Tracking

Documenting the location and number of rare animals isn’t an easy task - by definition there just aren’t that many of them around. That’s why researchers at Auburn University, Alabama, have turned to man’s best friend to lend a helping hand – or more accurately, a helping nose. The school’s EcoDogs project trains detection dogs to find endangered animal species, or rather their sign (read excrement), in the field to aid researchers in their goals of ecological research, management, and conservation. Read More

The Gesture Cube concept is the first example to demonstrate the possibilities offered by a new touch-free sensing technology developed by Ident Technology AG. The design proposes using the company's GestIC 3D spatial hand movement tracking innovation to allow users to browse photos, play music, read messages, check the weather and so on - all with the wave of a hand or the flick of a wrist. Read More

Whether you’re tracking a moose, trying to locate a sinking ship, or conducting a little spying, you’re going to be using a field strength logger. One of the slickest units currently available is the WiNRADiO PFSL-G3 Portable Field Strength Logging and Surveillance System. Whereas such systems used to consist of several pieces of equipment, the PFSL-G3 is all contained in one portable, compact, rugged unit. It also now comes with an optional TETRA control protocol decoder, allowing users to prioritize signal traffic by importance. Read More

The gestural interface used by Tom Cruise in the movie Minority Report was based on work by MIT Media Lab’s Hiroshi Ishii, who has already commercialized similar large-scale gestural interface systems. However, such systems comprise many expensive cameras or require the user to wear tracking devices on their fingers. To develop a similar yet cost effective gestural interface system that is within reach of many more people other researchers at MIT have instead been working to develop screens with embedded optical sensors to track the movement of the user’s fingers that could quickly make touch screens seem outdated. Read More

Scientists at the University of Tokyo have found a curious way to translate drawings and three-dimensional shapes into music. The prototype laser-based musical instrument known as scoreLight uses 3D tracking technology to generate real-time sounds based on the shapes and colors it encounters along the way, transforming doodling into a truly synthesized experience. Read More

Cambridge University PhD student Qi Pan has designed software that creates textured 3D models in slightly more than a minute using a stationary camera, such as a webcam. Conventional off-line model reconstruction relies on a number of phases - there’s an image collection phase that can be quite quick, followed by a very slow reconstruction phase, which requires a long time to verify a model obtained from an image sequence is acceptable. This new software creates a 3D model on-line as the input sequence is being collected. As the user rotates the object in front of a camera, a partial model is reconstructed and displayed to the user. Read More

If you need to keep track of customers, workers or even your kids, but don't fancy the idea of implanting a chip, then the familiar form offered by Ekahau's T301W may be of interest. The unobtrusive watch-like wristband tag enables real-time location monitoring over a Wi-Fi network. It's accurate to within a few feet, allows for simple two-way communication and, being waterproof, can be safely disinfected for re-use. Read More

University of Utah engineers have developed a system that uses a wireless network of radio transmitters to track people moving behind solid walls. They say the system could help police, firefighters and other emergency services capture intruders, and rescue hostages, fire victims or elderly people who fall in their homes by letting them know where to focus their attentions. The engineers’ system uses radio tomographic imaging (RTI) to “see”, locate and track people or objects in an area surrounded by inexpensive radio transceivers that send and receive signals. Read More

If you’ve ever owned a recalcitrant retriever, a cat-crazy collie or an overly playful poodle, you’ll know the anxiety of watching them run out of view in search of new adventures, oblivious to your shouts of anguish (and anger). A GPS-enabled collar could be handy for tracking down wayward canines and keep them out of harm’s way … or the clutches of dog-nappers or an over-zealous ranger lurking in the neighborhood. The RoamEO is the latest GPS device for owners who worry about their dogs’ disappearing acts or who are sick of spending valuable time searching for that ‘duck-hunter’ who’s too dog-tired to return with the catch. Read More