The Raspberry Shake is a DIY kit that lets you record and share seismic activity in your area

Credit: Raspberry Shake Published Aug 8, 2026, 8:02 PM EDT Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech. Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, Linux, and DIY electronics. Sign in to your XDA account Summary The Raspberry Shake turns a Raspberry Pi into a home earthquake detector; assemble and place it in a quiet spot. Available models include the 1D (vertical), 3D (three-axis), 4D (high-intensity vertical), and Shake & Boom, which logs explosions. You can check recordings on your phone and optionally join Pi networks to help scientists log earthquakes. Raspberry Pis are fantastic for hobbyist use, but it's really easy to forget that these are powerful SBCs that see scientific use. If you live in an earthquake-prone location and you want to log seismic activity both for scientific purposes and for your own interest, the Raspberry Shake is a full kit that keeps a digital ear to the ground and records any quakes that occur. The Raspberry Shake is a seismic activity enthusiast's dream device There are a few different models, too As reported by our sister site How-To Geek, the Raspberry Shake is a professional-grade kit that turns the SBC into an earthquake detector. The premise behind it is simple: all you need to do is fit it together, then place it in the quietest, least-disturbed location in your home. The depth of the recordings depends on the model you got. For example, the Raspberry Shake 1D only records movement on one axis: up and down. It achieves this with a vertical seismometer sensor that keeps an eye out for the tell-tale vibrations that signal an earthquake. Once it spots something, it records the results which you can check with your phone. You can also hook up your Pi to a larger network of Pis to help scientists log where and when earthquakes happen. There are other models if the 1D doesn't cut it for you. The Raspberry Shake 3D registers shakes on all three axes for both local and distant events. The 4D goes back to the singular up-down axis, but can handle high-intensity shakes. Finally, the Shake & Boom can log both seismic activity and explosions. If you'd like to check them out, head over to the Raspberry Shake website for more information.