New Electronics & Telecom Project Idea: GPS Tracking For Old People

Kaustubh Katdare

Kaustubh Katdare

@thebigk Oct 25, 2024
This idea might be very effective in Indian context where it's easier for old people to get lost or forget their way to home.

What I propose is, a small GPS module fitted into old man's stick. The module will keep on transmitting the location of the person to select mobile devices or show the position to other family members on map.

One variation of this could be, the module talking to the old man through earphones or a small speaker about the shortest way to home or destination.

Think about it. If you like it, I welcome your ideas to elaborate on this idea.

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  • medeepak

    medeepak

    @medeepak-zZfLKg Oct 4, 2010

    i was thinking about something similar for a Analog Devices competition
    i was thinking about making a wheel chair
    which has a GPS module attached to a mobile so we could the find the shortest way using google maps
    also in it are proximity sensors which find the nearby obstacles and avoids them
    but due to lack of help i could submit the abstract

    any way yours is a good idea
    start working on it ASAP

    Cheers
    deepak
  • sam_from_hell

    sam_from_hell

    @sam-from-hell-8gE2gC Oct 4, 2010

    Isn't it easier to just give the person a cellphone??
    Or to integrate a GPS transmitter into it?( I think this already exists :?: )
    But this idea would work great for pets!
    --Cheers
    Sam
  • Harshad Italiya

    Harshad Italiya

    @harshad-ukH5ww Oct 5, 2010

    Really nice idea Biggie, Interfacing GPS,Controller and Windows CE based system can work.
  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Kaustubh Katdare

    @thebigk Oct 5, 2010

    sam_from_hell
    Isn't it easier to just give the person a cellphone??
    Or to integrate a GPS transmitter into it?( I think this already exists :?: )
    But this idea would work great for pets!
    --Cheers
    Sam
    Well, yes it's easy. But old people find it VERY difficult to use the Cell Phones. We can't expect a lost old man to take out a cell phone, find out the right number and dial it. Instead, this system should be automatic. Say, if the old man goes out of defined radius, an alert is sent to all prefixed mobile devices.
  • sam_from_hell

    sam_from_hell

    @sam-from-hell-8gE2gC Oct 5, 2010

    <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankle_monitor" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Ankle Monitor</a> link shows that its already in use in developed countries (read USA). (Hope it helps)
    A great idea for a project!
    Cheers
    --Sam
  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Kaustubh Katdare

    @thebigk Oct 5, 2010

    I think whether to carry it or not is going to be personal question. I'd rather want a technical discussion on this than whether this is ethical or not.
  • shreyasm89

    shreyasm89

    @shreyasm89-jGobVm Oct 5, 2010

    @biggie- Are you game for using A-GPS(uses GSM n/w) than GPS? We will have to automate the phone to activate the A-GPS when it crosses a certain area. Also GPS won't work accurately under cloud cover that's i advocate A-GPS. In A-GPS it relays information to a LOCATION server which will pinpoint the position of the GPS receiver. Now this location server can be clubbed with the Customer Service base of the service provider, wherein call-centre executives can call up that person and inform him/her about the location & direct accordingly. This will ensure that the geographical information need not be relayed everytime to a remote location but can be stored at the server itself. I suggested this since we already have included spekers in our idea. We won't need a separate speaker but a normal cell-phone.
  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Kaustubh Katdare

    @thebigk Oct 5, 2010

    @shreyasm: I'm not a communications guy and have very limited knowledge of A-GPS (yes, I'm aware of what it is). I just have an idea - how to implement it in the best possible way needs to be fixed by all of us contributing to this thread here. I'm game for everything that might be useful.