Google Turns Android Phones Into Earthquake Detectors
August 12, 2020Google, in a bid to create a more effective early disaster warning system, is turning Android phones into mini earthquake detectors. This crowd-sourcing campaign is called the Android Earthquake Alerts System, and the aim here, is to provide an accurate warning system to help victims ‘take cover’ in time.
Conventional systems involve seismometers or seismographs, which are instruments that record ground motions such as those caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. Google currently pulls data from about 700 of them in California to provide vital few seconds of warning to allow for people in the state, time to drop, cover and hold on before the shaking arrives.
However, by using Android phones, which could number in the thousands, to pool the necessary data, the accuracy and efficacy of the early warning system could increase ten fold. This in turn could provide far more time than conventional warning systems would allow, which could potentially save lives.
Here’s how it Works:
All smartphones are equipped with acelerometers. These are sensors that detect motion for functions such as “raise to wake” or change the screen’s orientation. But they can now be used to help a phone to detect earthquake-like motion. The phone then sends the data to an earthquake detection server, which compares this with data received from other phones in the area.
Once the system is able to verify the incident as that of an earthquake, an alert could potentially be sent out to people in the affected area. At the start however, this tech will only be used to share fast and accurate view of an impacted area on Google Search. When looking up for earthquake related news, the information could be presented to you.
Google worked with globally-renowned seismology and disaster experts Dr. Richard Allen, Dr. Qingkai Kong and Dr. Lucy Jones to develop the tech. In time it expects it to roll out the tech to states across the US, then all over the world. The company hasn’t provided a clear explanation yet, on how it plans on implementing said system or whether it plans on offering an ‘opt-out’ option.
