Lifeguard on Duty
This Space Age personal monitoring device locates workers in distress.
- By Emily Bryant
- Jan 01, 2005
GPS (Global Positioning System) technology seems to be increasingly present
in our daily lives. For those of you who have only a vague notion of how it
works, it's a system that provides accurate position information based on data
transmitted from a 24-satellite constellation. This information, in effect,
gives an address to any location in the world, an accomplishment that allows for
innovative approaches to mapping, tracking, navigation, and even the formulation
of precise time intervals.
Because GPS receivers have evolved to miniature proportions, this technology
is more accessible and widespread, finding its way into all forms of
transportation, construction equipment, and computers. One obvious application
of this technology exists in the arena of safety and security: the ability to
track and locate people and assets across the globe. Visao™ Systems Inc., a
company that specializes in terrestrial and satellite network communication, has
made profound inroads within this field, finessing GPS technology in a new
personal monitoring system.
The LifeGuard™ II is a monitoring device worn by an individual that allows
instantaneous communication in cases of emergency, even if that person is
unconscious. The monitor relays GPS location information every two seconds to a
base station that can then forward it to emergency responders in a matter of
seconds. If a worker cannot manually send an alert, the device is activated
automatically by lack of motion.
Preserving Life
The LifeGuard II offers an unprecedented level of
security and safety to lone workers or individuals who encounter dangerous or
life-threatening situations in remote areas, ports, or in-plant facilities.
Debbie Stewart, vice president of Personal Monitoring Systems and Visao, said
the new personal monitoring device resulted from the desire to meet customer
needs for added safety. Visao Systems has been in the business of tracking and
monitoring assets and vehicles throughout four decades, but the LifeGuard II
allows it to go a step further. (See key
features and benefits.)
David Alston, manager of marketing and development for Visao Systems and
Teletouch (Visao's parent company), said that though GPS technology has been
utilized extensively before now in terms of security monitoring, Visao is the
first to take the technology to this level. "We're a pioneer in putting all the
different technologies together for this solution . . . . Knowing exactly where
situations are happening is really crucial today," he said.
The LifeGuard II personal monitoring device works in tandem with a few other
components to comprise an effective communication system. The LifeGuard II
monitor is worn or carried by the individual and is automatically activated by
lack of motion (time span pre-set by user) or by pressing a panic button. The
device then sends a wireless alert to the LifeGuard II Micro Receiver, located
up to 1/4 mile away. The message is processed by the receiver, which is linked
to the LG-II PDT Transceiver that transmits the alert data over specified
networks.
Once the data are transmitted through the network to the processing center,
GeoFleet™ Software displays a visual alert on the computer monitor and sounds an
audible alarm that continues until acknowledged by the response team. According
to Alston, this alert is impossible to ignore and takes precedence over anything
else going on in the processing center. The individual's GPS coordinates are
displayed on the screen to help responders pinpoint the exact location of
distress. Optional medical information about the individual also can be
communicated. Another feature of GeoFleet Software allows the alert to be
simultaneously sent through e-mail, pagers, or cellphones to notify necessary
personnel.
Staying the Course
"I see this as being really big in plant-type
scenarios, and with people cutting back, there is more need for this," said
Stewart, referring to LifeGuard II's potential for expanded security
applications. She said contexts such as border patrol, land management, homeland
security, or any situation where companies need to know the location of their
employees would greatly benefit from this system.
LifeGuard II is expected to be released in early 2005. Alston and Stewart
said Visao is already thinking about possible additions to the personal
monitoring device that could come with a LifeGuard III system. Some of these
additions might include emergency shutdown capabilities, temperature gauges, and
built-in gas sensors that could take readings from the field and relay them
across the network.
Pricing for the LifeGuard II Personal Monitoring System has not been
finalized. Current costs of LifeGuard I, depending on how simply or elaborately
a system is customized, can range from $3,600 to $5,000. There also are an
initial activation cost and monthly airtime fee. For more information, contact
[email protected] or
visit www.VisaoSystems.com.
This column appears in the January 2005 issue of Occupational Health &
Safety.
Key Features
Key Benefits
This article originally appeared in the January 2005 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.