GPS Tracking Device
Originally, the uses for a GPS tracking device were limited to the military and commercial sectors. In the military, artillery and troops in combat could be located by an attached GPS device whose coordinates could be sent back to a command post. Later on, the same technology was employed by the commercial trucking industry, where a GPS tracking device allowed a central dispatcher to keep track of the fleet, the drivers, and the loads that were being shipped. Eventually, as GPS technology became more consumer-oriented, electronics companies started to market tracking devices for everyday use.
The demand for GPS consumer tracking devices grew as retail buyers quickly figured out the different ways in which the tracking devices could be used. Nextel, one of the first major companies to pick up on the trend of tracking devices for individuals, started offering the Sprint Family Locator. While not actually a GPS tracking device, this is a service that works through the mobile web to track a family member’s mobile phone by street address and surroundings in real time. Other companies followed suit, and started developing actual GPS tracking devices for consumers. There are three types of tracking devices now available on the market: data loggers, data pushers, and data pullers.
Data loggers are used for an amazing amount of outdoor sports like hiking, jogging, backpacking, hang-gliding, white-water rafting, biking, sailing, and combined sports like triathlons. For example, a GPS data logger like the Garmin Forerunner 305 is a GPS tracker that is worn on the wrist of the jogger for the duration of a run during training. The position of the device is recorded at regular intervals during the run in its internal memory. Later on, a runner can download the tracker data into a computer and calculate the length, duration and elevation of the run, or they can overimpose their route onto a preloaded map with the help of Garmin software. This process helps athletes analyze their performance and improve their time to complete a course.
When it comes to an official competition, contetants may be required to wear the same type of data loggers as they conquer many kilometres of unsupervised terrain. The GPS trackers that are worn are used as proof that the competitors completed the course as specified. The data that is stored over many hours in the GPS trackers is downloaded after the competion is completed and analyzed to determine the winners. This technology is versatile in the fact that it can be applied to almost any outdoor sport for both training and competition.
Data pushers are similar to data loggers, except that they are used commercially to track trucks, stolen vehicles, animals, and security guards who patrol properties. The information recorded by the device is sent to a predetirmined server who can instantly look at the data and report any discrepencies immediately. This kind of technolgy is available from Nextel, and also from independent companies that specialize in security services and keeping track of valuables.
Data pullers are GPS trackers that continually transmit the location of a tracking device, which is usually attached to a car. It transmits information at regular intervals to the person who is monitoring the location of the car or other property. These devices are always switched to the “on” position and their location can be checked as often as needed by the monitor. This technology is not supposed to be in widespread use, but is often employed by private investigators who purchase them from independent distributors.
While GPS tracking devices take advantage of the same technology as GPS navigation systems, they are definitely used for different purposes. Navigation systems generally find a final destination, and tracking devices find what someone is looking for. Either way, the technology works for both commercial and individual purposes.
Posted in General GPS Information
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