Last month, Japanese engineer Shoji Tanaka unveiled his latest
invention. The Noah shelter is a large, fibreglass, tennis
ball-shaped flotation capsule that up to four people can climb into
in the event of a tsunami. Tanaka says he's already taken over 600
orders for his invention, which sells for around £2,400.
If you're caught in a Bondi rip tide, you'd better hope the
lifeguard surfing to your rescue is carrying one of these bad boys.
The Longreach Buoyancy Deployment System, designed by
Sydney resident Samuel Adeloju, is a portable bazooka that allows
those carrying it to 'fire' buoyancy devices at struggling swimmers
up to 150 metres away. The main unit comes equipped with flares to
help users identify the target and, upon hitting the water, the
buoyancy aid inflates. The system is about to be trialled by
lifeguards in New South Wales.
The Hövding
The Hövding, which goes on sale this winter, is a bike
helmet for those who don't 'do' bike helmets. It's been created by
Swedish designers Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, with a shawl-like
collar that works like an airbag. Upon impact, it inflates to form
a pillow-like helmet that surrounds the head. The sensors
responsible for inflating the device work by detecting abnormal
movements of the bicycle rider - in other words, if your bike's
sideswiped by a car, the airbag will inflate before your bonce hits
the concrete.
Apocalypses can be tough. Even if you manage to avoid the
flesh-eating zombies there's still the threat of starvation,
something American small arms manufacturer CMMG has clearly thought
of. The Tactical Sammich is a sandwich that will stay
fresh and (hopefully) tasty for more than two years. The Sammich
comes in pepperoni or barbecue beef flavour and contains over 300
calories
The wall-mounted Burglar Blaster device is fitted with an infrared
motion sensor which can detect intruders and make their life rather
unpleasant. Should an unwanted guest arrive, the gadget responds
with a stream of noxious tear gas - sure to have the bleary-eyed
burglar/axe murderer rethinking their career path.
Beacons and transmitters can help relay your location if you're
unlucky enough to be buried by an avalanche, but an ABS Airbag
might just be enough to prevent the avalanche swallowing you up in
the first place. ABS Avalanche Airbags are backpacks fitted with two
airbags that inflate when an activation handle is pulled, allowing
the wearer to float to the top of the sliding snow pack, rather
than suffocate beneath it. Data collected by the Swiss Federal
Institute for Snow Science and Avalanche Research suggests that 97%
of ABS-wearing avalanche victims survive, while 90% emerge
completely unscathed.
If that avalanche does catch up with you, outdoor equipment
specialists Black Diamond might have what you need. Those buried in
an avalanche often suffocate due to the fact that the surrounding
ice quickly becomes saturated with carbon monoxide. The Avalung works by extracting fresh air from snow
packed around your body, before dissipating the expelled carbon
monoxide through a valve positioned on your back. In theory, the
Avalung, could provide up to 58 minutes of fresh air; those trapped
in an avalanche normally run out of oxygen and suffocate in around
15 minutes.
This bulletproof clipboard is capable of stopping a
9mm bullet. In fact, the clipboard is actually hewn from a slab of
genuine level 2 body armour, and comes with a 25-year warranty. The
ultimate accessory for those cursed with bosses prone to violent
outbursts
Next time you're hiking through the Amazon rainforest and fancy
a drink, make sure you have one of these. The Life Saver
Bottle, which has been approved by the London School of Hygiene
and Tropical Medicine, uses a carbon filter along with a filtration
membrane to remove water-borne nasties, providing a clean, safe
supply of drinking water no matter where you may be.
Sure, your new smartphone has some pretty flash features - but
can it save you from blundering into areas of high radiation? Like
some kind of real-life Pip-Boy, Scosche's portable radiation detector plugs into your iPhone,
enabling you to check whether radiation levels are safe, elevated
or dangerous. See red and it's time to evacuate. The blurb on the
website explains how potential buyers can "share results with
friends around the globe" although we rather hope that if that red
light flashes the emergency services will be your first port of
call.
We suspect these may be the safest undies in the world. The
Blast Boxers
are made from Aramid - the same tough material used to make
bulletproof vests - and feature Kevlar panels around the groin and
femoral arteries. The boxers' creators - military accessories
manufacturer BCB - believe this could offer life-saving protection
from explosive devices. BCB hope the Blast Boxers will soon be the
underwear of choice for those on the frontline, but in the
meantime, those in need of some serious protection for their nether
regions can pick up a pair for just £54.
