Intensity meter using WiFi gets nod of Phivolcs, SWEEP schools

[November 10, 2008/MANILA] Schools are on their way to helping the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) improve earthquake monitoring across the country with the selection of a low-cost intensity meter prototype developed by students of the University of San Carlos in Cebu City.

Once improvements are made, the device will be deployed to schools under the Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP), who are participating in a first-of-its-kind government-industry-academe partnership between PHIVOLCS, wireless leader Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART), and SWEEP schools.

The team from the University of San Carlos that developed the selected intensity meter prototype with (from left) PHIVOLCS’ Melquiades S. Figueroa and Dr. Ishmael C. Narag and SMART Public Affairs Specialist Nova C. Clotario.

The partnership involves getting the schools to research on low-cost remote monitoring systems for seismic data transmission and to use the selected prototype to detect ground movement and help augment findings of PHIVOLCS’ 64 seismic stations nationwide.

“In other disaster-prone countries like Japan, the academe plays a critical role in monitoring hazards. Our mission is to develop a program where schools form part of a nationwide monitoring system that can help government and communities monitor the environment and respond appropriately,” says Ramon R. Isberto, head of SMART Public Affairs Group.

Dr. Ishmael Narag, officer-in-charge of the Seismological Observation and Earthquake Prediction Division of PHIVOLCS, says he was impressed by the quality of the prototypes showcased by the participating schools during the final presentation last October 30. He noted that the teams themselves tried to find solutions to certain issues like transmission, accuracy, and presentation of data in a form that members of the community will understand.

Ateneo de Davao University developed a system where the data being collected can be stored in an SD card, allowing it to work in remote areas and to function without constant human monitoring. University of Baguio had a well-developed packaging of the instrument, with a mini-drum recorder. Adamson University came up with Internet-accessible monitoring information and dissemination of findings through GSM (or Global System for Mobile communications).

SMART Public Affairs Community Partnerships Senior Manager Darwin Flores helps Engr. Marloue O. Pidor of Ateneo de Davao University set up his intensity meter while SMART Public Affairs Group Head Ramon R. Isberto looks on.

But it was the team of fifth year Electronics and Communications Engineering (ECE) students from the University of San Carlos in Cebu City that came up with the prototype that the group eventually selected.

Jenes L. Rellen, Angelo Dominic Goh, Jade Malinao, Ryan Paderna and Teodulfo Parreño III, under the guidance of faculty member Engr. Brandon Briones and with the help of the Computer Engineering department of their university, worked on the project for three months. To address the problem of delays in the transmission of data, the students used WiFi technology. Not only was their design the least expensive to produce and fabricate, it is also user-friendly and compact, making it easy to deploy where needed.

Plans are now underway to further improve the selected prototype by adding the features and innovative solutions developed by other participating universities, thus making the project a real collaborative effort. The next step is to fabricate and produce the earthquake-monitoring instrument ,to have them deployed to the SWEEP partner schools for them to be involved in the monitoring of seismic and network them to Phivolcs via Smart connectivity solutions.

Since SMART initiated the partnership in 2005, at least 11 SWEEP schools have committed to help improve disaster preparedness by researching and developing low-cost intensity meters and participating in monitoring seismic activity to help augment data collected via PHIVOLCS’ existing seismic stations.

These schools are Adamson University; Ateneo de Davao University; Ateneo De Manila University; Ateneo De Naga University; Ateneo de Zamboanga University; De La Salle Lipa; FEATI University; Notre Dame of Marbel, Cotabato; University of Baguio; University of San Carlos; and Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan.

“The Philippines is earthquake-prone, so we should be studying what is prone to happen in our country. Disaster happens when there is no information available; the community responds when they have accurate and timely information available,” says Dr. Narag.

To date, there are 40 SWEEP partner schools nationwide. A community initiative of SMART, the program was launched in 2003 to help raise the level of technology and engineering education in the country. Now on its second phase, SWEEP is focused on educating schools in wireless broadband technology, as well as getting them involved in community service initiatives, one of which is in the field of disaster preparedness

SMART is hopeful that the schools ’ research and work on a low-cost intensity meter would be a big contribution to the country's disaster preparedness in the long run. “I think it’s important that the selection of the prototype be seen as a first step.If universities all over the country get more and more involved in developing systems like this, and creating networks of information exchanges, I think that we will be able to create a vast network of disaster monitoring systems and be part of something that will be very worthwhile,” says Isberto.

And with the active participation and collaboration of the country's brightest minds, we are continually assured of worthwhile endeavors to help mitigate disaster.

(Published 18 November 2008, Smart Communications Inc.)