Let’s take a look at some of the some new developments in the telematics space. Telematics is the use of telecommunication in conjunction with informatics, which helps in the passing of information from one computer to another via a telephone line or other electronic link.
Telematics forms the basis of a new patent-pending software application called Guardian Angel, launched by Expedite Media Group, Inc., a technology development and marketing company. What does Guardian Angel do? The company says that it lets parents remotely monitor their loved one’s location and direction of travel via a secure website. The new product line consists of a cellphone embedded with the Guardian Angel software that communicates every seven seconds with GPS satellites and transmits the data securely over the cellular lines to a website where parents or legal guardians can view locations, direction and speed of travel.
The Guardian Angel cellphone is equipped with the GPS technology. "Because teenagers prize their cellphones as one of their most precious items, parents are happy to provide them a cellphone with the extra benefits of being able to remotely track their teen’s location and even their driving speed without the constant ‘check in’ calls," Mr Mike Dirmeikis, president of Expedite Media Group, was quoted as saying by Telematics journal. "With Guardian Angel technology’s cellphones, both parents and teenagers have the best of both worlds," he says. I have an idea not many teenagers will agree with that assumption.
While on telematics, MeteorComm Wireless Communications has developed a software defined radio (SDR) communications platform designed for multiple uses such as land, rail and marine vehicle tracking, emergency services and remote data acquisition.
The SDR product can establish connections from low-band VHF legacy frequencies through UHF and up to the latest 2.4 GHz (WiFi) standards to maintain uninterrupted data communications from 9,600 bps (bits per second), to 54 Mbps, the company says. Functioning as a multi-band, multi-port wireless router, it acts as a bridge between older low frequency and newer high frequency fixed or mobile communications networks, providing maximum interoperability. "A single SDR can function as a remote, a base station or a repeater, which provides a self-organising mesh network topology, ideal for extended line of sight fixed and mobile networks in rural or marine settings," MCC says. The gadget also offers voice communications on high-band VHF, eliminating the need for separate voice and data radios.