Those living in earthquake prone areas will be able to share stories with you concerning the number of cracks that pop up in walls and pillars of their homes each time the earth’s tectonic plates decide to do a little tango. Researchers are now currently working on a smart house which is capable of “healing” itself in the event of an earthquake, but bear in mind only so much healing can be done before the number on the Richter scale gets too much to bear. This self-healing house will be built at a cost of $18.6 million, being capable enough to seal cracks in its walls while monitoring seismic vibrations.

Each wall within the house contains nano polymer particles that are designed to convert into liquid form whenever it experiences pressure, flowing into cracks and subsequently solidifying in due time. This system ensures the structure is stabilized even after a severe seismic trauma (in theory anyways). According to reliable sources, this house will finish construction by the year 2010 in Greece. Each wall will be built from novel load bearing steel frames as well as high-strength gypsum boards. They also contain wireless, battery-less sensors and radio frequency identity tags that collect huge amounts of data concerning the building over time, including stresses and vibrations, temperature, humidity, and gas levels.

This is a drastic departure over standard seismic management systems used in the construction of buildings. Nanotechnology has truly come into its own if this structure can help save and preserve lives in the event of an earthquake, but that will only happen when the price of such a home equipped with this technology falls to affordable levels.

Source: Gizmag