HIGASHI-OMI, Shiga Prefecture--In cooperation with a Kyoto University laboratory, a local company here has developed a floatable futon that users can cling to as a lifesaving device in the event of a tsunami.
HIGASHI-OMI, Shiga Prefecture--In cooperation with a Kyoto University laboratory, a local company here has developed a floatable futon that users can cling to as a lifesaving device in the event of a tsunami.
The "Saving Floater" mattress, developed by NA Tech, which produces and distributes disaster-related merchandise, is made of special lightweight beads, 98 percent of which is made of air.
Company President Eiji Aoyama said the mattress can even float on wave-filled waters for more than three days.
"We tried to incorporate lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami disaster in March 2011," Aoyama said. "In normal times, the mattress provides a comfortable place to sleep just like any other futon, but we designed the product to serve as an effective lifesaver in the event of an emergency."
The mattress, two meters wide and one meter long, weighs 2.5 kilograms and is stuffed with specially developed lightweight beads about 6 millimeters in diameter in a tear-resistant, chemical fiber cover.
As the mattress is stitched into 31 sections, it can stay afloat even when pieces become damaged. It also has grips and a pocket to hold valuables.
Aoyama said he came up with the idea of a lifesaver mattress after seeing a pillow made of the same material being used to help a nursing care patient take a bath about a decade ago.
As the president is also the head of a futon maker, he started working on developing the floating product after the 2011 disaster.
He produced more than 200 test versions in the past four years and tested them himself in Lake Biwako.
Kyoto University's Disaster Prevention Research Institute helped Aoyama test his mattress on wave-filled surfaces. Tetsuya Hiraishi, a professor of coastal engineering at the institute, said what could have been just a good idea has been turned into reality.
The "Saving Floater" futon is priced at 40,000 yen ($330), excluding tax. For more information, contact NA Tech at (0749) 45-2646.