Earthquake early warningInexpensive, home-made quake early-warning system can be a life saver

Raspberry Pi, the $25 credit card size, single-board computer // Source: stanford.edu

University of California-Berkeley astrophysics professor Josh Bloom has developed an earthquake early-warning (EEW) device meant for the home or office. Resembling a home fire alarm or carbon monoxide sensor, the device was built using a Raspberry Pi single-board computer, an SD card, wired power speaker, and mini Wi-Fi adapter — costing roughly $110 in parts. It can run for days on a USB battery before requiring charging. The device relies on signals from California’s ShakeAlert, an EEW system being beta-tested by researchers and volunteer organizations including the Bay Area Rapid Transit System, Google, and Bloom.

ShakeAlert detects earthquakes using the California Integrated Seismic Network of roughly 400 ground motion sensors which identify primary waves (P-waves) as they move through the Earth at almost twice the speed of the earthquakes’ destructive S-waves, which shake the ground.

Cnet reports that Bloom’s prototype has been in operation for eleven months and that the device gave him about five seconds of warning at his Berkeley home before the 24 August Napa earthquake struck. “The recent 6.0 magnitude event was a reminder that it can work and that its widespread usage can save lives,” Bloom wrote about his device. “That’s enough time to move away from windows. That’s enough time to move away from an unfastened bookshelf and take cover. In the office, that would be enough time to gracefully (and automatically) shut down a computer system.”.

Bloom, who is also Chief Technology Officer at Wise.io, a company which develops machine-learning applications, plans to market his EEW device as a life-saving home necessity for residents of earthquake-prone areas. He notes that radiation leaks, chemical spills, and even dirty bombs could ultimately be detected by his device. Like other wireless-based home gadgets, Bloom’s device could be updated through the cloud or a connected computer. A $50 selling price and a monthly subscription could draw customers. Bloom also envisions the product to be sold at Home Depot or Target. “For now the main obstacle is that there is no public, robust EEW system,” Bloom said. “It could be years before that is in place.”

California officials are seeking funding to expand ShakeAlert to communities throughout the West Coast. The Homeland Security News Wire reported last month that the Napa earthquake may motivate state lawmakers to generate funding through private and public partnerships. For now, Bloom is finalizing the external packaging and software for his device. He has recently designed the product to share earthquake notifications via Twitter.