A Bangalore firm, Advanced Micronic Devices Ltd, with financial assistance from the Department of Electronics (DoE) has indigenously developed a satellite-based vehicle tracking and monitoring system, which will be immensely useful to the police department, defence services, hospitals, banks and other organisations with spread-out networks.

Called the Dynamic Platform Tracking and Information System (DPTIS), the gadget, which weighs no more than 500 grams, is mounted on top of a vehicle that can receive and send coded information with the help of various Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) orbiting the earth.

The GPS transmits the required information to computer based satellite receivers. The data is then de-coded and analysed with the help of Geographical Information System (GIS) software.

Developed with 50 per cent funding from the DoE, the system has come asa boon for a number of strategic organisations. An important utility of the device is that it can be fitted on any moving object on land, sea or air and can send signals wherever required. The device can easily be attached to the roof of the vehicle to send signals to the orbiting satellites. The control station can assess the vehicle's position after punching its code number. Depending on the required wavelength and power, the device can cost anything between Rs 30,000 and Rs 5 lakh.

At the control station, the GIS system calculates the latitudinal and longitudinal position of the vehicle and, with the help of a plotter's map, identifies its exact location.

The system can be operational even at night as it is equipped with an infra-red sensor to track positions. Messages can be exchanged between the mobile unit through alpha numeric consoles. Emergency messages from vehicles generate audio-visual alarms at control devices.

Apart from just tracking the moving object, the control room can even find outminute details like the interiors of the vehicle and how many people are seated in it.

At the control centre, there are handy features like zoom-in facilities for a close-up view of the vehicle. Similarly, just by zooming out, one can get an overall view of the surroundings vis-a-vis the vehicle. Secondly, multiple windows on the computer can provide both an overall view as also a close-up view simultaneously.

``The device will have great utility for organisations that have widespread businesses or need constant connectivity--establishments like hospitals, hotel chains, airport terminals, ambulance services, police departments, defence and security networks and many more,'' says Ajay Goel, marketing engineer, Advanced Micronic Devices Ltd, the company that has developed this gadget.

According to Goel, the system can very comfortably work in high altitudes and around isolated surroundings. In fact, he states that the device is completely foolproof. The driver cannot tamper with the data nor can heprevent the machine from emitting signals. Moreover, all related data is stored in the computer mainframe for future reference and cross-checks. However, it is always advisable to make several copies for the sake of safety.

Though the device can work equally effectively in aircraft and ships, there is a bit of a problem here as the company officials anticipate that this could sometimes mean trespassing international airwaves, which, according to the international law, is a serious offence. The R&D of the company is trying to solve this problem, too.

Advanced Micronic Devices recently also introduced another useful gadget called the `Vehicle City Navigator' or Micrologic. This gadget is fitted on the dashboard and the person driving the car can punch in his destination. The device will navigate the vehicle to the destination.

The company's R&D team is trying to make the Vehicle City Navigator more interactive. Like in the West, it is trying to link up with the city FM radio programme on traffic movementsand if a particular route is jammed, the navigator will show alternative routes to reach the destination.

-- Newsmen Features