Another problem is that the first t

Another problem is that the first tremors that would activate the system may very well be the biggest, most destructive tremors of the earthquake. The airbag, were it able to inflate, might be pushing up against the rubble of an already damaged house. "Each earthquake has its own signature," says Smith. "Some might have a big jolt in the beginning, some in the end, some in the middle." Unfortunately, our seismic sensors are not yet at the level of those animals, including dogs, that can sense earthquakes before they happen, and long before humans or their technology do so. "If they figure that out, then you'd have something," says Smith.