Personal Trackers

Applications
Title	Personal Trackers
Author(s)	Rui Barradas Pereira.
Level	Basic
Year of Publication	2011

The GNSS personal tracking is a product feature which allow any person to locate another person, object or animal through the use of a device attached on the tracked person or object that transmits information to the GNSS satellite network.

The person trackers are an emerging trend, partially spread by the popular smartphones with built-in GNSS that can be used to locate a person with a relative lower cost. Some of the most common motivation for individual tracking products include the well care of small children, newborn infants in hospital nurseries and elderly relatives. Although, there other tracking systems applications meant for crime control issues, pets tracking and wildlife tracking.

The electronic ankle bracelets are an example of personal tracking products, meant to control prison populations, house arrests or protecting victims of crimes.

Product Description

The GNSS personal tracking devices transmit the location data to GNSS satellite network allowing to have a world wide tracking coverage. Each GNSS personal device emits its own unique signal which can be identified by a system of codes and coordinates. Using these coordinates the devices precise location can be retrieved.

There are a number of reasons for GPS tracking such as the location of individuals who get lost in outdoor activities, safety of children, elderly relatives or Parkinson patients.

Some devices give the possibility to monitor, not only the position data, but they can also include time, velocity, or even monitor heart rate, temperature, and blood pressure, for children with health problems and special needs. Another feature available is the definition of a geofence, i.e., areas where the presence of the child is tolerable, without arise an alert. In case the child trespasses outside the established zone, the device automatically begins the tracking and alerts the parents either via an alarm on their receiver, or via cell phone from the location service provider using GPRS technology.

Some of these tracking equipments also own a "panic" button on the child's device, allowing the child to interact with the system in such situations where the child feel hurt, ill, lost, or scared. He or she simply pushes the button and the parents are informed via GPRS (cell phone) transmission technology, or via the provider's website. This information can also be transmitted from the device, to an emergency hotline.

Tracking systems, have an enormous potential for fields other than children or eldery tracking, such as law enforcement, theft prevention, pets tracking or wildlife tracking, among others.

In terms of crime control issues, personal tracker products have potential use in the following situations:

• Law enforcement: this is the concept of keep tracking of a suspect, usually by addressing a GNSS device in a vehicle, in order to verify the suspect activities in a control room, preventing the police members to expose to much and saving investigation resources.

• Theft prevention: this is the concept of keep tracking of companies assets using the geofence mechanism. These systems arise an alert to the police forces once the tracked asset trespasses the control zone.

In terms of GNSS tracking in animals, there are the following common usages:

• Pets tracking: these are bracelets systems targeted to owners of dogs and cats.

The technology to use GNSS to track pets is relatively new. Most of current systems require an utilization solely in areas covered by the GSM cellular network.

Despite being a recent technology, some collar systems are able to locate pets within a certain range and display this information in a color LCD viewer. These systems are able to display pets exact location, current movements and velocity. The tracking systems are able to track multiple pets simultaneously and also permit the creation of geofences in order to activate alerts to the user, once the animal moves out the defined area.

• Wildlife tracking: meant for wildlife study and prevention, these tracking bracelets systems are usually used in mammals and large birds.

The GNSS wildlife tracking is another high-potential growth area for GNSS applications. With ever smaller dimensions and weights and the availability of solar cell power these devices can be used in a growing number of cases. Simpler units store data in internal memory, which can be later retrieved.

Other systems for wildlife tracking units are able to send the data through a cell phone network in regular time intervals or on demand in the case of units with two way communication modes.

The most sophisticated GNSS wildlife tracking systems send the data in regular intervals via satellites, allowing a global coverage, almost in real time.

These products are considered as non-critical products.

The accuracy required by these applications is low. The current accuracy provided by civilian GPS is enough for these applications. Availability, however, can be reduced due to urban environments.

Product Characterization

GNSS Tracker

The cost of these products has dropped considerably in recent years, offering the possibility of mass consumption by the average citizen. Aligned with this, the devices had demonstrated to be very useful in children location. The tracking systems provide a GNSS device to be placed with the child, and either a receiver for the parent or a website where the parent can trace the child's general location.

Usually, the tracking device is acquired as a service and is monitored by the location provider via GPRS (cell phone) transmission technology, allowing the service to know always the child precise location. This location is provided to the parents through cell phone, or provider's website means.

Besides the cost of the device, usually there is a monthly subscription fee, similar to the way cellular phone service operates.

Parents need to take into account the behaviors personalities and habits of their own children before choosing the suitable equipment. Some child tracking devices combine the Assisted GPS (A-GPS) technology, to permit the children tracing in indoor environments.

The Electronic Bracelets products are a tracking system example and is usually applied for persons involved in justice issues.

Detailed information about Electronic Bracelets can be found here.

Product Examples

The children tracking devices appear in several shapes and sizes, such as a wristwatch, a necklace, and GPS devices placed in book bags, shoes, and clothing.

Usually the personal locaters small standalone devices, but can also be found embedded in cell phones.

Manufactures like Garmin or Bushnell have their own personal locator devices:

• Garmin on the trail products
• Bushnell GPS products

Other companies with devices that fit in this category are the following:

• Brickhousesecurity
• Findmespot
• Geminitracking
• Laipac

Companies like Locationnow provide services which integrate the tracking devices with GSM/GPRS based applications.

GNSS Wildlife tracking systems:

• Televilt This company manufacture three different types of collars as well as backpacks for birds.
• Telemetry Solutions A telemetry company involved in GPS wildlife tracking since 1998.
• BlueSky Telemetry
• Telonics