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Common cellphone GPS being able to feel an earthquake would be incredible. Imagine Google Maps telling you to pull over because there was an earthquake, or redi

Common cellphone GPS being able to feel an earthquake would be incredible. Imagine Google Maps telling you to pull over because there was an earthquake, or redirecting you to safety.

diggan 7y ago
Most phones today would already be able to feel an earthquake via the built-in accelerometer they have. Actually, there is a network of people sharing this information with each other already, called MyShake: https://myshake.berkeley.edu/ https://myshake.berkeley.edu/
- daphneokeefe 7y ago
  That app has great potential, but it's not really ready for prime time. Its rating in Google Play is 3.1 based on over 3,500 votes. Today, they are apologizing for a problem wherein the app reported a 6.1 quake as being located somewhere in the United States, which is not very helpful. Other reviewers have complained that the app is a power hog that drains a phone's battery pretty quickly. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.berkeley.bsl.myshake&hl=en_US https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.berkeley.b...
  - catalogia 7y ago
    > "Other reviewers have complained that the app is a power hog that drains a phone's battery pretty quickly." I've seen it suggested before, but if this app or one like it only worked while the phone was plugged in, that would eliminate power consumption concerns and also provide cleaner data (a phone plugged in is usually sitting flat on a table, counter, etc, and is thus in a better position to collect seismic data than if it were in somebody's pocket.)
polishdude20 7y ago
How do you differentiate an earthwuake from common behaviors while the phone is in a pocket such as running, jumping, walking etc.
- nobodyshere 7y ago
  Doesn't really seem that difficult. The patterns of picking up a phone, running with it and having it just lay on a vibrating surface are very different. It would be particularly easy to spot panic during a usual running routine.
  - lm28469 7y ago
    > Doesn't really seem that difficult Companies lose billions on projects every year because someone uttered these exact same words.
  - taeric 7y ago
    More, I'd imagine you could look for a signal common to many devices. Unless you are picking up all phones in your household with the same signal, any signal common to them all is likely more global. Could detect if folks are in the same car?
- LeoPanthera 7y ago
  You compare it with other phones in the nearby area.
  - BurningFrog 7y ago
    Right. At any time, most phones will be lying on something like a table. If they all sense something, it's a big external event.
    - lm28469 7y ago
      So you compare each and every devices state every X seconds to determine if somethings that statistically never happens is happening? I can't be the only thinking this is nonsense. Just install a bunch of actual earthquake detectors and make them send notifications via already existing alert systems.
      - BurningFrog 7y ago
haecceity 7y ago
Why not use accelerometer for that
kalleboo 7y ago
I prefer the Japanese system where they invested in a network of seismometers and blast out a notification, so your phone alerts you of the earthquake before it reaches you

Common cellphone GPS being able to feel an earthquake would be incredible. Imagine Google Maps telling you to pull over because there was an earthquake, or redirecting you to safety.

diggan 7y ago

Most phones today would already be able to feel an earthquake via the built-in accelerometer they have. Actually, there is a network of people sharing this information with each other already, called MyShake: https://myshake.berkeley.edu/ https://myshake.berkeley.edu/

daphneokeefe 7y ago
That app has great potential, but it's not really ready for prime time. Its rating in Google Play is 3.1 based on over 3,500 votes. Today, they are apologizing for a problem wherein the app reported a 6.1 quake as being located somewhere in the United States, which is not very helpful. Other reviewers have complained that the app is a power hog that drains a phone's battery pretty quickly. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.berkeley.bsl.myshake&hl=en_US https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.berkeley.b...
- catalogia 7y ago
  > "Other reviewers have complained that the app is a power hog that drains a phone's battery pretty quickly." I've seen it suggested before, but if this app or one like it only worked while the phone was plugged in, that would eliminate power consumption concerns and also provide cleaner data (a phone plugged in is usually sitting flat on a table, counter, etc, and is thus in a better position to collect seismic data than if it were in somebody's pocket.)

polishdude20 7y ago

How do you differentiate an earthwuake from common behaviors while the phone is in a pocket such as running, jumping, walking etc.

nobodyshere 7y ago
Doesn't really seem that difficult. The patterns of picking up a phone, running with it and having it just lay on a vibrating surface are very different. It would be particularly easy to spot panic during a usual running routine.
- lm28469 7y ago
  > Doesn't really seem that difficult Companies lose billions on projects every year because someone uttered these exact same words.
- taeric 7y ago
  More, I'd imagine you could look for a signal common to many devices. Unless you are picking up all phones in your household with the same signal, any signal common to them all is likely more global. Could detect if folks are in the same car?
LeoPanthera 7y ago
You compare it with other phones in the nearby area.
- BurningFrog 7y ago
  Right. At any time, most phones will be lying on something like a table. If they all sense something, it's a big external event.
  - lm28469 7y ago
    So you compare each and every devices state every X seconds to determine if somethings that statistically never happens is happening? I can't be the only thinking this is nonsense. Just install a bunch of actual earthquake detectors and make them send notifications via already existing alert systems.
    - BurningFrog 7y ago

haecceity 7y ago

Why not use accelerometer for that

kalleboo 7y ago

I prefer the Japanese system where they invested in a network of seismometers and blast out a notification, so your phone alerts you of the earthquake before it reaches you