Personal Safety
Perhaps one of the best-known consumer applications of GPS technology is the OnStar system developed by General Motors and available in cars from a number of manufacturers. This system uses a combination of GPS and vehicle telemetry data to detect for possible emergency situations as well as a host of other services like vehicle diagnostics, remote door unlock and stolen vehicle assistance. Core to this system is the integration with the vehicle systems to provide the telemetry data. While this level of vehicle systems integration is something smartphones are unlikely to achieve, that does not leave them completely out of the picture. GM will soon be deploying OnStar systems that will allow you to perform a range of operations from your smartphone including checking the vehicle maintenance information and, in the case of the Chevy Volt electric car, checking the charge status of the car.
Also in this broad category of personal safety are a wide variety of applications that can best be described as “where’s my teenager/spouse/BFF?” Some of the free applications like Google Latitude help you find and connect with friends and family with whom you’ve agreed to share your location information, while others like Loopt build in more social networking functions including providing information on events or other people that meet your profile of interests and preferences.
Most of the major wireless carriers provide some version of a family locator service for a fee. AT&T launched their FamilyMap service last year and both Verizon and Sprint sell their version of a Family Locator service. The carrier-based services are heavily marketed for personal and family safety and build in features such as the ability to set up schedules and have automatic location check-ins so you know if your child has returned home from school on time.
Going one step further on the digital nanny spectrum are services like AccuTracking that will not only tell you where your child is at the moment, but also tell you how fast they’re driving, which direction they are heading, and a 30-day location history. This type of digital nanny is limited only by which input sensors the device manufacturers will allow to be controlled remotely. Most current model smartphones include not only GPS, but also one or two cameras that can record still and video, as well as microphones, gyroscopes, and accelerometers. The extent to which any of these sensors could be activated and monitored remotely and then combined with GPS-enabled geolocation could paint a grim reality for adventurous teenagers, but it could also be a lifesaver for those with health issues when combined with the growing field of medical telemetry products and services.
Finally, on a slightly lighter note, we also find some GPS applications that combine augmented reality with friend finder services. The Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, WA, has an application that works both on the iPhone and Android platforms that provides information on zoo exhibits, “Near Me” recommendations and a “Friend Finder” to locate where other people in your party are on the campus.
