Saskatoon, Canada: Looking Into GPS Monitoring Of City Staff

If certain officials have their way, Saskatoon city staff may soon be monitored by GPS devices while on the clock using the devices the city already provides, like cell phones, water meter tools, and radios. All that is stopping them currently: there is no policy in place regarding the use of GPS tracking.

Human resources consultant for the city Gordon Bothner sees the value in many possible uses, discussing them in a meeting with city officials in an executive committee meeting. “It could be time theft, where…there’s been some sort of indication where productivity hasn’t taken place.”

He also points to GPS technology as a way to keep employees safe, referencing a recent case where accusations of taking people on “starlight tours” were made against the Saskatoon City Police. Starlight tours are described as residents being taken to city outskirts by police and left there. These allegations were proven false thanks to data collected by GPS data gathered by the GPS tracking device installed in city cruisers.

Bothner also sees GPS technology pointing out inefficiencies by tracking the time it takes employees to complete a job. However, he knows that there needs to be a policy in place prior to implementation. “The crux of the policy is, if we’re going to use the monitoring capability…we need a policy to guide the use of that information.”

Councilor Martin Ring is wary of the technology. “It certainly brings to light ‘big brother’s watching us.” Councilor Rick Orr added, “Big brother is watching us, and it’s the taxpayer.”

Orr does see the value in GPS monitoring, especially with recent taxpayer request to look into inefficiencies. “We know that (city staff is) doing a heck of a good job…this just gives us a tool to let the taxpayer know what’s going on.”

Mayor Greg Dionne agrees, especially after recent allegations from the public of city employees taking longer than the allotted 15 minute break, vehicles parked outside of Tim Horton’s. He said using the GPS devices in this way is “a valid use of the equipment, and it’s just no different than a radar gun…No one ever fears a radar gun, unless you’re a speeder. And then, if you’re a speeder you’ve got to look out for a radar gun. It’s no different than GPS.”

So far, no one is against the idea. Bothner’s report states “They are fully aware of the purpose and contents of the proposed policy and no concerns have been expressed.”

 

Saskatoon, Canada: Looking Into GPS Monitoring Of City Staff

Test Post from GPS News by Rocky Mountain Tracking

Test Post from GPS News by Rocky Mountain Tracking http://www.rmtracking.com/blog

BBC Program Features GPS Tracking Of Domestic Cats

Cats are fascinating creatures to many of us. They’re all at once curious, lazy, playful, affection and stand-offish. Many of us keep these graceful kitties as pets and let them wonder in and out of the home as they please. We see stray and domestic cats alike out and about in our neighborhoods, as if they run the town. How many cat owners wonder what their cats are up to when they leave the home? GPS technology and the BBC show us exactly what 50 domestic cats in Surrey Village, in the U.K., were doing while roaming the neighborhood.  

“The Secret Life of The Cat” aired June 13, 2013 on the BBC’s Two Horizon program. The project was inspired by a team using GPS tracking collars to monitor wild cheetahs. The team was able to track cheetahs at a top speed of 58mph, gathering vital information about hunting maneuvers and acceleration. This research inspired a much smaller version of the study: tracking domestic cats. 50 cats were fitted with GPS devices and video camera. In consideration of privacy, the cameras and GPS automatically turn off when the cat enters a building, like a residence.

“If we understand an animal’s speed and maneuverability we will be able to see how managing habits will have an impact on predators and hunting,” explained Professor Alan Wilson, from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London. “Our motivation for getting involved in the program is to showcase scientific research methods to the public and demonstrate science is cool. It’s an excellent large-scale deployment opportunity for our tracking collars and the analysis tools used for our studies on wild animals. Ironically we knew more about cheetahs than domestic cats, until this study.”

BBC Program Features GPS Tracking Of Domestic Cats

Kiawah Island Biologists Tracking Bobcats With GPS Devices

Kiawah Island, South Carolina, is a beautiful region. The natural beauty of the island has been preserved and it’s become a popular resort destination for tennis and golf lovers. The preserved natural beauty of the island means there are plenty of trees, bushes and other natural habitats for wildlife. Because of this, Kiawah Island has also become a great place for biologists to study wildlife. For example, researchers have been tracking wild bobcats on the island with GPS technology for about seven years.  

“We have got about 30 to 35 here on the island. They are doing very well out here,” said Jim Jordan, a Kiawah Island biologist. “These radio collars have a GPS that communicates with the satellites and comes up with their location. They also have a VHF transmitter, which VHF stands for very high frequency, and each collar has its own unique frequency and so using a directional antenna and a radio receiver we can dial into that specific collar and then basically figure out where the strongest signal is and now the direction and approximate distance to the animal.”

The team currently has attached GPS tracking collars to six bobcats on the island. “We have got all the collars we need to basically rotate these collars from year to year, get new batteries put in them, the cost isn’t that expensive and it doesn’t take a lot of labor on our part,” Jordan explained. The Kiawah Island bobcats tend to live 5 to 8 years, but some live as long as 10 years.

By using GPS technology, the biologists can gather more and more information about the bobcats and how they relate to their environment. The study has already provided information about the local population’s average lifespan. Monitoring bobcats can help us better understand the wildlife, and hopefully intervene and protect them should they face any immediate threats.

Kiawah Island Biologists Tracking Bobcats With GPS Devices

Andhra Pradesh Brings In GPS Technology For Fire Department

Andhra Pradesh, one of the 28 states of India, is bringing GPS technology in to help their fire fighting department. Many fire departments around the United States have already begun implementing GPS navigation and tracking systems. Emergency response teams of all kinds benefit greatly from this technology. Not only do these devices help fire fighters and other rescue teams know the exact location of the emergency, but it also helps determine which vehicles should be deployed and what the fastest possible route to the destination is. In addition to GPS devices, the fire trucks in Andhra Pradesh will also be equipped with video cameras.

“The GPS-based system enabled with video cameras will be launched in about a month’s time. In the first phase, GPS system and cameras will be installed in 150 fire engines across the state,” a Fire Department official said. There are currently more than 300 fire vehicles in 252 fire stations within Andhra Pradesh. If the program proves successful, there will likely be more GPS devices installed in the fire trucks around Andhra

“In the event of emergency, the fire fighters will dispatch feed from the tablets and with GPS units, in turn will help them access locations and reach the emergency scenes quickly while the officials at the control room can simultaneously keep track of the vehicles,” the official explained. “Fire spreads too fast and if the fire fighters do not reach the scene in time, not only the property will be totally burnt, but several lives will also be lost,”

One of the major motivating factors in adding GPS to the fire-fighting arsenal in Andhra Pradesh, was a devastating fire that took place late last year. In November 2012, a fire broke out in Maikonda residential apartment building. The fire department lost 30 precious minutes trying to locate the fire and seven lives were lost in the blaze. Officials hope to avoid such devastation in the future.

Andhra Pradesh Brings In GPS Technology For Fire Department

GPS Technology Inspires Interplanetary Navigation

If you follow our blog, you should be familiar with the basics of how GPS technology works. Just in case, here is a brief summary: A constellation of GPS satellites orbiting Earth send and receive signals from GPS devices on the surface, which can pinpoint the exact longitude and latitude location of the device. This information can be used to track a person, property or to calculate a turn-by-turn route to your destination. The technology has come a long way and is now the partial inspiration for a promising and futuristic navigation system for our solar system and beyond.

NASA is developing a method for astronauts and space craft to navigate the solar system without relying on radio waves from Earth. The proposed system “will allow our descendants to accurately and autonomously navigate not only throughout the solar system, but beyond it as well,” explained Jason Mitchell, an engineer on the project at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “Maybe in the future, when we’re exploring space regularly, we won’t need to rely on a gigantic, Earth-based infrastructure.” 

Much like ancient nomads, the navigation system would rely on the predictable pattern of stars surrounding our planet. In particular, the system uses pulsars, or zombie stars, that blink at regular intervals. Radio waves can take a long time to travel from Earth to the astronauts in space and serve as a literal tether to our planet. By looking to alternate methods of navigation, like a system based on pulsars, we can explore deeper into space. IEEE Spectrum explains the project:

“A craft heading into space would carry a detector that, similarly to a GPS receiver, would accept X-rays from multiple pulsars and use them to resolve its location. These detectors – called XNAV receivers – would sense X-ray photons in the pulsars’ sweeping light. For each of four or more pulsars, the receiver would collect multiple X-ray photos and build a “light curve.” The peak in each light curve would be tagged with a precise time. The timing of these peaks with respect to one another would change as you traveled through the solar system, drawing nearer to the source of some and farther from others. From this pattern of peaks, the spacecraft could calculate its position.”

GPS Technology Inspires Interplanetary Navigation

Youth Camps Train Youngsters In GPS Technology

Some lucky youngsters in Colorado will get to attend a summer camp based on robotics and GPS technologies. The camp is called GEAR-Tech-21 and is offered by the Colorado State University Extension program. There are currently five day camp sites around the northeastern region of Colorado. So far, there is a camp in Sterling, Akron, Yuma, Brush and Holyoke. Local youth from ages 10 to 14 are encouraged to sign up at the low price of $35 per camper. 2013 will be the second year the Gear-Tech-21 Camp is available for tech-savvy youth.

The camp spans four days, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., all camp supplies and food are included. The GEAR-Tech-21 Camp will begin in Sterling, running from June 3 to June 6. The camp will be held June 10-13 at the Washington County Event Center in Akron, July 8-11 at Holyoke’s Phillips County Event Center and at the Morgan Country Event Center in Brush from July 22-25. The Yuma County Fair Grounds will host the GEAR-Tech-21 Level 2 Camp for anyone who participated in the 2012 Level 1 Camp from July 15-18.  

Like Space Camp or Band Camp, this is a summer camp program designed around a specific technology and/or skill set. Campers will get to learn all about the satellite technology behind everyday GPS tracking and GPS navigation devices. The youngsters will also be able to build and program the Lego NXT Robots, getting early hands-on experience in the computer science field. These camps will hopefully spark a life-long passion for GPS technology and robotics in the upcoming work force.

For more information about the GEAR-Tech-21 Camps and registration, contact one of the County Extension offices. The Logan County office can be reached at (970) 522-3200. The number for Morgan County’s office is (970)542-3540 and the Washington County office number is (970) 345-2287. The Phillips County office number is (970)854-3616 and the Yuma County office can be reached at (970) 332-4151.

Youth Camps Train Youngsters In GPS Technology