'Pacemaker'-like GPS Device for Humans

LunarFox writes "Applied Digital Solutions has announced successful field trials of a prototype GPS device that can be implanted into humans. The device, which is internally rechargable, can wirelessly transmit location, movements and vital signs via the Internet, storing the info in a database. It's said to be the size of a pacemaker, but they intend to miniaturize it to one-tenth that size. You may recall this company as having designed the 'Digital Angel,' and 'Verichip,' a ricegrain-sized RFID chip like injectable pet tracking ID chips. This same company apparently made several denials in 2002 that their product(s) would be anything but externally worn. (like a wristwatch) Many other related links can be found at WorldNetDaily." On one hand the potential cool uses astound me, while the possibilty of abuse frightens me. A lot.

Comments

You've got to wonder...

[gusnz]

...how the company sees this in terms of immediate practical applications.

I could understand if this was one of those long-sighted DARPA projects that hails from an unlimited budget and a mandate to invent, but a company like this has shareholders to whom they must justify their actions. So what's the immediate market for this device? Even with the "War On Terrah" progressing at a rapid pace, I can't see implanted GPS's being compulsory anytime soon.

So who's got ideas for the potential use/market for these devices? Paranoid parents wanting to know their children's location at all times? A replacement for medic-alert type bracelets or similar? I somehow can't see this returning on its initial investment in terms of sales, given the risks associated with anaesthetics/implantation in non-subcutaneous tissues weighed against such a trivial funcionality gain.

Mapping

[GreggyBUIUC]

Of course, obvious privacy comments aside, this would be interesting in coordination with this old slashdot article which called for real time map generation by having volunteers wear GPS devices. A system like this would be allow planners to construct reliable road and interstate systems based on actual volume of traffic instead of estimates.

This approach is being used ...

[zonix]

Just have 3 base stations sent pings to your phone, triangulate position, and big brother will be there shortly.

This approach is actually being used by some telephone companies here in Denmark. They can track you, and when you're at home they'll give you a low minute rate.

z

Uh... High-Risk Countries???

[samdu]

From the site

the Company announced that it was accelerating development of PLD in response to demand from high-risk countries and other potential customers.

What the hell is a "high-risk" country and why would they want such device?

Re:BigBrother

[glesga_kiss]

Where have you been for the last five years? Do you work in an office with key-less ID cards for access anywhere?

If you do, you already have this sort of thing. Sure, you need to hold the card 6 inches from the panel for it to open the door, however it can register the presence of a card over a much longer distance. So, that ID badge you already carry could be doing just this sort of thing. It all depends on how the system was configured.

But, this isn't all that new anyway. Mobile phones have been able to do similar things for quite some time. Take this high profile rape case in the UK, where a couple were cleared of criminal charges using mobile phone location evidence.

Hell, while we are talking about the complete loss of privacy in todays society, I might as well throw in this link to an official European Union report into the routine monitoring of the internet and telephone networks by Echelon.

This new thing isn't anything to fear. You should be scared already.

Re:kidnapping of the future:

[will_die]

Kidnapping of the future as the same problems of current kidnapping, and why kidnapping in the US is basicly a dead crime. How do you collect the money and get away.
Where it could be really usful is with carjacking, since they are so small could contain thier own power, you can stick large amounts of them in a vehicle.

There Is at least one already...

[danro]

You can view this really cool hack here.

This guy has his GPS cellphone periodically sending a single UDP package with his coordinates to his server, that builds a http-GET you can click to locate him on MapQuest.
Pretty neat.