A video concept for an earthquake-proof bed recently emerged on the internet, but it's deeply weird and raises many questions.
Gizmodo highlighted the video in a Wednesday post, though The Independent points out that the original video, posted in April, comes from Dahir Insaat, a Russian engineer.
Interestingly, the re-uploaded version of the video Gizmodo highlighted references Wang Wenxi, a Chinese inventor who, as reported by China Daily, was granted a patent in 2010 for an earthquake-proof bed that matches what the video illustrates.
A Google search for Wenxi only returns references to his 2010 patent, nothing regarding the development of his concept since. A video from 2012 showing a real-life version of Wenxi's concept is on YouTube, though its origins are unclear.
Insaat's Facebook page features 3D renderings of architectural concepts.
In the event of an earthquake, the mattresses of these beds fold into a metal sarcophagus, apparently to protect sleepers if their house or building crumbles. While it's a nice idea, the design raises many, many questions:
What happens if the person isn't in the exact middle of the bed?
What happens if there are two or more people in the bed?
Considering it's most likely made of steel, given the task at hand, how heavy are these beds?
How could you get a heavy steel bed into an apartment?
The animations show emergency supplies under the mattress: how is anyone supposed to get to these supplies?
How is anyone supposed to get out of the bed sarcophagus?
This video is confusing and (strangely) compelling in equal measure. It's the sort of thing you could watch time and time again and never fully understand what's going on. It's in a word, mystifying.