Why a tsunami survival capsule?

Well, we have all seen the tsunami signs at the beach, but what do they really mean? Depending on the location, it means a fast moving wave potentially 100 feet high could be at the beach in less than 15 minutes. Great, so what are your current options? In some locations vertical evacuation structures are available, in other locations you have to evacuate inland and uphill. Keep in mind, the earthquake that created the tsunami potentially destroyed your evacuation road.

A tsunami Survival Capsule provides an alternative to horizontal and vertical evacuation for areas that have limited evacuation warning time and for individuals that are incapable of evacuating themselves. 

Who are these guys?

We are aerospace engineers that specialize in making airplanes as light as possible without breaking. If you have ever taken a commercial flight, you have seen our work.

How does that help you in a tsunami?

We teamed up with a world renowned tsunami expert, Dr. Eddie Bernard, who helped us understand what kind of conditions to expect during a tsunami. The results were staggering; tsunamis pack a punch. However, using the same abilities we use to check aircraft structure we designed a Survival Capsule capable of withstanding the punishment. In fact, our two person capsule is so strong you could stack 10 cars on top of it! 

The Impact

There are 130 countries around the world affected by these disasters and 7 million exposed in the USA. Currently Japan is forecasting a loss of approximately 300,000 lives if the Nankai Trough creates an 8-9 magnitude, which has a 70% chance of occurring in the next 30 years.

We hope to reduce the future loss of life with our capsules and by educational outreach.

Where is the money going?

We will be using this round of crowdfunding to produce and test a prototype of the ten person Survival Capsule, and prepare for manufacturing. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will that thing really float?

A: If floats like a champ. Remember trying to hold a beach ball underwater as a kid?

Q: Will I float out to sea?
A: The capsule can be tethered to the ground, or you can use a GPS locator beacon to summon a rescue if you float out.

Q: Can I breath inside?
A: The capsule has vents that allow for air flow. If the capsule is temporally submerged the vents can be sealed. Once the vents are sealed there is plenty of air in the capsule, but additional air tanks with 60 minutes of air are provided.Q: Will my cell phone work in there?
It sure will.

Q: Is it stable with me inside?
A: Yes, the center of gravity is positioned so that the capsule stays upright. See our Tokyo Bay test on YouTube.

The Perks

(or how donating won't cost you anything)

Other ways you can help

Thank you for taking the time to review our campaign. Even if you can’t contribute we would greatly appreciate you sharing our project with others!

What will it look like?

More about the two person capsule

In October of 2012 our Japanese partner, Toho Mercantile, contributed funding to fabricate and test a prototype two person capsule. In a flurry of effort the Survival Capsule team built two capsules, one to test and one to send to the Disaster Preparedness Expo in Yokohama  the following February. After successfully testing the capsule and incorporating feedback from the expo event we established more partners to develop a supply chain for the production model capsules. Currently, three final assembly facilities are being established in Japan to provide tsunami protection for individual residents across the country.

Producing a ten person capsule will present countless new challenges, but by harnessing the experience from the two person capsule campaign the Survival Capsule team will prevail.

For more information about our efforts please visit our website, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.