By Martin E. Klimek for USA TODAY
Money
Posted 12/3/2002 9:22 PMUpdated 12/4/2002 1:47 AM
Parents, athletes put GPS to work
By Donna Rosato, Special for USA TODAY
GPS is no longer just for hikers, pilots and drivers. Consumer devices using global positioning navigation technology are rapidly being developed for multiple purposes, such as finding lost children and measuring speed and distance in sports such as skiing, surfing and golf.
A child is fitted with a GPS bracelet as his sister looks on.
By Martin E. Klimek for USA TODAY
GPS, made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense, was originally intended for military use. In the 1980s, the government opened the system to civilians.
Athletes grab on
GPS can be used by anyone who tracks their location and the direction they're moving. GPS is often used by automobile drivers, pilots, surveyors, boaters and hikers. But with smaller chips, batteries and other electronic components — and a steady drop in component prices — GPS is finding a slew of new commercial uses.
Suunto, a Finnish company whose name means "direction," last month began selling in the USA a wristwatch-like personal golf computer with GPS. The G9, about $750, allows golfers to measure distance from tee to hole and the length of each shot. It advises on the best club based on a golfer's history, average length of shots and distance to the green.It also displays course information, such as hazards, and automatically records scores. All the data can be downloaded to a PC for analysis.
GolfLogix and ParView make GPS devices for golf carts. The GolfLogix device, about the size of a cell phone, can be mounted on the cart or clipped on the golfer's belt. The "xCaddie" displays the distance to the green's center.At the end of the game, the information is downloaded into a computer at the pro shop, and golfers get a three-page printout detailing each shot.
About 25 U.S. golf courses have the GolfLogix system. They charge a fee for the system or add the cost onto greens fees.
The ParView system, meanwhile, is permanently mounted in a golf cart — a 10.4-inch video screen that sits where a rearview mirror would be. ParView displays a hole and green overview, exact distancing and electronic score-keeping. It also allows golfers to put in food and drink orders, get pro tips and do two-way text communication. If threatening weather is coming, golfers will be alerted by a text message. The ParView system has been adopted by about 160 courses, which lease the system for a monthly fee.
"Purists say they'd rather mark off the distance themselves, but this is so much faster, it really speeds up play," says Mark Van Patten, general manager of the Daily News, a newspaper in Bowling Green, Ky.
Garmin, one of the biggest manufacturers of GPS devices for consumers, teamed up with Timex to develop an Ironman sports watch that incorporates GPS. The Timex Speed and Distance Monitor uses GPS to calculate how fast the wearer is going and the distance covered. The device, which costs $225, consists of a watch and a 5-ounce GPS receiver worn on the arm or a belt.GPS satellites have atomic clocks built in, so time is extremely accurate. Unlike other tools such as pedometers that track speed and distance, no calibration or input is needed. "It's a great tool for athletes like downhill skiers and surfers who have never been able to gauge their exact distance and speed," says Jim Katz, a spokesman for Timex, which launched the watch in May.
Garmin also recently began selling the Rhino Radio, $169, which combines GPS and a two-way radio. It allows users to communicate and send their positions so they can see where they are in relation to each other.Safety first
Other companies are using GPS to target safety and security.
Several companies are marketing GPS "personal locator" devices.
Wherify just started shipping its GPS Personal Locator for children. It sells for $399.99, plus a monthly service charge of $25 to $49.
Like a bracelet, the device combines GPS and digital wireless technologies to pinpoint a wearer's position within a few feet, Wherify says. Parents can view satellite or street maps on Wherify's Web site or call an 800 number, day or night, to obtain their kids' location and movements. By using cellular technology, plus GPS, the device can work inside buildings and underground locations that GPS can't penetrate.
If the wearer is abducted or lost, he or she can contact 911 by pressing a panic button on the bracelet. The locator, marketed for children ages 4 to 11, has a built-in numeric pager and is made of water- and cut-resistant material. Parents lock the bracelet onto their children's wrists and can unlock it by key or remotely.
Cutting or forcibly removing the band would activate an alarm for the company's emergency operators.
Earlier this year, Applied Digital Solutions began selling Digital Angel, a combination watch and clip-on tracking device that also uses GPS. The Digital Angel costs $400, with a monthly fee of $30. The owner of the unit can go on the Net to view a map showing the wearer's location, and the watch also can be programmed to alert someone when the wearer has wandered outside of designated boundaries.
The alerts can be automatically sent to any number of devices, including cell phones and pagers.
The University of Washington, meanwhile, is developing a handheld computer that incorporates GPS to assist early-stage Alzheimer's patients. The current prototype memorizes an Alzheimer's patient's daily routine and offers directions when they become lost or confused. The device won't be available for at least five years.
"The applications are limitless," says Tim Neher, founder and president of Wherify. He says he was inspired to build the personal locator after temporarily losing his niece and nephew at a zoo five years ago. The next model, due in January, will be a personal locator for elderly people.
"Our goal is to get as many of these products into consumer hands as possible, whether it's on your wrist when you're jogging, for your child or your pet," he says.