A research team at Taiwan's top university has developed a low-budget device that can detect earthquakes within 30 seconds, enough time to issue a crucial disaster warning, the lead inventor said yesterday.

The tiny metal tool can report an oncoming quake's speed and acceleration in time to estimate its magnitude and warn trains to slow down or natural gas companies to cut supplies, said Wu Yih-min, a researcher in geosciences at Taiwan University.

The device is more accurate than similar technology used overseas and could cost as little as T$10,000 ($300) once it reaches the market, said Wu, whose team has worked on the project for five years.

"We can tell within 30 seconds whether it's going to be a big or small quake," Wu told reporters.

"We can sense the scale and how much damage it's likely to cause."

The tool uses a chip that costs just a few U.S. dollars. The university has not yet applied for a patent, Wu said.

Schools, railway systems and nuclear power plants would all benefit from the technology, said Kuo Kai-wen, seismological centre director with Taiwan's weather bureau, which helped the university test its device.

But before it can be used, he warned researchers must figure out how to link it to the computerized alerts already in use.

Taiwan is prone to earthquakes, with 20 minor ones reported just over the past few weeks.

In May last year, a 8.0-magnitude quake hit Sichuan province, killing about 70,000 people and leaving more than 10 million homeless.

(China Daily/Reuters April 7, 2009)