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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?"
It's really amazing how any of us, and humanity in general, ever lived past their 10th birthday without all the 'safety' gear that is available now.
Yes, but we don't breed swarms of kids like they used to. A couple of generations ago it wasn't too hard to find a family of fourteen to sixteen kids. These days, over three is getting to be a rarity. All the safety gear and procedures means we don't need to have vast numbers to make up for losses due to lawn dart and teeter totter accidents.
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
When I was in kindergarden, they went with the low-tech system. Every kid had a name tag that they had to wear all day. It had their name, grade, teacher, and bus number. Teachers aids were by the buses and would verify the bus number on the tag matched the bus. If they kid got on the wrong bus, they were turned away and walked to the right one.
How much does it cost for a 3x5 index card and a safety pin? A whole lot less than an electronic tracking system, and recurring cell bills for your kid.
Hrm, let's analyze that for a minute. High-tech solution embedded in a cell phone or similar device at $20 - $30/month vs. the $200-shrink bill you'll be getting every week for mutilating her social worth and standing by wearing a 3x5 index card until she's 18 years old...
I believe "unobtrusive" was one of the first requirements, rightfully and respectfully so. After all, your kids will be taking it about as well as you being tagged and tracked by your boss, so whatever "it" is for a solution should be rather stealth.
Cue jokes about liking women the same way you like your fish...
A bullet may have your name on it but splash damage is addressed "To whom it may concern."