In an earthquake there are various kinds of energy waves. The major earth moving kinds of energy waves are called P-waves, for primary, and S-waves, for Secondary. P-waves can be detected and recognized, and they move ahead of S waves. Contemporary earthquake-aware architecture makes use of this, and early alert systems, to do things like halt elevators, warn residents, and prepare damping mechanisms.
But the difference between P waves and S waves hasn't, as far as I know, been used to detect and account for wave frequency and distance. This AI* enabled system would observe the frequency of P-waves and location of the original quake. That knowledge would let it build a prediction of how fast, what directions, and how big the waves will be. It would use fast pistons in buildings and the known physics of the building itself to dampen earthquakes as they come in, in real time.
*It can be done without AI, it just wouldn't provide the same fidelity of response.-- Voice, Apr 18 2024 blog post talking about Taipei 101 https://cantilevere...-the-damper-babies/Includes a video, which shows tourists being unconcerned during an earthquake. Seems like they thought it was perfectly normal. [Loris, Apr 18 2024] //how your fast pistons would be better// Try putting a cup of water in a box with a foam pad and walking down stairs holding it without looking at it. Then try walking down stairs looking at it and being careful not to spill. Your hand and arm muscles in the second case will be working with your prediction of movement, compensating in advance by moving it down before the moment when you'll suddenly have to move it up in a moment for example. Your active slosh prediction will result in less spilling. Working against a mass high in the tower may help a good deal, the difference there would be in the motion of the pistons, not in the existence of the mass to brake against.-- Voice, Apr 18 2024 I went up to see the tuned mass damper in Taipei 101. Very cool. Given that the building just withstood a 7.4 magnitude earthquake, I'd say that in combination with the viscous dampers it works well enough. I'm not convinced that having a complicated active system ready to fail in an emergency would be an improvement.-- Loris, Apr 18 2024 Very half-baked [+]-- pertinax, Apr 18 2024 random, halfbakery