Tokyo, Japan (Enmaeya News) — Japan experiences about 1,500 earthquakes each year, prompting engineering firms to find new ways to protect buildings from damage.
One such company, Air Danshin Systems Inc., has developed a futuristic earthquake-resistant housing system that allows homes to “float” during tremors. The technology uses special air chambers beneath the house that fill with compressed air when shaking is detected, lifting the structure up to 3 centimeters off the ground.
Though the movement is slight, it helps isolate the home from the earth’s vibrations, reducing the impact on its foundation. After the shaking stops, the system slowly releases the air, returning the house to its original position.
The company’s system is already in use in about 90 buildings across Japan. It activates within one second of detecting an earthquake and includes a backup power supply to ensure operation during power outages.
Air Danshin’s approach is also more affordable than traditional earthquake isolation methods, costing about one-third as much. The company has developed larger versions of the system for factories and other big facilities requiring extra protection.
During a recent demonstration, the system successfully kept furniture and fragile items stable while a simulated earthquake shook a test home.
However, some experts, including Dicky Smith, executive director of the U.S. Building Seismic Safety Council, have expressed doubts about the system’s effectiveness against strong, multi-directional quakes. They also question whether the system can respond quickly enough if the initial tremor causes damage before activation.
Air Danshin and its inventor, Shuichi Sakamoto, are working to improve the system and have launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund further development and global expansion.
