Vehicle Tracking » GPS Tracking

Auto Thieves Don’t Get it – GPS Tracking Means You Will Get Caught

Vehicle Tracking — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:24:13 +0000

Never Mess with a Fleet Vehicle Operation

GPS Tracking Serves Two Purposes

Running a fleet business is difficult enough without the technological advances that have been invented and now assist in day to day operations. This is no less true when you stop to consider all of the downsizing that has taken place in most companies. More work is piled on fewer workers. Unless a business wants to risk losing employees because of strenuous work environments, they would do well to implement the best technology enhancements that they can afford.

For fleet operations, that means a GPS Tracking system is mandatory. There are two major reasons for this.

Running a Successful Fleet Company

Fleet operations have to be run in such a manner that customer service is the top priority. Moving packages with trucks and drivers is a maddening job, but it is made easier with a GPS Tracking system that allows for real-time monitoring of a fleet vehicles locations, direction of travel and speeds.

Drivers tend to get tunnel-vision during their runs. All they can see is their current destination and little else. It helps to have those around them that can help give corrections to their routes and advance warnings of traffic tie-ups and weather updates that will affect them.

Recovering Stolen Vehicles

Recently, a stolen limousine was recovered because it was outfitted with a GPS Tracking device. This is not an uncommon occurrence, but it underscores two things.

First, the need exists for GPS Tracking for more than just business purposes. Recovery from theft is a prime reason. Consider that if there is no damage to the vehicle, it can be put back into use immediately. Also, insurance companies embrace these devices because it keeps their risk of payout of a claim lower. And, in turn they often reduce the premiums on a vehicle because of that.

Next, those that engage in the activities of stealing vehicles should avoid fleet vehicles at all costs. But then, those that do these things are not known for their grand intelligence.

Most auto thefts end up with the same result: a captured suspect and the conviction of the same. Still, it is better to be prepared than not because if you are not, your competition is certainly there ahead of you. And that is one thing that you must avoid, too.

More Fire Fighting Operations Going High Tech with GPS Tracking

Vehicle Tracking — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:20:17 +0000

Additional Safety Measures Built into its Use

Lower Mistakes Makes for Saved Buildings and Lives

There is no doubt about it: GPS Tracking is having an impact in the area of fire fighting operations. Just like other public safety organizations, fire departments all over are reaping the benefits of GPS outfitted trucks to assist in fire emergencies.

These systems promote the following goals of fire and emergency rescue operations:

Faster and Efficient Response Times

The best and fastest routes are displayed while driving to an emergency. Also available is the location of hydrants, water lines, gas lines and even electric service lines.

Better Fire Fighting Information

One of the best features of these systems it that they can provide a good overview of a fire via satellite picture and help to determine where best to focus the highest amount of attention to put the blaze out. That has already been used with great success.

Works with Existing GPS Systems

This helps keep the costs low in the implementation phase. If a department already has outfitted their vehicles with GPS Tracking one of these new systems will tie right into it and provide the same level of service, but with the new features added into the system.

Sharing of Data

When a department is called upon to assist at a fire outside of their territory, the unfamiliarity with that part of the community can pose a problem. Now that is gone because these new systems supply the most direct route to the address of the fire.

Also, updating the maps of hydrants can be performed by a single person rather than the several that used to be necessary.

In addition to all of this, fire and rescue vehicles can be monitored for proper use. While this would not likely be an issue with the larger trucks, the smaller vehicles used for things other than fire runs can be watched to make sure they are not being used in a manner that goes against department policy.

The drivers can also be watched to make sure they are obeying speed limits and also that they are where they should be and not performing personal business while on the job.

It all fits nicely into a package that helps fire / rescue departments run as lean and efficiently as possible. That alone can help save money which is important in these uncertain economic times in which we find ourselves.

Tracking System Records Evidence in Accidents, Other Driving Incidents

Vehicle Tracking — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 15:28:25 +0000

Many people who have a basic knowledge of vehicle tracking systems are usually most familiar with real time GPS tracking units. Those who place these electronic gadgets on vehicles are able to “see” from a remote computer or a smartphone where that asset is and where it is heading, with a position update every few seconds or minutes.

All well and good, but the real-time vehicle tracking system should not overshadow the value of a passive GPS tracking device, which has excellent applications in its own right. Among the top uses are for fleet management and accident investigations.

A passive GPS tracking system stores data on vehicle location within the unit. The tracking system is later retrieved for later download. A quality-made passive GPS vehicle tracking device like LandAirSea Systems’ GPS Tracking Key and GPS Tracking Key Pro have extensive memory. Up to 100 hours of movement are recorded, and even then, it doesn’t stop working. The memory chip works “first in, first out” with data, meaning once capacity is met, the newest driving data will replace the oldest.

On-the-road incidents involving law enforcement, including moving violations (tickets) and accidents are very serious business. Since they involve legal and sometimes medical issues, they can be long, drawn-out affairs. Vehicle tracking systems are great for referencing facts, rather than relying solely on memory, witnesses, or the hand-written notes of a police officer.

Passive vehicle tracking devices record speed, direction, time and date, location by latitude and longitude or street address, duration of trips and miles logged. Better vehicle tracking devices such as the GPS Tracking Key and GPS Tracking Key Pro will give position updates in one-second increments, so there are almost no detectible gaps in coverage.

Memories fade over time and witnesses are not always reliable, but a GPS vehicle tracking report is accurate and detailed. The data will be as clear a year or two after the road incident as it is the day of the occurrence.

LandAirSea analysts recently pulled news reports from two accidents. Consider how a vehicle tracking system helped – or would have helped – in the investigations:

Vehicle Tracking System Verifies Bogus Insurance Claim

The fleet management supervisor of a HVAC company in Sidmouth, Devon, UK referred to a service van’s on-board vehicle tracking system after one of his drivers was blamed for a minor vehicle accident. The “victim” claimed a serviceman was speeding and sideswiped him on a country road. A side view mirror was torn off and the matter went to insurance claim.

The fleet management supervisor tracked the claimant’s time, date and location of the accident and found the identity of the employee allegedly responsible for the mishap. The engineer claimed he had pulled over the vehicle and the other car clipped him while passing.

The company, called Ford’s, installed passive vehicle tracking systems on all its fleet vehicles about three years ago to track work orders and analyze employee schedules for inefficiencies. The tracking system records exact position, time, date and speed of vehicles. The vehicle tracking report revealed, in no uncertain terms, that the service vehicle at the time of the accident was not speeding; it was not moving at all.

Ford’s fleet management supervisor Tim Ford explained that often, when a member of the public gets involved in a minor accident, they find an easily-identifiable vehicle in the vicinity at the time and record contact information from its exterior advertising, then blame its driver for the unfortunate encounter.

“We were thrilled to have the evidence available, with just a few keystrokes,” said Ford. “Confronted with the report, the other driver backed down.”

Stunt Woman Dies in Crash on Way to Filming

Hollywood stunt woman April Erin Stirton met a tragic and ironic fate April 6, 2010 when she died in an accident on Highway 101 near the Laurel Canyon exit. California Highway Patrol investigators believe the 28-year-old, riding her motorcycle to a performing job, was speeding and tried to pass a tow truck. Witnesses said she lost control of the bike and skidded. Both she and the motorcycle got lodged under the rear wheels of another truck, police said.

Stirton, who lived in North Hollywood and had worked on shows like “CSI and “True Blood” was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Was this woman, clearly skilled at driving in dangerous situations due to her career, over-confident or distracted? She did not survive to tell her side of the story. Could a vehicle tracking system on the motorcycle have recorded evidence that another driver was to blame?

Much time and money can be saved when a driver involved in a dispute has access to an extensive vehicle tracking report on the incident in question. Fleet management directors, parents of teen drivers, self-employed business people and many others use vehicle tracking as a means of protecting their families and businesses from liability and harm.

Sources: Materials Handling World , Los Angeles Times

Tracking System Records Evidence in Accidents, Other Driving Incidents

Vehicle Tracking — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:00:48 +0000

LandAirSea analysts recently pulled news reports from two accidents. Consider how a vehicle tracking system helped – or would have helped – in the investigations:

Vehicle Tracking System Verifies Bogus Insurance Claim

“We were thrilled to have the evidence available, with just a few keystrokes,” said Ford. “Confronted with the report, the other driver backed down.”

Stunt Woman Dies in Crash on Way to Filming

Stirton, who lived in North Hollywood and had worked on shows like “CSI and “True Blood” was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Sources: Materials Handling World , Los Angeles Times

GPS Tracking: Surveillance vs. Counter Surveillance

Vehicle Tracking — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:53:52 +0000

Both Systems Finding Challenges in Courts of Law

“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

Isaac Newton’s third law of motion could be loosely applied to the debate over GPS tracking technologies.

Every time a commercial product is introduced that will allow someone to secretly record or copy something or someone; another product will follow that will either try to find it, or foil it.

This is the case with the growing industry of GPS tracking devices. GPS tracking devices, such as vehicle tracking systems, fall under the category of surveillance products. These GPS tracking products – which locate and track an object using satellite radio signals – have only been available for civilian use for about the last 10 years. And already there is counter surveillance equipment on the market that purports to either locate the vehicle tracking system, or to prevent it from operating properly.

Courts struggle from time to time with GPS tracking data and whether it is reliable enough to be used in legal proceedings. Another question is whether the GPS tracking data was obtained legally. And a third: Does the vehicle tracking evidence lose any credibility if there was an attempt to block, disguise or muffle the GPS satellite radio transmissions?

Some lawyers have argued that if GPS tracking data is “spoofable” or “jammable,” it can’t be guaranteed accurate and it shouldn’t be admissible as evidence. Supporters of covert GPS tracking say all kinds of evidence (photographs, audio recordings, hard copy documents) can be tampered with, so all should be admitted as evidence and judged for credibility, case by case.

There are three basic types of devices designed in defense to GPS vehicle tracking systems.

What is a GPS detector?
GPS detectors work much like radar detectors. The hardware detects GPS tracking transmissions by using a radio frequency scanner. It does not affect the vehicle tracking system’s operation; It just warns the driver that a vehicle tracking device is present.
What is GPS jamming?
GPS jammers broadcast on the same frequencies assigned to the GPS tracking system. They try to deliberately interfere with vehicle tracking data transmission by blanketing the frequency with noise or blocking the vehicle tracking transmission completely.
What is GPS spoofing?
GPS spoofers also work on the GPS radio frequencies. They try to cause the GPS tracking system to transmit incorrect (spoofed) location data; or confuse the receiver into thinking it is in a different place than it actually is.

Should all GPS tracking data be dismissed from evidence, merely because the potential exists that it could be tampered with?

We approach this first by considering each category of GPS counter surveillance individually.

GPS detectors are nothing more than an irritation to law enforcement. Vehicle tracking detectors merely tip off the driver that someone is tracking them. What happens from there is the driver’s decision. Detectors, logically, would lead to the lack of evidence. The fact that the courts have GPS tracking data to consider means that the detector failed to do its job.
Similarly, GPS jammers are a major irritation to police who are following a subject with vehicle tracking equipment. This GPS tracking hardware will create gaps in the vehicle path or eliminate whole sections of a trip, but what remains of the trip should be considered accurate and reliable. GPS tracking position updates are independent of one another. The absence or masking of one reading does not taint the rest of the vehicle tracking report.
GPS spoofers are a different story because GPS spoofers deliberately feed the police incorrect vehicle tracking information. It’s unlikely a GPS spoofer would be involved in a criminal case because, in order to make a decision to spoof, the criminal would have to be aware he is being tracked. That’s not usually the case, unless the criminal is ordered by the courts to wear a GPS tracking bracelet.

Second, spoofers skew all the GPS tracking receivers in an area, not just one GPS. Suspicious readings can be compared to other vehicle tracking receivers in the area; and the spoofer can easily be verified or discounted.

Also, it’s very difficult to create a spoofed or fake vehicle tracking trip that makes sense and is believable. Temporarily throwing the police off your path is one thing. Making up an entirely new path is another. Like counterfeiters with currency, an expert might produce a fine reproduction, but it’s the little errors that will stick out like a sore thumb.

Should counter surveillance GPS tracking equipment be illegal?

Some say that would be like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. If GPS tracking detectors, jammers and spoofers create a safety hazard or if they are used to obstruct justice, they should certainly be regulated. But counter surveillance vehicle tracking equipment cannot be declared illegal, because they have a legitimate use outside of law enforcement. Counter surveillance GPS tracking equipment is used by adults who suspect that they are being electronically followed: their partner is spying on them, a personal investigator is on their tail, or their boss or business competitor is nosing around into their personal lives.

It is not uncommon for GPS tracking data to be presented into evidence in court, to prove an individual or object was at a certain location at a certain time. Vehicle tracking has earned its reputation for extremely reliable and accurate evidence in court. The presence of counter surveillance equipment does not negate that fact.

Case in point: A New York area man was recently convicted of the second degree murder of a babysitter. A vehicle tracking device his wife planted on his truck recorded the vehicle in a sparsely-populated, wooded area for an inordinate amount of time, when the man should have been driving the girl home from a babysitting job.

Vehicle Tracking – How Vehicle Tracking Works

Vehicle Tracking — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:54:56 +0000

A business or consumer places a GPS tracking system inside or outside of the desired vehicle they wish to monitor. Many tracking systems have weather-resistant casing and magnetic mounts that give the user the flexibility and option of outside placement. The tracking systems can be powered by an internal power source such as a standard alkaline or lithium ion battery pack, or can be hardwired to the vehicle to direct power. Cigarette lighter adapter options are available for most models. The data from the tracking system can be manually downloaded to a computer via USB port or transmitted over a cellular network live, depending on whether the device is a passive or real-time tracking system.

Passive Tracking

Providing a cost-effective approach to vehicle tracking, passive devices allow users to monitor assets without having to pay a monthly fee. Since passive devices do not transmit data and only receive GPS coordinates, second-by-second tracking features are common. When the user wants to review the recorded data they simply remove the GPS tracking system from the vehicle and manually download the data via USB port.

Real-Time Tracking

For consumers needing to monitor a vehicle while in transit a real-time tracking system is the only solution. Login to a secured website, enter a user identification and password, and then access the GPS tracking data from home, office or smart phone. The vehicle tracking data is easily accessed and recorded to secure servers for future access.

Why is Vehicle Tracking the Solution for Me?

Whether you’re a large or small business, law enforcement agency, concerned parent of a teenager, or simply need a GPS tracking system for personal tracking, theft recovery, or family member with a physical or mental disability, the assurance vehicle tracking technology provides is priceless. GPS tracking systems allow users to easily and accurately access data that can increase productivity, help in routing, and supply answers to the unknown.

Real-time Tracking Systems Allow Fans to Watch from Home

Vehicle Tracking — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:49:19 +0000

Real-time tracking

The International Sailing Federation’s Danish members have purchased 150 real-time tracking systems so fans can view sailboat races online from the comfort of their own home by accessing the GPS tracking system information. The International Sailing Federation consists of approximately 126 countries across the world and it is very possible that many of the other member nations will implement GPS tracking systems on their sailboats or yachts, depending on the success of the Danish members.

The International Sailing Federation began in Paris in the early part of the twentieth century with the vision of creating an excitement around sailing to make as many people as possible take up the hobby/sport. Real-time tracking systems are just another way for the International Sailing Federation to try and increase sailing’s popularity.

Vehicle-tracking

Although vehicle tracking and GPS tracking systems are commonly used in automobiles, real-time GPS tracking systems are now becoming more popular with other forms of transportation such as airplanes and watercraft. Placing the real-time tracking systems into the sailboats will hopefully bring a new audience and more fans to the centuries old past time of sailing. When asked about equipping potentially 150 boats with real-time tracking systems, the Danish expressed a desire to allow sailing fans the unique opportunity to watch the races from any location online via GPS tracking technology. GPS tracking can only help sailing.

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Spy Gadgets

Vehicle Tracking — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:58:22 +0000

Whether it is I-Spy, Spy Kids or some other kid’s television show or cartoon featuring the latest in fictional technology, children are constantly in awe and amazement of cool and fun spy gadgets. These exciting little fictional spy gadgets help the good guys capture the bad guys and do so with flare and drama. Although many of the spy gadgets are completely fictional, such as a watch that can send you back in time, some are actually adaptations from real-life James Bond type spy gadgets such as:

A pen camera that can record conversations and situations.
A GPS tracking device that can tell you anywhere a car is.
A recorder that can change the tone and sound of your voice.

When the topic of spies and spy gadgets was brought up to a group of elementary school children in a local southern California school, the mood quickly changed from boredom to excitement. The children began acting as if they were spies, making their hands into guns, rolling on the floor pretending to evade a bad guy, and all sorts of other goofy things. The children were then asked to take a piece of paper and write down 5 spy gadgets that they think would be useful or cool. The spy gadgets did not have to be real so the kids were allowed to use their imagination and write down anything they thought would be a cool or useful spy gadget. Here are the top 5 answers the children wrote down.

Spy Gadget #1

A pencil that knew the answers to the questions of the homework assigned.
Almost every kid wrote down some form or variation of an object such as a pencil or pen that could provide them the answers to their homework or to a test. Many of the kids wrote that if they had a spy gadget that would answer the questions for them that they would then have more time to go outside and play.

Spy Gadget #2

A trash can that made the trash disappear so it never had to be emptied.
A spy gadget that could make trash disappear was number 2 on the list. Although the concept is not very spy-related, it would be very functional. The children didn’t only write about the trash can that made trash disappear because they would have to take it out, but rather a concern over garbage, land-fills and liter. It was suprising to see how many children were consoious of the environment.

Spy Gadget # 3

A clock that could make recess longer.
The third most popular fictional spy gadget is pretty self-explanatory, a clock that would allow recess to be longer. The kids would be able to move the hands of a clock to extend recess so they could play with friends longer. Nobody wrote about not wanting to be in class, but rather they simply wanted to play for longer amounts of time. Socialization is key to a child’s development so extending recess to increase peer-interaction may not be a bad thing.

Spy Gadget # 4

A pill that made people not sick.
The first 3 spy gadgets were all school or home related, but the popular response about a pill that would help people who were sick was the first that was not. Showing compassion and an awareness for people who were sick or in pain was something many faculty did not think the children would write about or even seriouslt thought about. Schools tend to be one of the more popular breeding grounds for colds; therefore, many children probably have had some personal understanding or experience of illness. Either way, a pill that would be able to heal someone or prevent someone from being sick would be amazing.

Spy Gadget # 5

A card that would get them out of trouble (essentially a get out of jail free card)
The final spy gadget was a card that a kid could use to get out of being grounded or any other type of trouble. Basically, the spy gadget is a “Get out of Jail free card”. Kids are always testing boundaries and seeing what they can and cannot do, this card would essentially allow them to do whatever they want. Although some kids are allowed to do whatever they want, this would probably be a spy gadget that most parents would not want to see.

Spy Gadgets Becoming in High Demand for Law Enforcement & Consumers

Vehicle Tracking — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:09:23 +0000

No longer are the sleek and stealthy tools that popular movie characters such as James Bond and Michael Bourne used in their adventures unavailable for every day Joe and Jane consumer. Spy gadgets such as GPS tracking systems, pen cameras, keystroke loggers, and all other forms of hidden surveillance equipment are leading the way in what has now became over a billion dollar industry.

In the past, only the tech-savvy elite were the typical consumer base for this now booming market. However, as technology advanced the unique spy gadgets that were once not very cost-effective and seen as a novelty for the general public are now affordable, practical, and essential. Law enforcement agencies, businesses, and suburban families are utilizing the technology growing from this ever-advancing market to better improve their operations, management, travels, and more.

Law enforcement agencies have benefited dramatically from the adaptation of spy gadgets from the movies to the real-life. GPS tracking systems and vehicle tracking devices are now used on a daily basis by all forms of law enforcement agencies from the federal, state, and local levels. The price of a standard GPS tracking system has fallen to a reasonable price as they now sell for anywhere between $199.00-$599.00. These tracking systems are multi-functional for the law enforcement authorities and are now considered essential. Whether the GPS tracking systems transmit data that can be viewed in real-time or manually downloaded to a computer for future viewing, there is no doubt that they are now a law enforcement staple. GPS tracking law enforcement applications include:

Monitoring suspected criminal behavior such as potential drug traffickers or child molesters
GPS tracking of internal staff to validate driving activity and reports.
Accounting for mileage driven.

GPS tracking devices have led to the arrest of arsonists, burglars, car thieves, child molesters, and murderers.

Businesses can also benefit from the implementation of vehicle tracking devices. Vehicle tracking or GPS tracking systems can be used to verify jobs completed, mileage driven, and help in routing. Employers can use real-time GPS tracking technology to see exactly where a staff member is at that time and get a gauge for how long they will be at a certain job. Or for a more cost-effective approach, can put a passive GPS tracking system on the company vehicle and view the data at the end of the business day to verify all stops and jobs completed. This tracking system technology can lead to increased profits and efficiency.

Not only are law enforcement agencies and businesses improving from the implementation of GPS tracking technology in everyday operations. Families are now becoming one of the largest consumers of vehicle tracking technology. Whether a family has a teenage son or daughter just beginning to drive or an older family member losing the ability become self-reliant, a GPS tracking system can alleviate stress and fear. It is common knowledge that teen drivers are the group that is involved in the highest frequency of car accidents. A vehicle tracking system will not only give parents a detailed driving report of where a teen has been, but it will also provide, date, time, and location, and duration. GPS tracking systems can be used to monitor curfew times, how fast the car was being drove, or if a teen really was staying the night at their friend’s house. All of this vital information can be accessed at a cost-effective rate with no monthly obligations with certain tracking systems.

Passive GPS tracking devices are great tools for parents of teens, but when an elderly parent or family member begins to have diminshed abilities and cognitive patterns a real-time GPS tracking device is the only solution. Real-time GPS tracking technology allows users to view all the crucial information to ensure a family member’s safety. A real-time GPS tracking device will allow the user to remotely access where a vehicle is located, how long they have been stopped, and everywhere they have been. It is very common for elderly persons struggling with debilitating diseases such as dementia to get lost or confused. A real-time tracking system will provide a family with the comfort of knowing if that situation were to occur that the situation could be taken care of.

As functional and useful as GPS tracking systems have become for law enforcement, business, and family applications, many other unique spy gadgets have made the transition from James Bond tech to law enforcement/ personal tech. Hidden cameras are now used frequently by law enforcement authorities because of their flexibility to blend in with many different environments. Hidden cameras are used to gather information from mobsters, street gangs, and other deviant groups to prevent potential crimes or capture crimes as they take place. Hidden cameras come in a variety of shapes and forms and range in price from $99.00- $1,000+. Here is a list of some of the more popular variations of hidden camera technology:

Alarm clock hidden cameras
Pen cameras
Key-chain spy cameras
Lighter spy cameras
Tissue box cameras
Air purifier camera
Smoke alarm camera
Emergency light cameras
“Nanny” cameras

All cameras can be found in a wide range of different forms, from wireless, colored, to having the ability to record to a memory card or remote accessed via a computer.

Hidden cameras are also implemented by businesses to monitor a variety of important activities. Fortune 500 companies such as Wal-Mart use these hidden cameras to not only monitor potential store-theft, but also parking lots to ensure customer safety.

Although most hidden camera technology is used as theft-prevention or customer safety for businesses, everyday families are finding the technology more than useful. Hidden cameras, better known as “nanny-cams”, have grown more and more popular as both parents are moving into the workforce and having to hire help for the children. These remote cameras are used for recording the events that occur inside the household while the parents’ maybe away working or just out for a night on the town. The data recorded from the hidden cameras can be recorded to a memory card for later viewing or a parent can watch remotely live. Nannies, baby-sitters and other guest should be on the their best behavior as these spy gadgets have became commonplace and are always watching.

Nanny-cams are not the only application for these types of hidden cameras with family members. With a turbulent economy and unemployment reaching unimaginable highs, more and more people with job security are working more hours to ensure their productivity and job placement. Setting a camera in the living room and monitoring it remotely from a PC at work can give working parents a feel that they are still home and engaged with the daily trials of home-life. This is a very low-cost way to be involved.

Regardless of the type of surveillance technology being used, whether it be a GPS tracking system or hidden camera in the form of a pen camera, alarm clock camera, or some other variation, it is clear that spy gadgets are moving away from the movies and into the home. With surveillance technology becoming smaller and more cost-effective it is only a matter of time before we are all James Bond.

‘Come Along, Little Doggie!’

Vehicle Tracking — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:45:07 +0000

GPS Tracking Headset Lures Bessie to the Barn

For centuries, herding dogs, cattle prods and fencing have been a rancher’s best bets for keeping cattle contained or for moving them in a particular direction.

It was just a matter of time before someone thought of a more modern way to coax a cow. It’s with GPS tracking.

Two scientists – one a computer software specialist and the other a livestock researcher – have figured out a way to round up a herd of cattle and bring them home, all from a remote location. These innovators took a real-time vehicle tracking receiver and perched it up top of ol’ Bessie’s noggin.

Real-time vehicle tracking systems capture signals from U.S. Department of Defense satellites orbiting space, to determine the exact location of the GPS tracking receiver, anywhere on the planet. GPS tracking data is captured every few seconds and sent to a Web-enabled computer by wireless network, where the operator can track the object, getting updates of GPS tracking location, speed and direction, moment by moment.

GPS tracking technology was originally developed for vehicle tracking. If it worked for vehicle tracking, the scientists figured, why not for livestock tracking?

The farmland GPS tracking device also includes a harness that hooks around the cow’s head and ears and headphones placed near the cow’s ears.

First the farmer must mark the limits of his pasture with GPS tracking. Fencing of the field is virtual. The boundaries of the pasture are programmed into the GPS tracking system. When the animal nears the forbidden boundary, a sound is emitted to the headphones to persuade her back in the right direction.

In the scientists’ GPS tracking test group, the cows seemed to prefer the lead researcher’s sing-song, “Come on, girls!” voice prompt every 30 seconds. The researchers also experimented with different cues, including a barking dog, a hissing snake, and the whistles and shouts of a cowboy roundup, to lesser success.

The GPS tracking device was designed to be solar-powered, so it would never need wall/outlet charging or batteries.

Early results of the GPS tracking experiment are promising, but it is still uncertain how well the cattle will respond when the distance between the GPS tracking receivers on their heads, and home, is miles instead of a few hundred feet.

While they seem to work, GPS tracking systems for livestock are – so far – less than practical. Besides the fact that the GPS tracking systems look awkward and amusing, (they resemble little pillbox hats with chin straps), they are also expensive (about $500 each). Who’s to say a cow wouldn’t get full of mud or smash it against a fence, unaware of her expensive headgear?

The GPS tracking system inventors are trying to get the GPS tracking system simplified to cut the price to about $100. Since there are sometimes hundreds of cattle in a herd, that’s – quite literally – a high price to put on their heads.

Maybe the headphones can also play easy-listening music, to produce more tender steaks. Isn’t that how Kobe beef earned its luxury status?

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