MalaysiaGIS.com

Source: New Straits Times

"The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a constellation of 24 satellites called the NAVSTAR system, which the US military placed in orbit around the planet," explains Richard Dorall, a Universiti Malaya associate professor with the geography department. Russia has a similiar system while other countries are also intending to set up their own.

"The satellites broadcast signals which, when received by a GPS device, can display an individual's position on the earth's surface as measured in latitude and longitude," he said.

A GPS-receiving device will need to receive signals from at least three NAVSTAR satellites to give a reading that's accurate to less than 10 metres. You would need ideal conditions however, such as good weather.

Dorall said such a system could be easily put into place in Malaysia to keep track of children and individuals. There are already fleet tracking and navigation GPS-based systems in place in the country for the transportation industry, emergency services, military and police, not to mention any number of GPS-mapping companies, all of which use GPS-location technologies on a daily basis.

Further, local universities teach GPS technologies and applications to students, and therefore there is no shortage of knowledge and expertise in this field.

Dorall said the GPS service is free and the only cost to the parent is the GPS device. These are now selling for less than RM1,000, depending on the brand and on the features provided.

Hand-held GPS units smaller than a mobile phone can be purchased separately, as a wrist-watch or incorporated into mobile phones.

However, he added that the problem with GPS is that while the person who is using the device might know his location, the trick was getting other people to know where he or she was.

Thus, although the GPS service is free for individuals to use, transmitting their position to others who can then track them down on a map would involve a cost.

"The cost of transmitting their position as computed by the GPS can involve sending their position as an SMS message to a 'base station'. It could also be in the form of another signal using handphone technologies. There is a cost involved here," he said.

Likewise, Dorall said that the base station operator would probably charge a service fee for keeping track of the individual.

"His charge will have to cover the cost of developing a computer-based mapping system to convert the individual's GPS signal to a position on the computer-based map so that others will know where that person is," he said.

Dorall said that when considering GPS-location technologies as a personal security device for individuals and children, there are cheap and effective ways of providing this service.

He said a Knowledge Augmenting Information Technologies (KAIT) Research Group at Universiti Malaya was now working with the assistance of Syarikat E.J. Motiwalla on a community-based project.

The project involves the use of cheap hand-held GPS and computer-based maps for adults and children who feel they need extra assistance and protection when they are lost or in danger.

Child safety experts however are split over whether GPS was a practical way for parents to keep an eye on their children, citing the cost involved and the system's inherent shortcomings.