EU funding used to develop child security device in Northern Ireland
Concerned by what appears to be an increase in child abductions, a consortium in Northern Ireland has used funding from the EU Structural Funds to develop a device allowing parents to track the movements of the child in real time via the Internet. KinderGUARD not only uses spatial tracking technology to indicate the location of the wearer, but also monitors key biometrics. An alarm is raised if the child leaves the area in which he or she is expected to be, if the biometric sensor indicates that the child may be in distress, or if an unauthorised person puts on the device. The gadget can take the form of a watch, jewellery, or an in-pocket device, and child-friendly designs will ensure that children are eager to carry the tracker and sensor. The two main partners developing the technology, Internet technology company TIBUS and the University of Ulster, had initially intended to launch KinderGUARD in the US before introducing it to Europe. Child abductions are a huge concern in the US, where one child is reported missing every 45 seconds. However, huge interest from major European countries means that the European launch may be brought forward. 'It is unfortunate that we live in a society today where the safety of children cannot be taken for granted when they leave their home,' said Ray Douglas, CEO of TIBUS. The additional 250,000 GBP (369,000) euro of funding will now enable the consortium to further investigate the functional and technical requirements for the Internet-enabled wireless device, and to draw up plans for both a prototype design and trials, Mr Douglas added. Patent applications have recently received the approval of the European Patent Office, which has given those involved a 'significant boost', Professor Gerard Parr from the University of Ulster told CORDIS News. 'This has given us a clear line to get on with this,' he added. The consortium will now file for patents at an international level. 'KinderGUARD started as a Northern Ireland initiative, but we quickly saw a global need,' said Professor Parr. There are currently no Europe-wide standards relating to child security - a gap which Professor Parr believes KinderGUARD could contribute to filling. There is a possibility of rolling out trials across the EU Member States, and Professor Parr is also eager to give KinderGUARD another European angle: while the device's spatial tracking technology currently makes use of the US global positioning system (GPS), Professor Parr sees Galileo, Europe's planned satellite navigation system, as a 'huge opportunity - a classic case study for the benefit of European citizens.' In order to assess the possibility of using Galileo, and also in order to conduct trials across Europe, the KinderGUARD team are now looking for partners. Whereas the team 'started off as a small group of enthusiasts and technologists', in the words of Professor Parr, international ambitions, complimented by a high level of international interest, means that the consortium needs to expand. Interest is not restricted entirely to the use of KinderGUARD as a child safety device. Other potential applications include national security, controlled access to key facilities (such as airports, container ports and government buildings) and access to financial services. Industry analysts believe that personal location-based services will represent an annual 7.3 billion euro revenue opportunity in Europe by 2005, and an additional 5.7 billion euro in the US.
Kraje
United Kingdom