This an extract taken from an enquiry I received via the UK Telematics Online website and my subsequent response.
Question: Hi. I was wondering if you could offer any advice regarding a project I am working on at University. I am aiming to be able to use an accelerometer or impact sensor to trigger a signal being sent to a website or phone. I got a lot of useful tips from your website, and was wondering if you could help further. Could you tell me the most effective GPS for rural areas? Also, what hardware would be required to create a two way channel between a GPS device and a computer?
Question: Hi. I was wondering if you could offer any advice regarding a project I am working on at University. I am aiming to be able to use an accelerometer or impact sensor to trigger a signal being sent to a website or phone. I got a lot of useful tips from your website, and was wondering if you could help further. Could you tell me the most effective GPS for rural areas? Also, what hardware would be required to create a two way channel between a GPS device and a computer?
Answer: There are several commercially available GPS Telematics devices which, in addition to having a GPS/GPRS capability, also include an accelerometer. Some of these devices contain an accelerometer which returns data for an x and y axis and others for an x, y and z axis.
In reply to your question regarding GPS and rural areas, as I understand the matter, GPS is often not the key determining factor when measuring the effectiveness of a GPS Telematics Device. Typically it is the ability of the device to communicate in areas of poor GSM/GPRS that is the key factor. Although GPS effectiveness can be reduced when line of sight is restricted; this occurs in “Urban Canyons” as well as mountainous rural areas. Advances in GPS technology have lead to GPS devices even being able to maintain a GPS signal while indoors, all be it at much reduced accuracy.
Many units are designed to store data packets in memory, if the device falls out of communications coverage. The device will then send these packets when the signal coverage returns. In mission critical applications, where the need to maintain communications is paramount, Satellite Communications modules can be used instead of a GSM/GPRS module.
If anyone has any comments or additional helpful information, please free to submit a post.
Regular topic and content updates are available here or shown now in full over at What are Vehicle Telematics and Vehicle Tracking? on the UK Telematics Online website
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