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Soon after the Any Battery Light was drawn to our attention — the Japanese emergency torch that works with multiple battery sizes — we came across a similar innovation from the country that has suffered from particularly violent natural disasters over the past few years. The Gura-pika flashlight from Force Media detects earthquakes when they hit and automatically turns itself on in case of a blackout. The flashlight features a radio tuner that is constantly on standby to detect alerts from the country’s Earthquake Early Warning system. If an earthquake hits, its LED lights turn on and an alarm sounds. The Gura-pika is designed to be plugged into the mains and located on a wall in the home, so that if an earthquake does hit it can be found easily. The lights and radio last for around 14 hours on full charge, while a hand crank attached to the handle offers manual battery top-up. As with the Any Battery Light, the torch can also take a variety of battery sizes. The following video shows that product in action: Considering the natural disasters that have beset Japan in recent years, it’s no surprise that innovations aiming to help in emergency situations continue to spring up from Japanese designers. Are there other ways those in high-risk areas can be more prepared? Spotted by: Murray Orange