The new system involves small devices positioned between building stories to detect displacement after earthquakes. Displacement measurements will be sent via smartphones in real time after a quake to tell building inhabitants whether they need to evacuate, and to inform first responders and engineers where damage is most significant. Credit: Diana Swantek/Berkeley Lab

The new system involves small devices positioned between building stories to detect displacement after earthquakes. Displacement measurements will be sent via smartphones in real time after a quake to tell building inhabitants whether they need to evacuate, and to inform first responders and engineers where damage is most significant. Credit: Diana Swantek/Berkeley Lab

The new system involves small devices positioned between building stories to detect displacement after earthquakes. Displacement measurements will be sent via smartphones in real time after a quake to tell building inhabitants whether they need to evacuate, and to inform first responders and engineers where damage is most significant. Credit: Diana Swantek/Berkeley Lab