Newindpress

Bangalore, Jul 8: Here is something for parents who want to keep an eye out for their children: a device that enables parents to track their child’s movement.

Students from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed an innovative ‘GPS based child tracking’ device, which records a child’s positions and movements.

Explaining how their device works, Shanavas A H and Gaurav S Kasbekar, students of the Centre of Electronics, Design and Technology (CEDT) said that a child would carry a Global Positioning System (GPS) based mobile device, which is similar to a mobile phone.

This information is transferred over a cellular-system General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) link to a server. Parents can access the server to see a child’s current position on a map from any part of the world, they said.

The child cannot misuse the devise as the parent can disable it. “If a parent does not want his child to enter a particular zone, he can mark the area as an ‘alert area’ on the map. If the child enters that area, the device emits warning beeps,” explained Gaurav.

Similarly, if the child faces trouble, a GPRS message can be sent to a preset number warning the parents. The message is programmed and the child has to merely push a button to send the message.

Shanavas said that the device can be tied to the wrist, belt or carried in the bag. “This is for children who go to school so that their parents can track them. Since network security has become important now, we devised this equipment,” he added.

Wipro Technologies (Aerospace, Defence and Satellite Navigation Group) have sponsored and assisted the duo in designing the equipment. Though the device cost the IISc students Rs 25,000 to make, they say that when manufactured by a company it would become more cost-effective. The duo had designed the ‘Child Tracking Device’ as part of their one year project for the CEDT department.

A representative from Wipro Technologies said that the company was interested in taking this project further and introduce it in the market. The team has tested it on 300 parents and 5,000 children can be tracked simultaneously with the device.