GPS vehicle tracking systems have come a long way from the bulky and extremely expensive original versions. Originally designed for GPS navigation systems, the technology is finding new homes in everything from mobile phones to hand held gaming consoles.
It is now becoming commonplace in vehicles and is proving to have a multitude of uses. Now all it takes for a satellite to know exactly where your car is at any time is a tiny microchip fitted to the vehicle. GPS tracking systems have been heralded by law enforcement as an excellent way to locate stolen vehicles, but they can do far more than that and could, in the event of an emergency, prove to be a real lifesaver.
A recent example of just how vital a GPS vehicle tracking system can be is a case of a young woman on a skiing vacation in Colorado, USA. During a heavy snowstorm her vehicle left the road and rolled over onto its roof. The tracking system that the car had installed was activated as soon as the car was inverted.
As she was trapped in the car with a broken leg and out of range of mobile phone signals, the tracking system was the only thing that could notify the authorities of her location. With heavy snow forecast, it wouldn’t have been long before the car was undetectable and the girl at increasing risk of hypothermia. Because of the vehicle tracking system fitted, a spotter plane was able to fly to her last known location and rescue the girl. The system had literally saved her life.
GPS tracking uses signals relayed from satellites in Low Earth orbit to locate any point on the planet’s surface by triangulating between the point of origin of the signal and orbiting satellites. The signals are encoded with a timestamp of the time they started broadcasting, and by comparing the time of transmission to the time of reception of the signal (and its strength) a computer algorithm can accurately position objects to within 12 inches. This has made GPS devices extremely popular with search and rescue services, as it enables them to locate vehicles fitted with the system quickly and accurately, even in very remote locations.
Car-jacking (a robbery that takes place whilst the driver is still in the vehicle) is thankfully not yet a major problem in the UK, but more frequent incidences of this particularly violent and dangerous crime are rising. Some GPS tracking systems also have the ability to be activated by a passenger inside the car, alerting the police of a situation and improving response times. The car’s movements can be tracked until the police have an opportunity to bring the situation under control. This could be particularly useful for lone women drivers who are more vulnerable to this kind of crime.
Vehicle tracking systems are easy to install and offer peace of mind, particularly if you are driving in remote areas or are worried by the possibility of your personal space being violated by a car-jacker. It also means that if your vehicle is stolen it can be quickly and easily located. Some insurance companies are offering discounts for cars fitted with GPS Vehicle Tracking Systems, so not only could it give you peace of mind, it could save you money as well. But most importantly it could save your life in an emergency.
This article was submitted by a reader of E&T. You are encouraged to rate this article in IET Discover.
Bookmark with:
del.icio.us
Digg
Add to Discover
Comments
A plausible article, but there are some inconsistencies. GPS aerials are normally mounted on the roof of vehicles (or in the windscreen) so one wonders how the GPS receiver managed to obtain a signal and hence calculate a position if the vehicla was upside down in snow. Assuming that it used the last known position, if the vehicle was "out of the range of mobile phone signals", one wonders how the system managed to notify the authorities (mobile phone networks are the common communication channel for such devices). GPS satellites are in MEO orbits (not LEO) and they transmit timing signals (not relaying). They use time of transit of the signal to calculate distance from each visible GPS satellite; signal strength does not come into the calculation. An accuracy of 12 inches would only be possible using professional equipment; a commercial system might expect 2 to 3 metres in favourable conditions. Remember that with vehicle systems, an important part of calculating the position is matching an estimated GPS position to a road (try using a portable GPS receiver on a train and see how it struggles). Finally car thieves are now using readily available GPS/GSM jamming devices to evade capture. Bryan Jenkins
Mr Bryan Jenkins, Hook
04 Mar 2010
(Report to moderator)
A plausible article, but there are some inconsistencies. GPS aerials are normally mounted on the roof of vehicles (or in the windscreen) so one wonders how the GPS receiver managed to obtain a signal and hence calculate a position if the vehicla was upside down in snow. Assuming that it used the last known position, if the vehicle was "out of the range of mobile phone signals", one wonders how the system managed to notify the authorities (mobile phone networks are the common communication channel for such devices). GPS satellites are in MEO orbits (not LEO) and they transmit timing signals (not relaying). They use time of transit of the signal to calculate distance from each visible GPS satellite; signal strength does not come into the calculation. An accuracy of 12 inches would only be possible using professional equipment; a commercial system might expect 2 to 3 metres in favourable conditions. Remember that with vehicle systems, an important part of calculating the position is matching an estimated GPS position to a road (try using a portable GPS receiver on a train and see how it struggles). Finally car thieves are now using readily available GPS/GSM jamming devices to evade capture. Bryan Jenkins
Mr Bryan Jenkins, Hook
04 Mar 2010
(Report to moderator)
All comments
You need to be registered with the IET to leave a comment. Please log in or register as a new user.