Smartphones Soon To Detect Earthquakes? | TechTree.com

Smartphones Soon To Detect Earthquakes?

With the MEMS sensors, it might just be true in the near future.

 

Smartphones these days do a lot more than just let you communicate. You can stay connected, and there are times they come as a blessing for those with disabilities. However, a new research suggests that smartphone and laptop sensors can soon help you warn of moderate and large earthquakes (measuring 5 and above on a Richter scale).

A report of Livescience.com adds "Small sensors found in most smartphones and laptops are sensitive enough to detect the movement of moderate and large earthquakes, and could vastly expand the information gathered during seismic events in densely populated cities. The devices, called micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers, measure movement in three dimensions and tell the phone's screen to flip from horizontal to vertical when the phone tilts. In laptops, they detect the motion of falling, and force the hard drive into a safe mode prior to impact. "

These sensors, similar to the ones found on the iPhone 4 and 5, have been put to test by researchers at Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology. They conclude that it can collect important data, but there is a catch — the quakes need to be of magnitude of 5 or greater, and the device needs to be close to the epicenter of the tectonic-movement. While the chip for now cannot detect small movements, it is expected to soon be fixed too. The research group is said to be testing a 100 times more sensitive sensor to read small quakes too.

The Stanford University in California has taken its research a step further, it has set up an international network of netizens who will help the project, called the Quake-Catcher Network. Not to be confused with the game Quake Live, which is known to entertain many researcher's in-between real world quakes though!


TAGS: Mobile Phones, Science

 
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