Xiaomi’s latest MIUI system is in development. A little peek into the system by netizens reveals a special feature which Xiaomi is working on. According to reports out of China, Xiaomi MIUI latest system comes with an “earthquake warning” feature. This feature is not yet official and probably still need some tweaks. From the interface exposure, the earthquake warning uses a pop-up box to send a reminder to users. It reminds users when the network detects an impending earthquake that could cause strong ground shaking. It will also identify the seismic wave location, epicenter area, and the magnitude of the earthquake. After the warning countdown is over, an emergency help service will be provided.
Xiaomi to use seismic waves from impending earthquakes
Seismic waves from earthquakes come in three forms: longitudinal waves, transverse waves, and surface waves. The longitudinal wave propagation speed is fast, about 5.5 km-7 km per second, but the destructiveness is small. The destructiveness of the transverse wave is large, as it causes the ground to vibrate before and after the wave passes. However, the propagation speed is slow (about 4 kilometers per second). The surface wave is the slowest and can only propagate along the ground surface. This is the major cause of strong damage to surface features.
Gizchina News of the week
Xiaomi MIUI “earthquake warning” feature – how it works
The principle of the earthquake “early” warning system is to use the time difference from the faster-propagating waves to make predictions. Since these waves emanate from deep below the surface and move very fast, the warning period is usually in seconds. The faster longitudinal wave and the slower transverse wave has a relationship. Since the longitudinal relatively harmless wave arrives first, the arrival time of the associated destructive transverse and surface waves can be quickly predicted. The arrival time difference between these waves is usually very small. Theoretical studies have shown that if the warning time is 3 seconds, the casualty ratio can be reduced by 14%. If it is 10 seconds, the casualty ratio is reduced by 39% while if the warning time is 20 seconds, the casualty ratio can be reduced by 63%.
Earthquake prediction is much more complicated than it seems. If Xiaomi is developing such a feature, it will take more than lab studies to confirm its authenticity. However, since it is dealing with warning within seconds, then the accuracy could really improve. This feature definitely looks ambitious. The prediction of seismic wave location, epicenter area, and magnitude is a very complex process. However, if Xiaomi can start this, other OEMs can develop it with the hope of perfection in the future.
