via Engadget
"A Russian aerospace company by the name of Lavochkin Association is
developing an inflatable pod that can be used to escape from fires in
tall buildings. From the looks of it it'd be a pretty terrifying way
to escape a high-rise fire, but hey, it's probably better than the
alternatives (i.e. either waiting to be rescued or base jumping with a
parachute).The pod itself is made from inflatable tubing and a fire
retardant fabric, and the idea is that—and here's the tough part—that
in the event of a fire you would strap on a backpack containing one of
these escape pods, jump, and while jumping pull a ring which would
inflate the pod around you, with your leap of faith ideally bringing
you gently to the ground (the pod is supposed to work at heights as
low as five meters. Should cost about $1000 when they commercialize
it."
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000090048073
"A Russian aerospace company by the name of Lavochkin Association is
developing an inflatable pod that can be used to escape from fires in
tall buildings. From the looks of it it'd be a pretty terrifying way
to escape a high-rise fire, but hey, it's probably better than the
alternatives (i.e. either waiting to be rescued or base jumping with a
parachute).The pod itself is made from inflatable tubing and a fire
retardant fabric, and the idea is that—and here's the tough part—that
in the event of a fire you would strap on a backpack containing one of
these escape pods, jump, and while jumping pull a ring which would
inflate the pod around you, with your leap of faith ideally bringing
you gently to the ground (the pod is supposed to work at heights as
low as five meters. Should cost about $1000 when they commercialize
it."
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000090048073