Seismograph on the computer: SeisMac & company
Every now and then I go to check the statistics of global access to the site, and I see that a search term is widely used in google which then leads to this my article the sad events in Abruzzo, concerns the search for software capable of… simulate a seismograph. Perhaps many were attracted by the graph on the emission of radon in the article above, or windows software under Linux used by Giuliani and immortalized in many videos on youtube.
It came to my mind that, at the bottom, something like that is installed on my iBook for almost 4 age…
His name is Seismac. This program uses the sensor SUDDEN MOTION SENSOR the ibook and powerbook latest, and Mac notebooks with Intel CPU, which serves to lock the heads of the hard disk in the event of sudden shock. I guess the SMS uses an inertial platform, I do not know, even I got some curiosity in the coming days I hope to have time to look for its operation.
With a sensor of this type, is easy for a program detect accelerations orthogonal and parallel to the plane on which rests the computer, and encode it into practical graphs, somehow, do nothing but the same task of seismographs.
Here's a picture:
The software is very sensitive and detects even the desk with a simple touch of the finger, and can be downloaded at this address.
Regarding Linux e Windows (but also Mac), rimando a this COMPUTER POINT article about a project of one Berkeley, which has released a software that interfaces with many sensors for sale, or sensors contained within the modern laptop.
Here is a piece that Article:
It has been about six months since its official launch, and now it seems that the program Quake-Catcher Network (QCN) of the’Università californiana in Berkeley is beginning to reap the first successes. With just over 1500 members, most of which are located on the outskirts of Los Angeles and San Francisco, simply taking advantage of the sensors of movements content in many modern laptop is now able to detect and measure the flow of an earthquake. Compensating for the lack of precision of the laptop with their number.