MEMS Accelerometers in iPhones Work to Measure Motion Data

A recent study shows how tiny sensors used in smart phones could potentially help grow the urban seismic network.

Through a chip that's installed in a smart phone via the screen, this could create a real-time urban seismic network that easily increases the amount of strong motion data to collect information during a large earthquake.

Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) accelerometers work to measure the rate of acceleration through which the vibration of cars, buildings and installations are currently working. Background information from the study notes that in the 1990s, MEMS accelerometers worked to revolutionize the automotive airbag industry where many devices were used through smart phones, laptops and video games alike.

The idea was tested in Italy by seismologists Antonino D'Alessandro and Giuseppe D'Anna, both from the Istituto Nazionale di Geosfica e Vulcanologia in their home country. They tested whether inexpensive MEMS accelerometers could reliably and accurately detect ground motion that was created by earthquakes. This test through the LIS331DLH MEMS accelerometer was installed in the iPhone and then compared to an earthquake sensor via Episensor ES-T force balance accelerometer that was produced by Kinemetrics, Inc.

Tests suggest that these accelerometers can actually detect moderate to strong earthquake vibrations-ranging from a magnitude of greater than 5-when located near the epicenter of the earth. However, small limitations to the device include monitoring less motion, according to the study.

Yet the researchers note that as technology continues to rapidly evolve, there will soon be MEMS sensors that are sensitive enough to understand smaller motion.

The authors conclude the following, via a press release: "The current state of the MEMS sensors, suggest the authors, could be used for the creation of an urban seismic network that could transmit in real-time ground motion data to a central location for assessment. The rich volume of data could help first responders identify areas of greatest potential damage, allowing them to allocate resources more effectively."

More information regarding the study can be found via the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (BSSA).