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| Child Advocacy: | Posted on Thursday, May 28 @ 19:04:58 CEST 
Last month’s ‘appeal’ to identify technologies that could prevent child abduction has moved forward rapidly
In a letter published last month, prompted by the disappearance of
Madeleine McCann, design engineer Peter Fitzsimmons challenged Eureka
readers to come up with a device to track lost children. Several
readers have written with suggestions – two RFID-based ideas, one of
which is in production, are highlighted here.
At the same time, two competing satellite-based systems – one British, one French – have also been launched recently.
Maidstone-based Blue Tree Services launched its OurKids child tracking
system in the UK and Ireland earlier this year. The device comes in two
parts: children wear the Blueranger unit, supplied with a belt similar
to a money belt or with a pocket that can be attached to any item.
Parents track their child’s movements through BlueMap software either
on the internet or via a hand-held PDA. The latter shows its location
as well as that of the monitored units.
The portable units use GPS and the cell phone network to send
positioning information – accurate within 4m – to secure servers. These
then relay information, which shows the unit location within the UK or
Europe.
The company says: “Although it has been possible for people to carry
alarms for some time, these were either linked to a physical location
or allowed for only single location requests. With OurKids, continuous
tracking avoids the problems associated with not having a ‘position
fix’ at critical moments – there is always a ‘breadcrumb trail’.”
The units incorporate a movement sensor, which detects whether it is
being worn –and not left in backpack at a friend’s house – or if it has
suffered a shock such as a fall.
Parents can also set up boundaries through GPS mapping. The system
alerts them if the child moves beyond a predetermined area. Height can
also be set as a parameter – perhaps to ensure the child isn’t taking
part in a dangerous Quidditch match? Other features include an
emergency alarm, which lets children tell parents if they are in
trouble.
Managing director Mike Smuts said: “We have seen a huge demand for this
product from across all sectors of society. This is a robust and easy
to wear product. It’s good to know that parents can allow their
children a little more freedom and at the same time manage their
independence.”
French firm Car Telematics has a long waiting list for its Kiditel
device according to the BBC. It will be released in the UK soon, and
can be put in a pocket or bag. The GPS tracking device beams satellite
images of a child’s location to the home computer. It has an SOS
button, which sends an SMS and position coordinates to a predefined
mobile number if the child is in trouble. A parent can call the child
back to find out what the problem is.
Development director Franck Spinelli told the BBC that the Kiditel was popular with parents of young children.
Neither of these devices would prevent a kidnapping, and there would be
nothing to stop the abductor disposing of the device once found on the
child. However, both systems could give police vital information on the
child’s whereabouts before he or she went missing.
Reader Paul Clarke proposed an RFID solution, which could overcome
these difficulties. Citing the current level of integration of CCTV
systems, he says: “If there was a similar initiative to link the RFID
systems used by shops to catch shoplifters, it would be possible to
search for an RFID tag that could be surgically implanted under a
child’s skin or inserted into the fabric of their clothing.
“Potentially this could be an international initiative that would mean
that if an abductor attempted to take a chipped child into a store that
subscribed to the service, store detectives would be notified and by
cross-referencing with CCTV footage one could determine the identity of
the individual [abducting a child].”
Surgically implanting an RFID chip under a child’s skin seems a little
Orwellian, though putting it into the fabric of clothes seems more
acceptable. Are parents likely to go to such extremes to ensure kids
are safe, or is it a step too far?
However, as reader Roger Bamford pointed out, one US firm has already
designed a human-implantable RFID chip. VeriChip has developed a
passive RFID microchip, inserted under the skin by injection, which
contains a unique 16-digit identifier. The number on the chip – which
can be read with a proprietary scanner – could be used to access
medical records, or determine whether someone has the authority to
enter a secure area, the company says.
Verichip has also designed wearable active RFID chips, designed for use
within care homes or hospital wards. The chips sound an alarm if
patients – for instance, those with Alzheimer’s – leave a designated
area. It can even lock an exit as a patient approaches it. The chips
can also be used to prevent the abduction of newborns by raising the
alarm if the baby is removed from the ward.
www.verichipcorp.com/
www.bluetreeservices.co.uk
www.kiditel.com/en/ |
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