About Us
Research and Design Motivation
Since the catastrophic terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, which resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths, there has been a notable increase in high-rise buildings around the world. Unfortunately, this has been accompanied by numerous fires in these structures in major cities globally.Debris | 9/11 Film
For example, on November 15, 2010, a fire broke out in a 28-story apartment building in downtown Shanghai, China, destroying the entire structure and claiming the lives of at least 58 people while injuring more than 70 others. Another tragic incident occurred on June 14, 2017, when a fire engulfed the 24-story Grenfell Tower in London, England, resulting in 72 fatalities and leaving many residents homeless. On March 28, 2019, the FR Tower fire erupted on the eighth floor of the 22-story FR Tower in the commercial Banani area of Dhaka, Bangladesh, around 1:00 PM BST. This fire led to 25 deaths and injured more than 70 people. Additionally, on October 9, 2020, a fire tore through a 33-story commercial and residential building in Ulsan, South Korea, injuring nearly 100 individuals, with 91 of them hospitalized. On October 14, 2021, a fire in a 13-story residential building in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, resulted in 46 deaths and 41 injuries. Most recently, on November 7, 2022, a fire broke out in a 35-story residential building near the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, leading to 16 deaths and 9 injuries.
These devastating fire tragedies have highlighted the urgent need for (a) updated building regulations for high-rise and super high-rise buildings, and (b) innovations in emergency evacuation methods rather than relying solely on traditional solutions.
Technology Development Timeline
BTRC Global Patent Recognition
2014-2016
In 2014, BTRC initiated the patent application process for an innovative escape device intended to facilitate mass evacuation from high-rise buildings during fires. After successfully defending the patent through several rounds, BTRC's Tunneled Parachuting System (TPS) patent was granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 2016. In the subsequent two to three years, several countries and regions with a high density of high-rise buildings—including China, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Dubai, and Qatar—also granted patents for BTRC's TPS technology, each after conducting multiple rounds of examination and defense.
Prototype, Optimization, Certification and Commercialization 2019-2025
In 2019, we began an exciting journey to design and manufacture the Tunneled Parachute System (TPS). By 2022, we achieved successful test results, demonstrating that the TPS rescue parachute descended steadily from a high altitude to ground level, as predicted by our computational simulations. The product has undergone comprehensive safety testing and performance optimization. Meanwhile, BTRC is preparing to apply for EN 12491 certification (European standard) as well as certification from the United States Parachute Association (USPA).
Looking ahead, starting in 2024, BTRC will participate in prominent fire rescue exhibitions, showcasing our groundbreaking fire escape and rescue technologies in China, the U.S., Europe, and the UAE. We are excited to bring the TPS rescue systems to market by late 2025!