Design and Development of a Prototype Early Warning System for Landslide Detection Based on Mechanical Movement with an Automatic Ground Displacement Detector

Abstract

This research aims to design a prototype of a landslide early warning device based on mechanical motion with an automatic displacement detector. The displacement of the soil pulls the rope and rotates the spool connected to the rotary encoder. The encoder pulse is processed by ESP32 into a linear displacement, displayed on a 16 × 2 I2C LCD, and used to activate the buzzer. The moisture sensor and MPU6050 function as supporting parameters. Seepage observations for 10 minutes produce a final value of 52 mm in loose soil, 28 mm in white or chalky soil, and 16 mm in clay. The system divides the prototype displacement range into Safe, Alert, Standby, and Caution from less than 1 mm to at least 9 mm. These thresholds have not yet become field hazard standards and still require calibration, documented repeated testing, and validation on actual slopes. The research methods include literature study, design, construction, programming, and testing on loose soil, clay, and white or chalky soil. The prototype uses a multi-level glass container measuring 85 cm × 35 cm × 60 cm with a media slope of 18.4°. The research results in a mechanical-electronic system designed to classify conditions based on shift values, ranging from safe, alert, standby, to caution. At the prototype scale, the warning range is set from shifts below 1 mm to at least 9 mm, with a continuously active buzzer at Warning III level. This threshold value is the prototype's operational threshold and still requires calibration and field testing before being used on actual slope conditions. This tool is expected to be an affordable alternative early warning system to help increase community awareness in landslide-prone areas.