FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Earthquake products are easy to oversell. We try to keep the device's limits visible. If your question isn't answered here, write to info@sismosmart.com.
Will this device warn me before an earthquake?
No. SismoSmart is not an earthquake early-warning service and does not promise advance warning. Pilot work may evaluate low-latency notifications after on-device detection; official alerts remain the source for emergency warnings.
Can a single device tell me my building is safe?
It can't. An engineer decides whether a building is safe. The device leaves that engineer solid data to work from.
What data do you collect?
Vibration readings, temperature, humidity, pressure and the device's own operating status. We don't link personal information to your device and we don't sell your data to anyone. The Privacy page has the details.
Is my exact location exposed?
We know your device's location at neighborhood level, because we need it to match an event against nearby devices. Anything more precise is only shared under an explicit pilot agreement.
Can researchers access my data?
Only once the data is anonymized and only under a separate agreement with you. That flow doesn't exist yet; it's on the roadmap.
How is this different from Google's earthquake alerts?
Google uses the accelerometer in people's phones. It's free, it's already on every handset, and it works well. But what it measures is the source of the earthquake, not your building. We measure your building instead: how it vibrates, how that changes with the season, what state it's in after an earthquake. A phone can't answer those questions.
What happens when the internet goes down?
Local buffering during network loss is in the design. Whether a pilot device retains and later uploads an event depends on the validated hardware, firmware and connectivity path.
What happens during a power cut?
A short supercapacitor bridge is part of the hardware design. Exact duration and whether an event can be completed or uploaded during an outage require bench and pilot evidence.
How hard is installation?
You plug the USB-C cable into a socket, stick the device to the wall with the adhesive on the back, and pair it from the app. No drill or technician is needed, and setup takes a few minutes.
How many devices should one building have?
There is no validated universal device count. Pilot placement depends on the building, measurement objective and engineering review; multi-device layouts are evaluated case by case.
What do PGA, PGV and MMI mean?
PGA, PGV and Modified Mercalli intensity are standard earthquake-engineering concepts. A future SismoSmart report may use measured or derived quantities only after the calculation method and uncertainty are validated.
What does natural frequency tell you?
A building has measurable vibration characteristics, including natural frequencies. Changes may provide engineers with additional evidence, but they are not a diagnosis and do not by themselves establish damage or safety.
Which way should the device face?
There's an upward arrow on the back; point it at the ceiling. Try to align the device's X and Y axes with the building's horizontal directions. Mounted 90 degrees off, the data is still usable, though it carries a little less information.
Does the device record sound?
No. There's no microphone inside, only an accelerometer that measures ground vibration. Recording speech or ambient sound would take an entirely different sensor.
Does my data leave Türkiye?
Pilot data residency is not final. Before device data is collected, each pilot agreement will identify processing locations, transfers, retention and the applicable legal basis.
When does it go on sale?
There is no firm public sale date. SismoSmart remains pre-launch; pilot evidence, hardware readiness, certification and manufacturing will determine the schedule.