Crafty Japanese Create "Hover House" to Avoid Earthquakes - Polidicks

[quote] We’ve seen quite a few creative examples of disaster-resistant architecture here at Inhabitat – from houses that rise up atop flood waters to an elastic iron alloy designed to sway with an earthquake. Now a Japanese company, Air Danshin Systems Inc., has come up with perhaps the most inventive solution we’ve seen — they fit out existing houses to levitate in the event of an earthquake. In the wake of last year’s Fukushima disaster the company is set to install the levitation system in 88 houses across Japan. As fantastical as a home levitation system may seem, Air Danshin claims that the technology is not only effective, but also 1/3 cheaper than many other earthquake-proofing systems out there – and it requires little maintenance. According to Spoon & Tamago, the technology calls for a fairly simple, if powerful, set of mechanisms to be installed around a property. When an earthquake hits, a sensor responds within one second by activating a compressor, which forces an incredible amount of air under the home, pushing the structure up and apart from its foundation. The air pressure can keep the home levitating up to 3cm from the shaking foundation below. An indoor valve controls the flow of air under the house, keeping the structure steady as it “floats.” Once the earthquake is over the home gently falls back onto an earthquake-resistant reinforced concrete foundation. While the earthquake-resistant levitation system is presently being installed in houses, we hear the Japanese firm hopes to expand to install the system in larger, potentially more critical structures. To promote the technology, Air Danshin Systems have made some fairly convincing, and somewhat humorous, videos to demonstrate their technology in action. [/quote] [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/gGBoG.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/rlEMW.jpg[/IMG] Holy fucking shit Japan. Make more awesome stuff like this instead of tentacle porn. [url]http://inhabitat.com/japanese-levitating-house-system-could-protect-homes-from-earthquakes/[/url]

Would this work with huge buildings?

Considering they can only get a house a maximum of 3 cm off the ground, it's probably highly unfeasible to do anything larger.

[QUOTE=The Rifleman;34997230]Would this work with huge buildings?[/QUOTE] I don't see why not, air pressure can do amazing things. I don't know how a skyscraper would behave floating on 3cm, but there is no question that it won't be able to lift it.

Now they need to create a wall that pops up to protect the house from the oncoming tsunami.

Imagine sticking your fingers in that gap. Then the power cuts to it and you lose some fingers. Aside from that, a pretty neat technology.

And the wind blows the house off the foundation, unless they anchor it using some strong tethers.

[QUOTE=RIPBILLYMAYS;34997295]Now they need to create a wall that pops up to protect the house from the oncoming tsunami.[/QUOTE] Knowing the Japanese, we'll skip walls and go straight to force fields/kinetic barriers.

[QUOTE=Arachnidus;34997356]Knowing the Japanese, we'll skip walls and go straight to force fields/kinetic barriers.[/QUOTE] But not before they make dog translator collars. [img]http://www.blogcdn.com/www.cinematical.com/media/2009/05/2009_up_023.jpg[/img]

That's cool and all but what about piping. How do you get water and electricity in there?

what about magnets

Why don't they just like suck the earthquakes out of the ground

Next step, house-planes

[QUOTE=Netsc;34997738]Why don't they just like suck the earthquakes out of the ground[/QUOTE] And then put them in jars and sell them. Earthquake in a jar, 2 bucks for each level of magnitude off of a stand in the middle of nowhere. I'm set for life.

[QUOTE=dass;34997789]And then put them in jars and sell them. Earthquake in a jar, 2 bucks for each level of magnitude off of a stand in the middle of nowhere. I'm set for life.[/QUOTE] And then a small child knocks one off the shelf and the chain reaction causes a huge mess :v:

i always wanted to play house air hockey

[QUOTE=mac338;34997611]That's cool and all but what about piping. How do you get water and electricity in there?[/QUOTE] They have to go to the river daily for their water of course.

[QUOTE=mac338;34997611]That's cool and all but what about piping. How do you get water and electricity in there?[/QUOTE] Flexible pipe: [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/gApCU.jpg[/IMG]

Recently I've read that someone managed to make a building "invisible" to earthquakes with a use of a big elastomer ring placed around it. The earthquake waves travel through the ring but do not touch the building in the middle.

[QUOTE=Wolfmatyr;34997911]And then a small child knocks one off the shelf and the chain reaction causes a huge mess :v:[/QUOTE] Cleanup on... Hmm... Yeah... And just like that, my dream is over... :'(

[QUOTE=dass;34999384]Cleanup on... Hmm... Yeah... And just like that, my dream is over... :'([/QUOTE] Just store the earthquakes in a levitating house.

It would be cool if it hovered all the time

What if it slides off? Also, it'd need a helluva lot of pressure and therefore power... It'd definitely feel pretty awesome inside the house LOL Watching the world move and crumble around you, while you stay still... like a steadicam

I somehow imagine the system screwing up and sending the house up really high. :v:

Videos for anyone that missed them [video=youtube;NubZJA4c_Rw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NubZJA4c_Rw[/video] [video=youtube;Abc_LfNRNpE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abc_LfNRNpE[/video] :v:

That house must really blow.

[QUOTE=Remscar;35000814]That house must really blow.[/QUOTE] trying too hard

this idea gives me quite a lift [editline]5th March 2012[/editline] certainly raised my opinion of the japanese