Minnesota Park Testing Out GPS Tracking for Visitors

6 Nov 2014

A park in Minnesota is undergoing a research project that is meant to protect people who are at risk of wandering from their park. They will use GPS tracking devices for this project.

In Twin Cities, Minnesota, a research team is utilizing the advanced technology of global positioning systems (GPS) and GPS tracking technology to locate visitors who might become lost. This typically includes people who visit their parks that are at a higher risk for wandering, such as those with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or autism.

“This technology is a great public safety tool,” said Three Rivers Police Chief Hugo McPhee. “It is ideal for guests with Alzheimer’s, dementia or autism — anyone who has the potential for wandering. With this tool, a vulnerable individual will be able to go camping and enjoy an outing with family, but at the same time the family can have peace of mind that their loved one won’t wander off.”

There are currently four gadgets that are being tested, each of which includes a personal GPS tracker that can be worn by the person that needs to be tracked. There is an alert, which sounds like an alarm, if that person wanders off too far. It also includes a GPS mapping tool that lets the caregiver see exactly where they have wandered off to, just in case they miss the first alarm.

The wearable and portable GPS tracking devices will look just like watches and fit comfortably on the person’s wrist. There will be an app that is monitored by their parent or caregiver, so that they can comfortably visit parks and enjoy nature without worrying about what might happen.

Many people fail to take their friends or loved ones to parks and other outdoor places because they fear losing them or them getting injured. The researchers hope to prevent that by allowing the caregiver to track their whereabouts at all times and be alerted if they start wandering off.

Users will be able to set a proximity on the GPS watches, so that it works with the caregiver’s app or device. That way, they are always near the caregiver during these outings.

The city’s parks have had 57 reported missing persons in the last year alone, each of which was due to people wandering off. While these cases were all resolved, they don’t want to risk people getting injured when it could be avoided.

Jonah Weinberg, who works as director of the Autism Society of Minnesota, said:

“Many parents who have children with autism don’t go to the park for fear that if they look away for three seconds, their child might be gone.”

It could mean enjoying activities that were previously too risky and dangerous. If someone with Alzheimer’s or autism wanders off, they could quickly become lost, confused and risk serious injury.

Once the project is complete, park officials plan to have the GPS devices free of charge to be used at any Three Rivers parks, which include 26 different locations in the area. Visitors will be able to go on hikes, enjoy nature or even go camping with their family, and always be able to locate their loved one. It gives everyone excellent peace of mind.

 


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