No, that huge red metal ball isn't a Pokemon Ball with an oversize Pikachu stuffed inside, but it might be the key to surviving the next huge tsunami.
The capsule was designed by Survival Capsule, a firm based out of Seattle, Wash., created in response to the tsunamis that have devastated the coasts of countries like Japan and those bordering the Indian Ocean. The last major tsunami to hit was in 2011, where it ravaged towns up and down the eastern coast of Japan and resulted in level 7 nuclear meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Survival Capsule was founded by Julian Sharpe and Scott Hill, both trained as aeronautical engineers with extensive backgrounds in aerospace technology, when they teamed up to design a capsule prototype in 2011 for the 2011 NASA Tech Brief Innovation Contest. Their entry was voted eighth out of 350 entries.
The capsules are spherical with a dual-hatch design; the exterior shell is made with aircraft-grade aluminum and the interior is lined with thermal blankets. They also include storage space for water and other supplies, thermal protection, a locator beacon, space for human waste storage, seat harnesses, air vents and GPS (interestingly enough, the capsules are also build with a surround-sound music system, in case your more macabre instincts kick in and you want to listen to R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World As We Know It" — just a guess).
Survival Capsule's crafts are not made for underwater submersion — rather, they're meant to float on water and can withstand impacts of up to 75 mph. Post-tsunami, they double as modes of shelter.
Currently, Survival Capsule has five available or planned models for manufacture and sale, ranging from a two-seater to a capsule that can fit up to 10 people.
Learn more about Survival Capsule in the video below.
