Tribals Plot Land With GPS Technology in India

Tribal communities living in the forests of India have finally made some headway in claiming ownership over land they’ve occupied for hundreds of years. They’ve been fighting for ownership for many years, ever since the Indian government claimed ownership of the land and deemed the tribespeople encroachers. For years, they’re communities have been threatened with demolition at the government’s will. Finally, with the help of GPS tracking devices, they are successfully being granted ownership of their homes.

The tribals have technically land rights since 2006, when the Forest Rights Act was signed. Unfortunately, the government has been resistant in granting ownership. The Forest Departments flat out vetoed most land claims. Tribal communities in Gujarat faced partial or full rejection in 128,000 of the 182,000 claims filed. When land claims were accepted, they were only partially accepted. Part of the problem was that the claims process required semi-literate to fill out long forms.

Action Research in Community Health and Development (ARCH) along with other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) appealed to the High Court. The Courts ordered a review of the claims, accepting multiple forms of evidence of land ownership, including images taken from Google Earth. The NGO activists equipped the tribes with GPS devices with which to plot their land. In order to claim their property, they simply walk around the border of their homes and farms, pressing a button on the GPS device.

The GPS data provided by the tribal communities is automatically sketched into a map of the claim. All the claims are then matched with satellite images of the forests from 2005, a matter of compliance with the Forest Rights Act. If two villagers’ claims overlap, the despite is settled by the gram sabha. This method has been widely successful. In one village, the government accepted 61 out of 63 claims. ARCH is hoping for a 90% acceptance rate in 150 villages.

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Tribals Plot Land With GPS Technology in India

Crash Prevention System Developed With GPS Technology

You read that right. Automakers and the Department of Transportation (DoT) have been developing vehicle to vehicle, or V2V, technology which is designed to prevent collisions. In 2010, close to 34,000 people died in car crashes. This technology aims to significantly reduce that number. Using GPS tracking, the automobile will broadcast location, speed and direction information. All V2V-equipped vehicles can then use that information to avoid a collision.

One major concern when it comes to GPS devices is privacy. “The Department takes privacy very seriously,” Gregory D. Winfree said, deputy director of their Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). “We have worked closely with our partners to develop multiple strategies that help protect individual privacy. As conceived, the system will contain technical, physical and organizational controls to minimize privacy risks. The system will not collect and motor vehicles will not store the messages sent or received.”

“By the end of 2013, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will make a decision about the future of its activities regarding connected vehicle technology for light vehicles,” Winfree explained. The system can detect dangers that the driver might not be able to see due to blind spots, traffic and other factors. It is designed to warn the driver of the potential collision to avoid a crash.

“It has long been recognized that GPS will be unavailable in some areas, ranging from a few seconds to much longer time frames,” Winfree said. “While interference may be one reason GPS solutions are not available, more often it will simply be a result of sky blockage. When applications are fully integrated, GPS will likely be complimented with wheel sensor data for distance traveled and steering wheel sensors for direction as well as low-cost inertial sensors if risks warrant.”

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Crash Prevention System Developed With GPS Technology

GPS Tracking Suggests How Sharks Really Behave During Storms

I’ll give you a big hint: Sharknado will never be anything more than a beloved SyFy channel B-movie. Research shows that sharks can actually sense upcoming storms and typically flee the area until the storm passes. Sharks have a canal filled with fluid running along each side of their bodies, with a row of small pores connecting the canals the skin’s surface. This is known as the lateral line and allows sharks to detect changes in pressure in the water around them.

Typically, sharks use these senses while hunting to detect injured or weak prey. Research suggests that with the lateral line, sharks can predict storms due to the sudden drop of barometric pressure leading up to hurricanes. “I paid particular attention to the inner ear of the shark. A deflection of hair cells in the inner ear occurs when exposed to changes in barometric pressure,” Dr. Lauren Smith said, shark expert. “This then relays impulses to the brain which may result in the subsequent behavior changes.” Dr. Smith studied lemon sharks at Alberdeen University, particularly their responses to pressure changes.

Baby sharks usually stay in shallow waters where they are safe from predators and have access to smaller prey. However, when a hurricane approaches, even juvenile sharks risk deeper waters to avoid the wrath of the storm. “The juveniles inhabit super shallow nursery environments,” Dr. Smith explained. “If a storm was hitting, this creates considerable surface chop and tidal surges so they would be really flailing around in there, hence its possible that they are effectively deciding that to be trapped in a shallow area in a storm is worse than risking the deeper potentially predator patrolled water.”

The OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker is a team of researchers studying deep sea sharks with GPS tracking devices. The GPS data shows that even great white sharks tend to flee approaching hurricanes. “Hurricane Sandy passed just to the east of this area on October 27th, 2012 as a Category One storm, and this did coincide with a rare 6-day gap in detections – from October 25-31st – from Mary Lee’s SPOT tag,” explained Dr. Nick Whitney. “This may indicate that she stayed deep to avoid the storm, but could also be a result of weather and waves inhibiting tag transmission to the satellites. It’s hard to say.”

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GPS Tracking Suggests How Sharks Really Behave During Storms

GPS Technology Helps Curb Human-Elephant Conflict in India

Karnataka is the first state in India to use GPS tracking devices to help combat their elephant problem. Jumbo elephants in the region raid villages causing a lot of destruction. Not only do the massive beasts destroy crops, but they also injure and even kill villagers. One method to deal with this problem is to hunt and kill the problematic elephants, but with the elephant population dwindling, The Forest Department is looking for alternatives.

Here’s where GPS devices come into play. The Forest Department has decided to track four specific elephants in the region with GPS collars, developed by the Department of Electronics Study, Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. The department will receive location information from the elephants so they can better manage the herds. The devices are water-proof with a battery life of over two years.

The four elephants being tracked were chosen because they were determined to be the leaders of four problematic herds. Herds led by one leader and supported by two other large elephants. Wherever the leader goes, the herd will follow. If you’re tracking the leader, you’ve got the whole herd. If a herd is moving towards a village, the researchers can notify the village to prepare and also get the elephant-driving staff to the village as quickly as possible.

“If we collar the leader, it will help us identify the location. For the time being, we have decided to fix this device on four elephants. After some time we will fix it on other jumbos, too. Once we do it, neighboring states, Kerala and Tamil Nadu may follow suit. Our intention is to check man-elephant conflict which is quite serious in the state,” G S Prabhu told the New Indian Express.

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GPS Technology Helps Curb Human-Elephant Conflict in India

GPS Device Monitoring Recently Released Manatee

Manatees are majestic creatures. Some tourists recently got in big trouble for riding on the back of one of these creatures. Despite the temptation, it’s best to leave manatees alone. The West Indian Manatee is an endangered species and is under federal protection. It is illegal to harass, hunt, capture, or kill manatees under the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978.

“We receive all calls about manatees that are found – dead or alive,” explained Christie Rush, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) marine mammal biologist. “Our job is to check them out and then determine a response. We set-up everything from where to get them to a release spot.” In August 2012, they received one of these calls to come rescue a manatee with large injuries on its back, likely from an encounter with boat propellers. After a year of rehabilitation, they are releasing the manatee. Until the manatee has acclimated to its new home, researchers will be monitoring it with a GPS tracking device.

“The telemetry device we attached to her is a satellite tag that GPS [Global Positioning System] and VHF [Very High Frequency] capabilities,” Ann Spellman said, Lead FWC marine biologist. “This means they can track by radio frequency. They can also track them on the computer through the ARGOS [Advanced Research and Global Observation] satellite system.” The GPS device is rigged so that if it becomes caught, it will easily detach from the animal so it can free itself.

“The number one cause of death to manatees is boating incidents. Please be mindful and watch out for manatees in the river,” Spellman said. “If you do see an incident or find and injured manatee, please contact FWC.” Anyone interested can follow the manatee at www.wildtracks.org. The manatee’s location is updated every three days.

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GPS Device Monitoring Recently Released Manatee

U.K. Hedgehogs Next Wildlife To Be Tracked With GPS Technology

Shepreth Wildlife Park in the U.K. has a hospital dedicated to local hedgehogs. The Shepreth Wildlife Conservation Charity organized its first annual “Hedgehog Day” in order to help raise funds for these little creatures. Part of their ongoing conservation efforts includes tracking hedgehogs in the park with GPS devices. GPS tracking has already proven over and over again how useful it can be in wildlife conservation and study. The charity trustees are hoping to use the technology to their advantage in maintaining and assisting the hedgehog population.

One big problem stands in the way: money. The conservation charity already owes more than $52K in loans used to build the hedgehog hospital. The hospitals monthly outgoing costs have reached nearly $2K. Struggling to make ends meet, the trustees were inspired to host a Hedgehog Day in order to help raise funds for research and maintaining the hospital. The event also had the added benefit of educating the public about these cute little animals. In addition to hedgehogs, the visitors got to meet the other residents of the park, including reptiles and skunks. The children were even treated to a magic show. The charity was able to raise upwards of $1,300 in one day.

Hugh Warwick, ecologist and writer, also graced the stage with a presentation about hedgehogs. Warwick was recently announced as a patron of the Hedgehog Hospital. He is considered a bit of a hedgehog guru. He has been studying hedgehogs for about 20 years and authored A Prickly Affair, a book about the spiny mammals.

So far, the Hedgehog Hospital has treated and released 83 hedgehogs. With GPS tracking and other technologies, they hope to keep increasing that number. You can find out more about the hedgehog charity at www.swccharity.org.

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U.K. Hedgehogs Next Wildlife To Be Tracked With GPS Technology

South Africa Uses GPS Technology In Rhino Conservation Efforts

A team from the Wildlife Conservation Trust has begun darting rhinos and monitoring them with GPS tracking devices in Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa in order to curb poaching. The high price poachers can fetch for ivory from rhinos or elephant tusks has made poaching a huge problem around the world. Statistics from StopRhinoPoaching.com reveal a whopping 446 rhinos have been killed by poachers in South Africa this year alone. Some fear that at this rate, rhinos will be extinct in a matter of decades.

“The process makes use of helicopters to locate the rhino as well as experienced, on the ground rhino monitors, allowing us to locate the rhino fairly easily,” explained Kevin McCann, project manager for the Trust in an interview with News24. “Black Rhino are also a little more difficult than White Rhino as they are usually tucked away in the dense brush, in comparison to White Rhino that prefer the more open terrain.”

In the early 1900s, White Rhinos were hunted to near extinction, with only around 50 beasts left in all of Africa. With the help of conservation efforts, there are now an estimated 20,000. Black Rhino, however, are on the decline since the 1970s, when their numbers reached about 70,000. In 1990 there were an estimated 2,500 Black Rhinos, and today there are a mere 5,000. “Daily monitoring of the rhino population takes place on the reserve (in effect an on-going census), which enables us to identify new rhinos and therefore plan future darting exercises to notch this for future identification,” McCann said.

“The fitting of GPS tracking technologies (complimented by aerial support) to rhino enables the reserve staff, and particularly the field rangers, to have a much better understanding of the daily and seasonal movement patterns of the animals,” McCann added. “This allows the field rangers to adjust their patrol routes to secure these rhino, and to better respond to real or potential incidents as they occur (the reaction time is reduced due to the positioning of light aircraft reserves), particularly as the field rangers have a good understanding of the rhino’s location. This ultimately reduces the potential for poaching to take place on a reserve.”

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South Africa Uses GPS Technology In Rhino Conservation Efforts

Tulsa Police Helicopter Gets Heads Up On Criminals WIth GPS Technology

If you live in an urban area, you’re likely familiar with the annoyance police helicopters can bring to a peaceful evening. Still, most of us recognize the usefulness of police helicopters helping ground patrols locate their suspect. Oklahoma’s Tulsa Police Department have begun using GPS technology to help make police chases much faster and safer. Not only do the police and us citizens benefit from getting suspects in custody sooner, but the GPS navigation helps get those helicopters out of the sky a lot quicker.

“The use of that new system on the helicopter really guided us to catch a suspect tonight we may not have otherwise,” Sgt. Matt McCoord said. He’s referring to a police chase that occurred after a suspect refused to pull over for a traffic stop. McCoord was in the helicopter, guiding ground police to the 26-year-old suspect.

Police helicopters have a thermal camera mounted under the cockpit, which displays images on a screen for the pilot to study and locate the suspect. WIth this new system, a GPS device is equipped to the camera, which is connected to a computer system that overlays street names, addresses and/or landmarks on top of the images from the thermal camera. “In a pursuit, things are happening so fast that time is real critical,” explained Sgt. Nick Cory. “Before we would have to go, ‘Well, they’re behind a house, third house from the corner on the east side of the road.” The program is called ARS, for Augmented Reality System.

“Lots of times when we’re flying the patrol officers ask us which helicopter we’re in because they’re hoping we’re in one with this ARS system in it,” said Cory. The system costs $150,000 per helicopter, so the TPD could only afford to equip one of their choppers with ARS technology. The system reportedly is very popular and effective, almost paying for itself already, so the department is hoping to add ARS to their other helicopter.

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Tulsa Police Helicopter Gets Heads Up On Criminals WIth GPS Technology

U.S.P.S. To Track Mail Carriers With GPS Technology

We all know how annoying it is when mail doesn’t arrive when expected. Sending items through the postal service is notoriously slow. In fact, in the modern age of faxing and email, the postal service is often referred to as “snail mail” due to its relatively slow pace. Despite technology booming, the USPS hasn’t made much improvement in getting ground service mail to its destination any faster. Faster shipping services are available as a means to combat the snail mail. We can pay extra to have our mail shipped via jet, so it gets to us within 24 hours. There are usually a few other options to speed up delivery, but the postal service is doing what it can to help speed up regular mail delivery.

 

Currently, we can track many, if not most, items we order or ship. Most of our packages are already tracked with GPS or some similar technology, so we can watch as the item travels to its destination and anticipate its arrival more precisely. The USPS is now using tracking technology on its employees. Employer-employee tracking is nothing new. We’ve reported on it many times at RMT, but not to this scale. The USPS will be able to ensure that each carrier is making all his or her deliveries and on time.

 

The United States Postal Service will soon begin tracking employees with GPS tracking devices. Specifically, the mail carriers will be given smartphones, which can be tracked remotely. Currently, the USPS is using portable scanners to scan certain mailboxes throughout the day. This is how the mail carriers are currently being monitored, but there are big gaps of time in between scans. With the GPS-equipped cell phones, supervisors can monitor the carriers entire route. This way, they can detect if an employee is taking too much time or going off his or her route. The monitoring could also possibly help managers develop more efficient routes.

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U.S.P.S. To Track Mail Carriers With GPS Technology

GPS Device Jammers Thwarted

GPS technology is a major aspect of modern life. Millions of people around the world use some kind of GPS device. Some use GPS navigation systems in their vehicles to help direct them in their travels. Others take advantage of the GPS equipped in their smartphone or tablet devices. Some people carry a tracking device with them when hiking, camping or off-roading, to avoid getting lost. Emergency response teams use the technology to get to the scene as fast as possible and researchers use it to monitor wildlife, their habitats, and even to measure the movement of mountains and the earth itself!

GPS technology relies on GPS signals bouncing from the earth’s surface to satellites orbiting our atmosphere and back. Certain crafty developers have come up with devices to jam these signals, causing serious problems for military, air traffic control, and everyday people relying on those signals. Chronos Technology have recently released a device that can detect these jamming signals. The device is called CTL-3520.

“Previous jamming detection products have been unable to identify which vehicle is hosting the jammer. This has been a particular limitation and a major challenge for people wishing to protect critical infrastructure if faced with GPS jamming emanating from a nearby vehicle. Most websites currently selling GPS jammers maintain that the operating distance of a jammer is just a few meters. This is simply not true. We have tested GPS jammers in controlled trials and their range is easily 250/300 meters which makes specific vehicle identification extremely difficult, particularly in a multi-story car park,” explained Professor Charles Curry. “The CTL-3520 solves this problem and can pick out one vehicle in a thousand which has the jammer installed.”

“This product contains advanced technology which is the culmination of more than two years of research and development at the University of Bath, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) within the SENTINEL project. We are delighted that our collaboration with Chronos has led to a commercial product,” said Dr. Robert Watson from the Electronic & Electrical Engineering Department at the University of Bath.

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GPS Device Jammers Thwarted

KidZania Plants 100 Trees in Malaysia Using GPS Technology

How could GPS technology help people plant trees? Well, the GPS isn’t actually used while planting the trees, but rather, the team has linked the trees with GPS, so they can be monitored as they mature. 2013 is the second year KidZania hosted the 100-tree-planting project, but it’s the first year GPS monitoring is being used.

KidZania is an indoor educational and entertainment theme park in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Last year, KidZania planted 100 trees in a community park in Taman Tun Dr Ismail. This year, the 100 trees were planted in Taman Rimba Kiara, Taman Tun Dr Ismail. Photographs will be captured of the tree shortly after they are planted and uploaded to Google Earth, along with information about each tree’s species and specific height. Google Earth will be updated periodically with photographs showing the trees’ growth after five years, up until maturation at around 30 years.

The team chose a rare species of tree to plant. The saplings include Shorea sumatrana, Shorea roxburghii, Pteleocarpa lampoya, Garcinia cows, Garcinia hombroniana and Flacoutia inermis. The first tree was planted by a special guest, Kuala Lumpur’s City Hall director-general Datuk Salleh Yusup and the remaining trees were planted by staff and industry partners at KidZania Kuala Lumpur, as well as staff from Themed Attractions and Resorts.

One major benefit of planting trees anywhere is that they absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen for the immediate environment. Malaysia is working on beautifying the park with tree planting, as well as reducing the region’s carbon footprint. KidZania is known for their environmental efforts. In fact, winners of one of KidZania Kuala Lumpur’s inter-school art competition, called Kids for a Greener World 2013, attended the tree-planting ceremony. Winners received a trip to KidZania Kuala Lumpur and KidZania merchandise.

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KidZania Plants 100 Trees in Malaysia Using GPS Technology

Audi A8 Sedan Uses GPS Technology For Smart Headlights

Adaptive headlights are becoming quite common in newer car models. Audi was the first in the auto industry to use LED headlamps in the major markets. Now, the company is leading the pack by using GPS technology to assist the driver in ways yet to be imagined. LED lights not only conserve energy and enhance visibility, they fundamentally work differently than traditional light bulbs. LED lights are made of small diodes that work independently from each other, which has allowed Audi to control the precise amount of light and which direction the light is heading with lenses and reflectors controlled by computer.

 

In the Audi A8 Sedan, which will hit the market later this year, each headlamp incorporates 25 high-intensity LED lights, which are linked to the vehicle’s front-facing camera and GPS navigation device. When an oncoming vehicle is detected by the system, the new Audi can lower portions of the lights, so the oncoming driver isn’t blinded by headlights. The headlamps still light up the surrounding road and most of the oncoming vehicle, but continues to dim as the vehicle approaches, as to continue avoiding obstructing the oncoming driver’s vision. However impressive this technology is, it isn’t exactly new.

 

The real innovation has to do with the GPS device linked to the headlamps. The vehicle is able to anticipate turns in the road and can bend the light around the curve before the driver even starts to turn the wheel. Another great addition to the Audi A8 is the night-vision assistance. The vehicle can detect pedestrians in its path and will flash its LED headlights on the person three times. This system both helps the driver notice and avoid a terrible accident and gets the attention of the pedestrian, so he or she can also move more carefully to avoid injury or worse.

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Audi A8 Sedan Uses GPS Technology For Smart Headlights

India's Sanitation Department To Utilize GPS Devices

India is once again seeing the value of the GPS device, this time in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). The AMC has begun monitoring their waste management vehicles with GPS devices, allowing the city to make improvements to their solid waste management practices and thus bettering the sanitation conditions citywide.

It is currently a pilot program, and the bidding process is active. The contract will be awarded to the winning private company who will then install the GPS navigation devices on all waste management vehicles.

The city is highly concerned about hygiene and sanitation conditions and authorities have made addressing this issue a top priority, engaging a door-to-door waste collection drive. The AMC also hopes to achieve zero-waste status by 2031, and although the amount of waste collected has increased, there are still some issues.

One problem: collection and container lifting. Another issue lies in the frequency of waste management vehicle breakdowns. They’re hoping the GPS tracking devices will aid them in finding problems with the collection of waste. “If the vehicle gives any residential colony or spot a miss, we will get to know that without stepping out of office,” said deputy municipal commissioner of AMC’s e-governance department, D P Desai.

Desai explains that the city has asked GPS device and software providers to bid their way into city vehicles, and the pilot program saw five companies install their devices in five wards, on three vehicles per ward. This pilot program went on from May 27 to June 10.

“A state government-owned agency is analyzing the results of the pilot project. The pilot project results will help us verify claims made by the companies about the performance of the technology used by them,” Desai said.

As soon as the pilot project results are determined, the bids will open. Naturally, the contract will go to the lowest bidder.

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India's Sanitation Department To Utilize GPS Devices

India: Robber Caught Thanks To GPS

India knows the value of GPS technology. High incidents of rape and molestations led the country to install GPS devices on the country’s school buses and in public transportation vehicles. India has realized the potential of the technology to combat crime, bringing the from third-world status to something more.

Evidence of the power of transportation equipped with GPS devices: a recent case where Sangvi authorities were able to capture two men who robbed employees of a Tech Mahindra company in a mere three hours.

The driver, 23-year old Ganesh Rankhamb and a security guard, Ganesh Pawar, both employees of Tech Mahindra, were traveling in a company vehicle. They were on their way to pick up employees from Chikhali, and stopped off near Sangvi Phata to visit a restroom at about 3 am.

Two motorcycles appeared with four men on board, and their intentions were realized when they pulled knives, threatening the lives of Rankhamb and Pawar. They demanded the two men get in the car and drove them to Kasarsai, eventually assaulting them with the knives along the drive. Once at their destination, the four men forced the two captives to undress, tying them up with their clothing.

Stealing their car keys and two mobile phones, a silver ring, a watch, and Pawar’s ATM card, they proceeded to demand the ATM password, threatening to cut off Pawar’s thumb if he did not comply. Upon successfully receiving the password, they disappeared in the stolen car, heading to an ATM where they withdrew Rs 20,000 with the stolen card.

Rankhamb and Pawar were able to free themselves, heading to the Tech Mahindra office and alerting management to the situation. They contacted Sangvi police, who were able to determine the whereabouts of the stolen car thanks to the GPS device on-board. At 6:30 am, the car was recovered.

30-year old Lalit Khollam was arrested, but 25-year old Rahul Rajput, 25-year old Datta Bansode, and 27-year old Adesh Bharati were able to escape into the darkness. Later that day, Rajput was arrested.

If it weren’t for the GPS, who knows if any of them would have ever been captured. Shahji Umap, deputy commissioner of police, recommended a GPS tracking device in every car.

He added, “The suspects during interrogation said they usually targeted single-storied houses, but on Thursday they had planned to loot goods trucks on highways for which they needed a car.” Maybe next time they’ll think twice about stealing a car, never knowing for sure if a GPS device is installed or not.

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India: Robber Caught Thanks To GPS

New Hampshire Moose GPS Tracking Study Costs $695,000

The cost of a federally funded research project in New Hampshire caused Debora Pignatelli, Fish and Game Executive Councilor for the state, to do a double take. According to the contract, the four-year study will cost $695,000. Governor Maggie Hassan and the Executive Council did eventually approve the contract after some review. Moose tracking is very expensive, but ultimately worth the cost.

 

Wildlife & GPS Tracking

The research team will track 80 to 100 moose from now until 2017. They will monitor adult cows and baby moose calves with GPS tracking devices. The devices themselves are costly, but don’t account for the bulk cost of the study. The team will first track down each moose from a helicopter, tranquilize it and record pertinent data before attaching the GPS tracking collar. “Radio collaring moose is extremely expensive,” explained Fish and Game Executive Director Glenn Normandeau. “It’s not just a bunch of people running around in the bushes with dart guns.”

 

There are currently an estimated 4,500 moose in the state of New Hampshire. The research team hopes to maintain and grow the moose population, which is vital to the state’s economy and ecosystem. Moose in New Hampshire currently face a variety of challenges, including hunting, deadly traffic and disease, as well as climate-related obstacles. An estimated 250 moose are roadkill victims every year, and 275 moose hunting permits were issued for the 2013 hunting season. Moose can contract deadly diseases from ticks in the area.

 

The contract information states that moose are “an invaluable ecological, economic, and recreational resource in New Hampshire. The annual estimated economic expenditure associated with new Hampshire wildlife-watching exceeds $250 million.” The moose alone generate more than $300,000 each year for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. This revenue is used for wildlife management, staffing and enforcement.

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New Hampshire Moose GPS Tracking Study Costs $695,000

Keeping Track of Your Kids

Finding Loved Ones 

“It’s 10 PM. Do you know where your children are?” The question posed by this old TV announcement can now be answered more easily than before, thanks to personal GPS tracking devices created for kids.

The idea behind the trend comes from parents concerned about the whereabouts of their children. They want to see all their kids’ location and movements, even in real time. The fear of kidnapping by child predators has some parents scared and very vigilant. Parents may also want to track their teen to make sure they are being safe and staying in designated areas.

Homing Signals

To meet these needs, manufacturers have developed a variety of GPS units designed specifically for kids. Small children can use an bracelet attached to their wrist, or phone-like device that can fit in a bag. Older students can carry small golf ball-sized units in a pocket or backpack.

Parents appreciate the ability to trace their kids’ routes. Some GPS devices issue automatic text alerts every few minutes to a smartphone or computer. Other apps let adults see kids’ steps and actions in real time. Many adults have indicated that the updated system makes them feel more secure and knowledgeable as a parent.

Although to some it may seem intrusive to track children, the system does help parents make sure their children walk and arrive safely at the bus step and even step onto the correct bus. After all, there are a few dozen buses to choose from! Parents can also see when and where older students entered and left their friends’ vehicles on the way home. Devices can be programmed with set boundaries. For example, when a teen leaves the boundaries, the parent will know and can choose an appropriate action.

Tracking Down a Problem

Of course, no system is foolproof. The devices could be tampered with or simply taken out of the pocket and left in one location to give a false report. So, the GPS signal could give correct location, but not necessarily the location of its owner.

Critics claim that personal GPS devices invade the privacy of teens who need to form an identity. The devices could falsely make parents feel safe. They could also reinforce upon children their parents’ fears of the outside world. These fears can easily extend to the actions of the teen and show lack of trust for the child to make any responsible decisions or actions.

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Keeping Track of Your Kids

GPS Provides a Smoother Bus Ride Experience

Waiting Time

Everyone hates to wait in line, especially a line for a late bus. Instead of going about your work, you’re stuck wasting time. If you had only known the bus were going to be late, then you could have planned your day better.

Tracking Time 

Several cities are trying to resolve that problem by offering riders a GPS tracking system for their buses. For example, the city of Saskatoon, Alberta recently equipped its buses to accommodate integration with GPS technology.The GPS software tracks buses as they leave the station and travel to their destinations. The GPS receiver connects with the signal from the satellites and then transmits it to a data-enabled wireless device, such as a smartphone or tablet.

On their phone screens, potential riders track the routes of the buses as they progress throughout the city. Throughout that time, riders receive updates on selected buses. If there is a delay because of traffic, then the system is automatically updated, and riders can prepare for the delay. As a bus nears the stop, riders are prepared to board.

Tracking Changes

This new arrangement could help promote use of public transportation, as residents would be able to count on accurate timetables and arrivals. Additionally, people could avoid waiting in line by walking to the next stop or taking another route.

Public transportation officials have also indicated that GPS patterns could be used to create more efficient routes that transport workers to their jobs faster and save costs for taxpayers.

Several universities have also implemented similar programs. As with the Saskatoon system, students can track the status of the campus buses via smartphone. This allows them to avoid being late to class by planning another route, or biking or walking instead. The security of the passengers presents another benefit of tracking buses in real time: women report feeling safer waiting inside than outside in the dark in an empty bus stop.

Waiting No More

So the days of standing in the rain with other grumbling passengers waiting for the bus may be nearing an end. Instead, you could be safe inside by yourself at a coffee shop. All you would need to catch the bus as it arrives would be to open your phone and tap your finger.

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GPS Provides a Smoother Bus Ride Experience

Technology, Including GPS, Leads To Trouble For Michigan Man

A note to criminals: you’d better watch what you tweet while on bail. Otherwise, you might end up in even bigger trouble!

Tevin Bilal Clay, a 20-year old man from Flint, Michigan was arrested on charges he robbed a pharmacy in Burton. How was he nabbed? A GPS tracking device led the authorities directly to him. And another form of technology led to a second arrest after initially posting bail: Twitter.

GPS Device Brings Initial Arrest

According to the complaint initially filed in Flint US District Court, Clay robbed a Rite Aid pharmacy in Burton on April 11 just before 10 pm. He and another man were arrested thanks to the GPS tracking device hidden in with the money, leading the cops directly to their location only minutes after they fled the scene.

Clay was released on a $50,000 unsecured bond on April 17 by Magistrate Michael J. Hluchaniuk. The typical terms of any bail conditions: you must not flee the area. On June 18, the magistrate revoked the bond following an incident that took place June 3 where Clay was shot while at his father’s home. Clay lied to police about the shooting.

Twitter Turns Him In

So how were authorities able to ascertain he was lying? It seems federal authorities reviewed several tweets peppered with expletives in the days after the shooting, and they proved the statement initially given to police was false and that his intention was to flee the area prior to trial on the robbery charges.

Oh, and GPS technology had a role in this second arrest as well: he was part of a federal location monitoring program, and an officer was alerted he had left the home during unauthorized hours. His bond called for “strict lock-down” house arrest. His father claimed he was at the hospital following a shooting, and officers met with him there for more details.

The Tweets

Clay claimed he hadn’t seen the person responsible or the vehicle they were driving after being shot in the leg and the back of the knee. However, a tweet revealed the following: “I swear I looked at the gun spark when the second bullet hit me…I seen the car that the shot came from.”

In another tweet, Clay admits to lying to officers about the shooting: “Told the hook I didn’t see (expletive), just know wen it’s that time im coming.” Yet another tweet shows his intentions to flee, according to court documents: “Police Tryna Chase Me Im Jump The (expletive) Fence.”

His trial is set for July 22, and for some reason he has pleaded not guilty. However, with all of the evidence gathered by GPS device and recorded for the world on Twitter, it’s difficult to understand this plea whatsoever.

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Technology, Including GPS, Leads To Trouble For Michigan Man

Saskatoon, Canada: GPS Comes To Two Express Bus Routes

Two express bus routes running from southeastern suburban Saskatoon to the downtown area and University of Saskatchewan are getting GPS location devices fitted, the first two buses in the city to feature them, after both the city council and finance committee approved installing GPS devices in the city’s 120-bus fleet.

Jamie Robison, access transit manager for the city, told the committee, “You can see exactly where the bus is, if it is late — all that.”

The Future

While GPS devices were installed as part of a pilot program last year, the future holds much more for the bus routes in the city. In a year, the city council has approved smartphone apps to be implemented in order for riders to receive real-time data as to the location of the buses in the fleet.

For now, the buses fitted with the GPS tracking devices appear on a map of Saskatoon online. It shows staff at transit headquarters if a bus happens to be behind or ahead of schedule. Staff relies on touch screen consoles to view the route map and timer.

Route Overhaul

The system will grant the public access to the location data of the buses being tracked via website and eventual mobile app, which is expected to be ready after bus routes are redesigned over the summer.

The redesign provides two new routes, created to shorten the longest routes in the city. “Right now [the longest] route can take 50 minutes,” said Saskatoon’s utility services manager Jeff Jorgenson. “We are looking to keep it under 30.”

The hope of the department after implementing this new system: to attract new riders. Councilors said that Transit should work harder advertising the altered routes and GPS location technology to make this happen. Ideally, it should all be introduced at once to be truly effective.

“You are going to be successful if you give customers what they want: reduced travel times and convenience. Simply telling them you got this route isn’t going to work. You have to tie all these things together,” said Councilor Darren Hill.

Saskatoon, Canada: GPS Comes To Two Express Bus Routes

Researchers Develop New GPS Data Collection Program

The program is called the Environmental-Data Automated Track Annotation (Env-DATA). In addition to collecting GPS tracking data, the program also records weather and terrain information to provide a more whole sense of the subject’s environment. The program was used by a team researching the migration habits of Galapagos Albatross, which revealed vital information, and is currently being used to monitor great egrets in North Carolina.  

“This is a powerful tool for understanding how weather and land forms affect migration patterns,” explained Dr. Roland Kays, co-founder of the program and zoologist at North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. “Ultimately it will help us answer global questions about how changes to our planet affect animal populations and movement.”

The data collection system is a big improvement for wildlife tracking studies. As opposed to recording the locations of various wildlife, the team can take into consideration how the animals relate to the weather and landscapes along their path. Considering all this information can also reveal interesting theories as to why animals choose the habitats and migration paths they do. For example, in the Galapagos Albatross study, the Env-DATA system showed that the birds migrate from the Galapagos Islands to the Peruvian coast. The environmental data showed that the birds migrated in a clockwise direction, taking advantage of tailwinds along the way.  

In addition to providing more than just the data from GPS devices, the Env-DATA program also automatically compiles the findings. What would normally take graduate students hours to record and analyze, is now done with a simple click of a button. The program is available to the public and it’s design is simple enough for an amateur to conduct his or her own study.

Researchers Develop New GPS Data Collection Program

Researchers Track Cattle Grazing with GPS Technology In U.K. National Park

Cattle are being released into the remote College Valley inside the U.K.’s Northumberland National Park. Adam Waugh, a local farmer, is teaming up with agricultural researchers from Newcastle University to study his herd of native Luing cattle. The research is being funded by the Sir James Knott Trust, Cheviot Futures and College Valley Estate, and facilitated by Northumberland National Park Authority.

The cattle will be released onto the Cheviot site to find their own shelter, grass to graze and water sources. The team will be monitoring the cows with GPS tracking devices from a remote location. The devices give researchers an advantage of not requiring visual contact with the animals in order to observe them. This is especially advantageous during the night and bad weather.

“The results from this cattle tracking work will be linked to information on vegetation and wildlife distribution and abundance. This will help us gain a better understanding of how the cattle grazing influences the important habitats in the Cheviots and the wildlife they support. In future we hope to extent the work to tracking sheep as well as cattle,” said Mary Gough, Farming Advisor for Northumberland National Park Authority.  

Cheviot Futures Project Officer, Tracy Hall, added, “This innovative take on recording livestock movement and activity in the Cheviot HIlls will offer a valuable insight into the behavior of new livestock introduced to an upland environment. In particular, the way the cattle use the grazing area available to them, and how they behave in different weather conditions will provide information relevant to livestock producers seeking to make efforts to increase their resilience to the effects of climate change.”

“The GPS collars will provide us with precise locations of the cattle while they roam the area. This information will then give us a unique insight into how the cattle use the available area and how they affect the local biodiversity,” explained Dr. Richard Bevan from Newcastle University. 

Researchers Track Cattle Grazing with GPS Technology In U.K. National Park

Free Field Trip App Helps You Find The Fun

Google recently released a new free app for iOS and Android smartphone users. It’s the perfect app for summer fun and exploration. The app is called “Field Trip” and provides users with fun and interesting things to do nearby. It uses GPS technology built-in to the smartphones to access information about what attractions are close by.  

After the app is downloaded, it connects to the built-in GPS location data to determine the user’s current location. Activities and attractions range from restaurants, shops, movies and architecture, to local history and obscure events. Users can choose which type of attractions are most appealing and control how many notifications appear. Destination suggestions are displayed on little cards that pop up on your screen. Audio notifications are also an option. The only real complaint so far from reviewers is that the GPS app has a tendency to freeze up and shut down.

As part of a campaign to attract more users to the free app, Google teamed up with several museums in New York City to offer one free admission for each user. During the month of July, New Yorkers and/or tourists exploring New York could flash the Field Trip app to any one of the participating museums and get a free admission pass. Participating museums included the Museum of Arts and Design, the Museum of the City of New York, New York Aquarium, Queens Zoo, Bronx Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and Central Park Zoo.

Currently the participating cities are expanding and include major U.S. cities. New York obviously has plenty of locations and attractions to point you towards. Other cities Field Trip can help you explore include Los Angeles; San Francisco; Washington, D.C.; Chicago, Reno, NV; Seatle; and Portland, OR. Internationally, there is a growing list of 80 countries and 30 languages available to choose from.

Free Field Trip App Helps You Find The Fun