Slashdot Mirror
Making a Child Locating System
celtic_hackr writes "Well, I never thought I'd be an advocate for placing GPS devices on people. However, since it took less than three days for my local school district to misplace my daughter, I have decided that something needs to be done. By the school district's own admission it has a recurring problem of placing children on the wrong buses. Fortunately, my daughter was located, with no thanks to the local school district. Therefore, I would like input on a way to be able to keep track of my child. I know there are personal tracking devices out there. I have nothing against these systems. But I want more than this. My specification are: 1) a small unobtrusive device I can place on my daughter, 2) an application to pull up on any computer, a map with a dot indicating the real-time position of my child, 3) a handheld device with the equivalent information, 4) [optional] a secure web application/plug-in I can install on my own domain allowing me to track her from anyplace in the world, 5) a means of turning it all off, 6) a Linux based solution of the above. I believe all the pieces for making such a system are out there. Has anyone built anything like this? Is there an open source solution? How would I go about building my own? Has anyone hacked any of these personal trackers before, to serve their own purposes? How does a tinfoil hat wearer engineer such a device to make sure Big-Brother isn't watching too? Can these devices be locked down so only certain devices can pick up the GPS location of an individual locator? What other recommendations do you have?"
http://www.zoombak.com/
-- Chris Martin, System Administrator
Was this supposed to be some sort of abstract attempt at humor? Your GPS device does not send data back to the satellites. It's just a passive receiver. It doesn't matter one bit how many other people have GPSes. Might as well claim you're getting poor FM radio reception due to too many people listening to their stereos.
You would have had a point if you talked about your MOBILE not getting a signal or something due to devices that use that network had you said that.
Moderators: Before moderating a comment Insightful/Informative, check to see if a child post has already refuted it.
Except in the McCann's case the parents willfully left their children all alone in an unlocked apartment room so they could go out with their friends. Their child was kidnapped out of their own bad parenting and selfishness. That's hardly an analogous situation to the one described in the summary.
Get her a Firefly or similar device. You can add it to your phone plan or get it prepaid.
Even very young children can use these. Several of the first graders I used to work with had them, and were perfectly comfortable using them.
http://www.fireflymobile.com/
Recently in Austin, Texas, a man in a white van stopped abruptly on the side of a busy street 500 ft from where a school was letting out. He attempted to grab a 10 year old boy and throw him in the van. Luckily, the boy escaped and was able to run another 200 feet to a group of other children accompanied by an adult who called the cops. This was in broad daylight with other adults present (and no one managed to get a license plate number). If this man had gotten a better grip on the boy's back pack, he would have successfully kidnapped that boy. What police officer or safe adult can the child contact now? This is the worst case scenario and it happens more than people without children realize.
The bus mix up was a simple miscommunication and an opportunity to learn, but that doesn't mean that worse can't happen. On the flip side, as a parent, you really don't want to completely shatter your child's innocence and put them in a constant state of fear. In my mind, an unobtrusive tracking device for young children who live in a large, impersonal urban environment isn't overreacting, it's responsible parenting. "Extremely stressful and fear-inducing" is an understatement when it comes to losing your child.
http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/child-locator.html
http://www.zoombak.com/products/universal/
http://www.amberalertgps.com/
I am not sure whether tracking your child is a good idea or not.
I don't tell other people how to raise their children.
If you wish to buy a tracker in a phone, here is some information.
Good Housekeeping expressed opinions
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-testing/reviews-tests/appliances-electronics/kid-cell-phones-0306
loc8u ofers a GPS Watch
http://www.switched.com/2009/01/07/lok8u-launches-gps-child-locator-watch-at-ces/
Wherify has one
http://www.theinternetpatrol.com/wherify-wherifone-cell-phone-with-gps-locator-lets-you-gps-track-your-kids/
AT&T has one
http://www.gpsbusinessnews.com/AT-T-launches-child-locator-service_a1470.html
Here is a discussion of short and long range child locators
http://www.gpsfortoday.com/child-locators/
Amber Alert has one
http://www.gpschildtracker.net/child-gps-devices-systems-tracking-phone-chip-child-location
However, if you don't want to use a phone
and build more of it yourself,
here are some websites that may be useful:
http://www.tradekey.com/selloffer_view/id/2924121.htm
http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/gps-tracking-server.html
http://forums.coolest-gadgets.com/showthread.php?t=4079
http://www.ecplaza.net/search/0s1nf20sell/gps_tracker_%20gps_tracking_gps.html
http://5thirtyone.com/archives/876/comment-page-1