Daiwa House Industry Central Laboratory

IT Earthquake Notification and Disaster-Prevention System

Reduces secondary disaster caused by earthquakes by utilizing the home network and Internet.

Background and Purpose of Development

Current technology cannot predict earthquake. Emergency Earthquake Alert is the unique method that is expected to protect the lives of inhabitants from large earthquakes at the current time. Daiwa House is undertaking development for the commercialization of an automated disaster prevention system that utilizes this emergency earthquake alert.

*Emergency Earthquake Alert Utilized IT Automated Disaster Prevention System: When an earthquake occurs, it calculates the epicenter and scale of the earthquake from the data of primary-waves (Pitching: Preliminary tremor) with fast transfer rate obtained at the observation point. It also calculates the estimated arrival time and the seismic intensity of the shear-wave (Swaying: Principal shock) of geographical areas, delivers the information to the controller set up in each household, gives a voice notification about the estimated arrival time and seismic intensity of the shear-wave, and automatically controls home appliances.

*Emergency Earthquake Alert is delivered on a trial basis for a verification test. It may have little effect with epicentral earthquake and earthquakes in close proximity.

Contents of Development and Results

Reduces secondary disaster caused by earthquakes

Since it utilizes the Internet and home network as its communication infrastructure, we have been conducting verification tests to check the delay speed of the alert, reliability and usability of information by installing the equipment in actual homes since April 2005.

*Home Network: Communication and control interconnection equipment installed inside a home, which is to be the technology that forms the foundation of the future ubiquitous society.

The verification test is conducted to see that the alert is actually delivered to each home without delay, and that home appliances can automatically be controlled by the controller.

Joint Development Organizations

JEITA: Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (Lead)

Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.