in case the automatic system fails. California’s Vallejo Fire Department has conducted successful tests of the device, and now Stone is planning to market the Rescue Reel, which will be ready to buy at about $1,500.
Via: PopSci
