{"id":10062,"date":"2024-01-12T17:15:29","date_gmt":"2024-01-12T17:15:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/?p=10062"},"modified":"2024-01-13T08:26:36","modified_gmt":"2024-01-13T08:26:36","slug":"misleading-photo-goes-viral-as-japanese-developing-floating-houses-for-earthquake-protection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/misleading-photo-goes-viral-as-japanese-developing-floating-houses-for-earthquake-protection\/","title":{"rendered":"Misleading Photo Goes Viral as Japanese Developing Floating Houses for Earthquake Protection! Find out the facts\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Located in a seismically active region, Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. As a result, the Japanese have implemented robust adaptation plans to mitigate the seismic impact, emphasising public safety and infrastructure resilience.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we came across viral misleading social media claims, which exaggerated the actual advancements the Japanese had made in the earthquake-resilient construction field. Let\u2019s look at the claim first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social Media Posts\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Social media posts suggest that using unique magnetic levitation technology, Japanese scientists have managed to build a house which would float in the air during an earthquake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The claim is supported by an image showing a house floating without any foundation, as seen below, and this Sinhala language post has been shared over 16K times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Facebook<\/a> | Archived<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These posts were first shared in English, and below is a post from 2023 with the same claim: \u201cJapanese scientists are planning to develop technology which will raise house bases from the ground and protect them from earthquakes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FB<\/a> | Archived<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We decided to investigate the facts behind these claims and explore earthquake-resistant building technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact Check:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Using keyword searches, we notice that the viral claims were an extension of posts which spoke of conceptual images of a company named \u2018Air Danshin Systems\u2019<\/a>, established in 2005, specialising in using air to lift houses and reduce earthquake shaking. (air seismic isolation)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air Danshin Systems’ Earthquake-Resistant Technology:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
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As explained by the diagram below, the house sits on a deflated airbag during more stable times. These homes have built-in sensors that continuously monitor seismic activity and tremors.\u00a0 When sensors feel a tremor, they switch on a compressor within a second. The compressor pumps air into an airbag, inflating it within a few more seconds and ultimately lifting the entire house a few centimetres off its supposedly earthquake-proof concrete foundation. There, the structure would then hover, meaning that its inhabitants could casually go about their business for the duration of the quake. Then, the airbag deflates, and the house gently settles back down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Web<\/a> | Archived<\/a>  ASME<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More details about the functioning of Air Danshin\u2019s system can be understood through a video demonstration, as seen here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n