Legoland Introduces Wi-Fi Tracking for Kids

mindless4210 writes "Lego announced today the successful deployment of a full-scale child-tracking system within Legoland Billund in Europe. The tracking system, deployed by Bluesoft, Inc and KidSpotter, allows park visitors keep track of their children using one of the world's largest Wi-Fi tracking networks. The children must wear a wrist band with a Wi-Fi tag on it, and if they become separated, parents simply send a text message from their mobile phone, and receive an automated response giving them the accurate location of their child."

Comments

Privacy Concerns

[frazzydee]

The AeroScout Location System can locate the tags which I believe is in use with Lego's Kidspotter Wi-Fi tracking watch. The tag itself seems to be very small. Privacy concerns, anybody?

Re:Privacy Concerns

[frazzydee]

OK, you're right :). Until all cities have one wifi connection covering it, not much of a privacy concern- but just to clear up something:
it doesn't only work at legoland. this page says that "Bluesoft's Aeroscout(TM) wireless LAN location system is a novel technology platform that location-enables a standard Wi-Fi wireless network". So even if you have the tag and the location system, it would only work within a Wi-Fi connection (and that's ANY wi-fi area, NOT just legoland's)

They are late

[Snaller]

Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen has already installed that a month ago, and before them another park in Jutland - so they are a bit late :)

Re:Peace of mind

[M. Silver]

If you're scared that he might be kidnapped, just teach him to cry in the loudest way possible, it's very easy.

You've never been the parent of a toddler, huh?

I've never put mine on a leash, but I can think of some situations in which it would have been the best, safest thing to do. Some times and places you get tired of carrying him, but it's too crowded to put him down (trust me, a two- or three-year-old can move through a dense crowd a *lot* faster than a grownup can), and he's not tall enough to make holding hands workable unless you enjoy walking like Quasimodo, and strollers are just intolerably rude in a crowd. A leash, held short enough not to tangle up with other people, is sometimes the most practical option there is.

That said, I don't get the people who put 6-year-olds on leashes. *That* just looks wrong. A toddler doesn't have the impulse control to keep from running off after things and forgetting your instructions, but an older kid really ought to be able to.