Flash Aid: Development and Preliminary Assessment of an Integrated Emergency Power and Alert Prototype

Abstract

This development study presents Flash Aid, a portable prototype integrating emergency power outputs and a vibration-triggered alert. The unit combines a nominal 12.8 V, 30 Ah lithium iron phosphate battery, a battery management system, an inverter rated at 500 W, direct-current and USB outputs, and an Arduino-controlled siren. The assessment describes the assembled device, indoor functional checks, and an energy-budget analysis using explicitly stated assumptions. The battery specifications give a nominal energy capacity of 384 Wh. At an assumed inverter efficiency of 85%, calculated single-load runtimes are 36.3 hours for a 9 W lamp, 4.4 hours for a 75 W fan, and 2.2 hours for a 150 W load. These values are estimates rather than measured discharge durations. The assembled unit reportedly weighs approximately 4.1 kg, and its siren activated during a tabletop vibration demonstration. That response does not establish earthquake-detection accuracy or warning lead time. The prototype demonstrates the integration of power and alert functions in one enclosure. Its practical performance depends on usable battery capacity, conversion and standby losses, load characteristics, and operating conditions. Further work should establish load-dependent efficiency, thermal behavior, vibration discrimination, acoustic performance, electrical safety, and usability under realistic conditions before community deployment.