Today’s invention employs the principle of the falling woodpecker toy.
This is used as an emergency fire escape for very tall buildings.
The idea is that by allowing a mass (the escapee) on a spring to oscillate up and down, the collar (green) to which it is attached alternates between gripping and slipping on the pole (the woodpecker is actually optional).
Since each woodpecker descends at a fixed rate, many hundreds of them could be falling safely down a single (strong, fireproof) pole simultaneously (thus avoiding the need to use lifts or staircases).
Unlike the pole in a firestation, users need only attach themselves by using a harness and would require no skills or training.
