jump to navigation

GPS tracking of Alzheimer’s patients November 24, 2006

Posted by Rich in : GPS tracking elderly , 4 comments

A Spanish consortium has created a GPS tracking device for elderly Alzheimer’s patients. The device, dubbed the Columba, integrates GPS with GSM cell phone technology. The result is…

…a watch-sized bracelet that allows the Alzheimer sufferer to move around without restricting their liberty.

If the wearer of the Columba bracelet leaves their habitual geographic area, which has been previously defined by their relatives or carers, the device automatically sends out an alert to advise those responsible for the patient.

The wearer of the bracelet can be located immediately — through a telephone assistance centre that operates 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year — and the patient can be contacted using the device’s hands-free function.

GPS cell phone tracking meets social networking November 17, 2006

Posted by Rich in : GPS tracking and privacy, GPS tracking cell phones , 1 comment so far


Earlier this week, Loopt announced a partnership with Sprint Nextel’s Boost Mobile to offer a social networking service on GPS cell phones. According to the companies, this is:

…the first-of-a-kind location-based social mapping service that enables young mobile phone users to share their location, status messages, photos and other on-the-go experiences with friends from their Boost Mobile phone. Unlike other social location services, Boost loopt, available to all Boost users on November 20, automatically updates the location of everyone in a private network of Boost customers and displays that information directly on a map on the phone. Boost loopt even sends an alert when a friend in the network is near, putting an end to missed connections in the mall, at the movies or around town.

Technorati tags:

GPS tracking of sex offenders November 11, 2006

Posted by Rich in : GPS tracking and public safety , 3 comments

Earlier this week, California voters passed Proposition 83, requiring GPS monitoring of sex offenders. The ballot measure had its flaws (such as forcing sex offenders to live in rural areas), and only a day after the election, that non-GPS component was blocked in court.

GPS tracking of convicted criminals is gaining popularity rapidly, but does it really work? Wired News recently explored GPS tracking of sex offenders:

But there’s a hitch: The ankle bracelets — usually accompanied by digital-pager-size transmitters — are hardly criminal-proof. Convicts can easily cut the bracelets off and run away as their probation officer gets an alarm and tries to contact the local police. For health reasons, the bracelets aren’t designed to be permanent.

“GPS will not prevent a crime,” said Steve Chapin, CEO of Pro Tech Monitoring, a manufacturer of GPS tracking devices. “It’s a crime deterrent. It has proven to be a good tool, but you can’t oversell it — there’s no physical barrier that it creates that can prevent a crime.”

Here’s a little bit more of the story:

(more…)

Differing approaches to GPS tracking of wildlife November 3, 2006

Posted by Rich in : GPS tracking wildlife , add a comment

Moose are returning to Massachusetts, and with that comes a greater chance of moose - auto collisions. There has even been one fatality so far. A University of Massachusetts research project, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Division of Wildlife, is outfitting moose with GPS tracking collars. According to Tom O’Shea, assistant director at the Massachusetts Division of Wildlife, the state has up to 700 moose. Males can grow to 1,000 pounds and females can weigh over 600 pounds. The research is…

…expected to produce preliminary maps of migration patterns as early as January.

According to O’Shea, a comprehensive report is not expected until 2008. The report will include data pertaining to interactions between humans and moose.

Researchers hope to implement an electronic warning system that would alert drivers in areas on roads where moose frequently cross.

In Northern British Columbia, they are taking a different approach to wildlife collision avoidance, by putting GPS tracking systems on humans:

Ten Prince George drivers are being given mobile GPS units equipped with buttons that allow them to log when and where they see moose or deer — either dead or alive — along roads.

The information is then downloaded into a computer for analysis and mapping in the research program, which continues until next summer.