QinetiQ announces smallest GPS tracking unit

When we mentioned a couple of weeks ago that a judge had determined that police had the right to plant GPS units on suspects' cars without their knowledge, one thing many of you asked was how they could do that. Wouldn't the suspect see an antenna somewhere? Well, here's one answer (though we don't think this specific bug has been used by law enforcement agencies yet). U.K.-based security and defense company QinetiQ has unveiled what they say is the world's smallest GPS tracking device. The unit, developed with Global Point Technologies, Durham University and the Centre of Excellence for Nanotechnology, Micro and Photonic Systems, does not require an external antenna, and is being marketed specifically as a theft-prevention device that can be "fitted to any moveable asset such as vehicles, containers, pallets or packages." At least it's not small enough to be implanted, unlike some RFID chips.

[Via The Inquirer]

[NilsTh @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

So, how do this work? Does it transmit the coordinates to some security company, or can anyone pick them up? Does it use GSM? Probably really expensive anyway.

[Scott @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Not to get all "chicken-little" on anyone, but I don't believe for a minute that QinetiQ's motives were entirely pure when they developed this thing. Expect to see this sort of technology become state-mandated standard equipment on new cars in a few years.

It'll be much easier for the plod to collect speeding tickets, road taxes, emissions fees, etc. when they can track you from the comfort of their operations centers.

[hmmm @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Don't worry about that we can all purchase a jammer if we really worried about someone tracking us.

[hmmm @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0%2C10801%2C77702%2C00.html

http://www.gpsjammers.com/contact.htm

[hmmm @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0%2C10801%2C77702%2C00.html

http://www.gpsjammers.com/contact.htm

[ouch @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Looks like this thing is over nine hundred dollars after currency conversion. Good luck getting that to catch on.

[Brad @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Isn't GM bragging that it'll soon be building "On Star" into every car it makes? That's not just GPS, but an internal mike in the cabin that can be turned on remotely without your knowledge. (A judge has already found it legal for law enforcement to ask On Star to turn on that mike and give them a listen, w/o a wiretapping order.)

[random @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Engadget needs to start calling out the lies made by most of these GPS tracking companies. Like most of the other manufacturers of these devices, QinetiQ is lying like a dog. What they have is not a GPS tracker, it's a cell phone.

The truth is, most companies advertising "GPS" trackers are lying, they are not selling GPS trackers. Most of these them are using stripped down cell phones to triangulate position. Any cell phone can triangulate the users position by referencing the known position of 3 or more cell phone towers. But used as an illicit tracker, cell phones have real problems.

GPS works Everywhere, cell phone networks do not. And you can only suppose they've contracted for service with a single, specific cell phone provider. Leave the range of that provider, and the tracker would be worthless. I guess because these devices can return location coordinates in the "GPS format", they must think it's ok to call them GPS trackers. But the devices never ever gather any data from the constellation of GPS satellites, and have absolutely nothing to do with GPS. It is horribly false advertising for them to call these things "GPS trackers".

The number 1 way to identify a Non-GPS tracker is to read through the marketing spiel. We can look at QinetiQ's claims to see a common example:

"QinetiQ proven HS GPS Q20 technology delivers a high degree of availability, both indoors and outdoors".

There it is, "indoors". If it works inside, underneath, or out of sight, it's not GPS. Real GPS doesn't work inside or underneath cars. Real GPS Requires an antenna in direct visual contact with the sky. I have seen a very few devices that use both GPS and the cell phone network. But this device, it's small size, and low power claims make me think there is no way in hell it's using real GPS.

As for the posts above referencing Phrak's GPS jammer, it's not really necessary. Since it seems most of the market in GPS trackers is being overrun by these cell-phone things, one should only need to buy a regular old cell phone jammer to shut them down. (commonly available outside the US) And I would gather that most law enforcement types would prefer the cell phone trackers because they can be placed under or inside cars. And because most criminals are not sophisticated enough to know how to jam them.

[James @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

I agree with Random. I have always been under the impression that to receive a GPS signal, you need line-of-sight with the satellites. Any metal (e.g. car roof, "urban canyons") and water (e.g. foliage) obstructing the line would interrupt the signal. Have they really gotten around that limitation with GPS receivers? Cell triangulation I'd believe is very possible, but GPS is a bit of a stretch to me and I have questioned this before in an earlier article.

[futurefeeder @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Brilliant! Now we wait for a hack, so we can have anonymous proxy style alibis.

http://futurefeeder.com

[gpsguru @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Looks like it is GPS because cos it has a ceramic patch antenna visible in the photo. However, GPS alone is no use for tracking, because it does not provide a means of communicating the position to a remote server. A GPRS modem + SIM + antenna is needed for that, oh, and a decent battery as GPS is very power hungry (especially the ones that claim to work indoors). So, when you add it all up, its the size of a cigarette box at the very least. Dont think its quite 'nano' enough to be planted under the skin yet ;o)

[p taylor @ Dec 19th 2005 1:38AM]

Let me provide an insight into this device.

The device integrates a high sensitivity GPS receiver module or chip set and a GSM/GPRS modem together with other sensors. The GPS provides positional fixes and sends reports of position and sensor status over the wireless network either by sms (GSM) or data packet (GPRS)to a central server.
The central server manages the reports and makes both the real time alerts and the historical report data available to end user customers or organisations.

The breakthrough is in the GPS receiver sensitivity and power consumption and a tight low cost integration creating a battery powered device that can be fitted where there is usually no power.

It works inside ISO containers and reefers and inside bulidings, I have seen it work inside a 40 foot sea container where it can obtain GPS signals at levels unheard of before.

Don't dismiss this as an unproven gimmick.