When tragedy strikes and you’re on the upper floor of a tall building, how do you plan to escape? Liu Feng has spent each day jumping for a seven story building to test his invention, and to make a product that would be affordable enough for the average person to own.
The invention is a high-rise escape device that may soon be put into production. Though not the first gadget to allow people to escape from burning skyscrapers Batman-style, it will be the most affordable – it is expected to be priced at about 200 yuan ($31).
“I want to make it possible for ordinary people to have something that can save their lives,” said Liu, whose idea came after the deadly fire that engulfed a 28-story building and left 58 people dead in November in Shanghai.
“I learned from the news that most of the victims lost their lives because they didn’t manage to run away and suffocated. So I decided to invent something,” said Liu, who lives in Nanjing, Jiangsu province.
His device incorporates a safety belt, rope, hook and a speed-controller that can lower up to 100 kg from a seven-story building within seconds.
Photo by Jesse Wagstaff