GeoShake is a community-powered earthquake early warning sensor network built by Appflows Technology Inc. The network uses the GeoShake T1 — an open-source sensor (€199) based on an ESP32-S3 microcontroller with four LSM6DSO MEMS accelerometers sampling at 208 Hz — to detect the fast-moving P-wave of an earthquake and alert users seconds before the destructive S-wave arrives. Unlike traditional seismograph networks using expensive single-point geophones, GeoShake deploys thousands of low-cost sensors to achieve density-based detection, requiring 3+ sensors within a 5 km radius to confirm a seismic event. The system transmits data via MQTT protocol and is fully open source under the MIT license.
Early Warning in Seconds
Our system works in 3 simple steps to catch the P-Wave:
Sensor Detects
Your GeoShake sensor detects the first, harmless P-Wave of the earthquake in a fraction of a second and instantly reports to the GeoShake Network.
Network Validates
Our central system compares data from thousands of sensors in real-time. If 3+ sensors report signals simultaneously, it confirms as a "Real Earthquake".
Phone Alerts
The verified alarm is sent to your phone via the GeoShake App as an instant notification seconds before the destructive S-Wave reaches you.
Open Hardware, Authorized Data
GeoShake's unique structure democratizes hardware while implementing strict security measures to maintain scientific data quality.
Fully Open Hardware
Schematics, PCB designs, and firmware code are open under MIT license. Buy ready-made or build your own.
- ESP32 / ESP8266 Support
- LSM6DSO Sensors
- DIY and Ready Device Support
Authorized Cloud Network
To prevent data pollution, only registered and authenticated devices can write to the central database.
- Unique Device ID & Key
- Secure MQTT (TLS) Connection
- Data Security with Supabase RLS
System Architecture
Three-layer, scalable, and modern structure.
1. Edge Device
Packages sensor data into MsgPack and pushes to the MQTT Broker.
ESP32 + MQTT2. Bifurcation Point
The stream splits into two parallel paths for specialized processing.
Parallel FlowPath A: Analysis
High-res storage of S-waves, PGA, and axis data (seconds-based) for professional Grafana analysis.
Path B: Application
Manages station status, real-time "Event" logs, and serves data to Mobile/Web Apps.
// Topic: seismic/stations/GEO_S3_1a2b3c4d/telemetry { "sId": "GEO_S3_1a2b3c4d", // Station ID "ts": 1706097600, // Unix Timestamp "pga": 0.008, // Max Acceleration (g) "e": 0.015, // East Accel (m/s²) "n": -0.012, // North Accel (m/s²) "u": 0.003, // Up Accel (m/s²) "rssi": -58, // Signal (dBm) "fV": "2.1.0", // Firmware Ver "lat": 37.483256, // Latitude "lon": 34.471726 // Longitude }
Powered By Open Source Technologies
How Can You Join the Network?
Get a plug-and-play device, or build your own with open source schematics.
GeoShake T1
Plug & Play Seismic Station
Processor
ESP32-S3
Sensors
4× LSM6DSO
DIY Edition
Build Your Own
For electronics enthusiasts. Download PCB files, source the parts, and build your own seismic station. Complete freedom.
Why GeoShake?
Network Density
Instead of expensive and few sensors, we increase spatial resolution in P-wave detection by using thousands of low-cost sensors.
Community Power
Every user is a data provider. The community, not a central institution, handles system maintenance and growth.
Speed Focused
Instead of heavy seismic data packets, we reduce analysis time to milliseconds by sending "Event Flag" with lightweight MQTT messages.
Critical Questions & Project Logic
Why cheap sensors instead of expensive
and
precise seismometers?
For early warning (P-wave detection), Network Density is more important than individual sensor sensitivity.
Instead of a single $10,000 geophone, using thousands of $20 LSM6DSO sensors to build a 500x denser network is the only sustainable way to detect the epicenter faster.
How is it different from Raspberry
Shake?
Raspberry Shake is a scientific archive-focused station with closed hardware/software that records full waveforms with high precision.
GeoShake is designed for early warning, open source and low cost; it captures the P-wave and validates by correlating thousands of sensors, sending lightweight MQTT event data instead of heavy waveforms.
In summary, Raspberry Shake is a single, high-accuracy station; GeoShake is an experimental early warning approach based on many cheap stations for speed and coverage advantage. They complement each other, not replace.
How do you distinguish between noise
(Truck,
Door Slam) and an earthquake?
This is the project's biggest technical challenge. Cheap sensors alone are very susceptible to noise. Our solution is the Correlation Algorithm.
If only your device is shaking, it's noise (door slam, passing truck). However, if 10 different devices within a 5 km radius give similar signals at the same time (within milliseconds), it's a seismic wave.
What about device placement and user
responsibility?
Mounting the device on a fixed surface (preferably a column or beam) is critical. A device on a wobbly table or soft carpet is useless.
Also, an Early Warning System must run 24/7. Users not unplugging the device and not disconnecting internet is vital for system health.
Why is MQTT protocol used?
Traditional seismometer networks (SeedLink) carry full waveforms for scientific archiving and are heavy. GeoShake is Speed Focused.
With MQTT, we only send the "EVENT DETECTED!" flag and summary data (PGA/RMS). This is the most sensible solution in scenarios where even a thousandth of a second matters for P-wave detection.
Is there a risk of false alarms? What's
the
legal status?
Yes, there is risk. That's why GeoShake is an experimental community project and does not replace official earthquake data from authorities.
To minimize false alarms, our algorithms require high threshold values and multi-device consensus.
How much electricity does the device
use?
Will it affect my bill?
GeoShake devices (ESP8266/ESP32) consume extremely low energy. Average power consumption is around 1-2 Watts.
This consumption is much lower than a modem or LED bulb. Even with 24/7 operation, the impact on your electricity bill is negligible per month.
Will it slow down my internet? How much
data
does it use?
Absolutely not. Thanks to MQTT protocol, the data sent are very small text files. You won't notice any slowdown while watching videos or playing games.
Even if the device sends data every 5 seconds while idle, since the packet headers are very small, the average monthly total data usage stays around 15-30 MB. Data-cap friendly.
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Learn how EEW systems detect P-waves before destructive S-waves arrive and how GeoShake makes it accessible.
Ready to Protect Your Home?
Join hundreds of families in the GeoShake early warning network.