Last month, a UC Berkeley professor revealed he had built a low-cost, home earthquake detector. This raises the possibility that an earthquake detector could one day become as common in California homes as a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm.
The dangers presented by earthquakes in California are a concern for businesses as well as residents. Informing the public on how to react in the event of an earthquake is one way Print companies are able to assist in reducing the danger presented by earthquakes.
According to Joshua Bloom, an astronomy professor at UC Berkeley, his own homemade detector cost around $100. The device uses software developed by seismology researchers at Berkeley, known as Shake Alert, as well as a speaker, Wi-Fi adapter, $35 minicomputer, and an SD memory card. Shake Alert is connected with earthquake sensors across the state.
It could be argued that Professor Bloom did not so much build an earthquake detector but a way to have earthquake detection information transmitted to his home. Regardless, the end result is the same, early warning.
Bloom’s detector provided the college professor with a five-second warning for August’s Napa quake. An automated message awoke Bloom during the night with a voice warning. Perhaps, in the near future, California homes and businesses may be equipped with a device that will deliver warning of an imminent earthquake based on Bloom’s designGet a Free Quote for Print
