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Biography of Leona Seufert

Ready, Set, Go - Find It!

In our previous article "Global Positioning Systems -Locating that Needle in a Haystack - Part 1" we showed you how GPS technology has impacted our society. These devices help keep you from getting lost and track goods and services across wide geographic locations. GPS technology also has some recreational applications such as Geocaching (a game where you locate stowed away items through the use of GPS coordinates), assistance in water recreation, and some other areas of our lives you would never have considered. There is also an up and coming sister technology called Wireless Radio Frequency. Cheaper and smaller, based on non-satellite technology and using radio waves, it's applications have spread rapidly.

Let us first take a look at how GPS has enhanced the "fun" in our lives.

Geocaching

Geocaching is a high-tech version of hide-and-seek. It started in 2000 when a box was hidden by someone in Oregon and the coordinates were posted online. Within a week the box, or cache as it's known, had been visited several times. Using a GPS unit, geocachers trek out into the backwoods or urban jungles to find the hiding spot of the cache. Once discovered, they follow a simple set of rules: Fill out the logbook, take something out, put something back in, and return the cache to the exact position and condition in which it was found. It can be as simple as walking to an open area at a local park or as difficult as searching multiple locations to find the final prize. Some caches have even been planted on mountainsides or underwater! It's growing and evolving as a new gaming activity every day. Currently there are more than 60,000 caches in 177 countries with 140,000 registered geocachers.

Water recreation: Boating, fishing and scuba diving

Early mariners pioneered navigation technology, charting the stars to safely sail between continents in search of discovery and adventure. Today, marine adventurers of every kind look to the constellation of GPS satellites to know precisely where they are and where they're going with a superior level of accuracy that has never been experienced by previous generations. Accurate navigation is vital when traveling on open waters and a GPS receiver offers the reliability required to make boating and sailing safe, easy and enjoyable.

Using GPS coordinates makes it easy to quickly and safely navigate to the nearest dock or port, while avoiding known hazards along the course. It also allows you to easily communicate your precise position to the Coast Guard in time of trouble or if you come across a boat in distress.

GPS technology helps make fishing expeditions more rewarding by recording favorite spots for a future return to the precise location. More accurate than "line of sight" or any other navigation method, with GPS you always know where you are and where you're going to within a few meters.

Knowing your precise position when Scuba Diving can be vital, particularly in deep waters. A GPS receiver has become an indispensable navigation and positioning companion on scuba diving adventures. GPS is also being used to locate and explore shipwrecks. Enter the coordinates to the shipwreck the GPS receiver will guide you there. View your coordinates throughout the adventure and easily navigate back home at the end of the day. For safety, if something unexpected should happen, GPS allows you communicate your exact position to Coast Guard and rescue teams.

Finding a job

No, the GPS unit won't help you find a job, but read the story of the job hunter who would have lost out on an opportunity had he missed his interview!

In his own words, how GPS got him to his job interview and saved the day:

http://www.garmin.com/whatsNew/adventures/story9.html

Radio frequency locator

Wireless radio frequency locator technology (RF) for tracking has been around for quite some time. It uses a transmitter and a receiver and has a limited range. Originally the devices were large, the size of a small cigarette lighter. They were primarily used for the tracking and study of endangered species. The electronic transmitter was glued to the animal with environmentally friendly adhesive ( some were put on with collars or attached to tags). Over time the battery deteriorated. The glue would loosen, the collar would come off, and the transmissions would cease. With the advance in miniaturization, these devices are now as small as a tiny microchip. Their battery and signal can last for years. Some transmit to a base station, some upload to a satellite, others need a hand held scanner. Here are a few of the novel uses for this technology.

Where is the remote?

Sharper Image Design's universal pager system, "Now You Can Find It!"® uses RF technology to help find everyday objects. It contains four beeper discs to attach to keys, glasses and other elusive objects. The thin receiver discs are less than 2" across; each runs on a lithium coin-cell battery. When a button is pressed on the portable base the corresponding disc beeps loudly. Each disc attaches with a key ring or double-sided adhesive pad. Effective range is 30 feet. The setup includes a magnetic mounting bracket for the base. If you leave the base off the bracket for more than 6 minutes, it will start beeping! No more wondering which couch cushion has smothered the remote!

Locating errant shopping carts

Another use for RF technology is keeping track of shopping carts. Statistics reveal that every 90 seconds a shopping cart is stolen somewhere in the United States. Costing $75 to $100 a piece, along with insurance and retrieval costs can represent, over time, big losses for supermarkets.  Carttronics, a San Diego - based company has developed The Cart Anti-theft Protection system (CAPS). Custom electronic wheels incorporate a digital receiver and replaces one of the cart's standard wheels with a braking device. There is also a radio frequency transmitter and an antenna buried around the perimeter of the property. The transmitter generates a signal along the antenna line. When a cart rolls too near the line, the caster's receiver intercepts the signal and a brake is released that stops the cart.

Track your pets

Lost pets can be a source of great heartache. Especially cats who don't wear collars, finding a pet who has strayed is not an easy job. RF technology has come to the rescue in the form of a microchip and database technologies. A small chip is implanted under the pet's skin. Within that chip is a small radio transmitter and data about the pet and its owner. A hand held scanner wand can read the chip's transmissions and compare the information in a database. A large number of animal shelters and veterinarians have this equipment on hand.  

                                 (c) 2003 Leona M Seufert

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Bad Hair Day? Let Technology Make it Better!