Android smartphones will become seismographs

The smartphones that we keep next to us every day, on the desk, on the table or on the bedside table during the night, include an accelerometer which, in addition to detecting the movement of the phone during normal use, can be used for other purposes: to identify earthquakes, for example. This is what Google wants to do with an initiative announced today through the pages of the official blog.

Google: the accelerometer to detect and report earthquakes

The first phase of experimentation was conducted in partnership with USGS (United States Geological Survey) and with the Cal OES (California Governor's Office of Emergency Services to issue alerts in case of seismic events in California through the Android version of the ShakeAlert application. Created by some of the most experienced researchers in the field , the software bases its operation on the data collected from over 700 stations installed in the area.



Being able to count on such a widespread network of alternative seismographs would allow to detect tremors in real time, communicating to people i n what way to behave to secure yourself and others without any waiting. An example in the image above with a message displayed in full screen and a few simple instructions to follow, accompanied by a loud audio signal to get attention.



The warnings could then be customized based on the geographical position: counting on thousands or even millions of sensors distributed in a capillary way it would be possible to detect the epicenter of the earthquake with extreme precision, calibrating the interventions to be implemented accordingly.

Difficult to any way to think a rollout is of immediate and large-scale technology. You will need to first pass a thorough and well-monitored test phase , with the prime objective to refine the algorithms used to clear or at least reduce the risk of false alarms .

At the moment there is no information about a possible collaboration with Apple . The involvement of the group of Cupertino and iOS devices may assure you a luxuri replicate what you have already seen for the contact tracing, allowing the development of applications such as our Immune that work on every smartphone in circulation.

Source: Google