CATSeye tracking system claims 1-inch accuracy

If you're tired of your "buddies" swiping all your tech whenever they come over for a bit of Halo, you might be interested in this new CATSeye GPS/GSM/RF tracking system for hunting them down the next time it happens. The matchbox-sized transponder device can be slipped into an item (above it's sitting inside a TomTom GPS unit) and then tracked via the CATSeye system. Device coordinates can be set to send at a regular interval, if the unit is moved (there's a motion sensor inside as well), or if it's taken outside of its assigned "geo-fence." The system mainly relies on GPS for tracking duties, but it can give GSM tower coordinates in a pinch, and a separate RF scanner can locate the unit with up to 1-inch accuracy. We're not quite sure how much the rest of the system costs, but the RF scanners range in price from $100 to $1000+. At those kind of prices the system is really best suited for keeping store inventory or for tracking items given to enterprise staff, but we still think the revenge angle is totally justifiable. Make sure to peep the read link for a video of the system in action.

[Andrew DeLisa @ Sep 18th 2006 10:18PM]

Is it just me, or is there a Vodafone SIM sticking out of that TomTom?

[LukeA @ Sep 18th 2006 10:18PM]

GPS is accurate to w/in a centimeter for the military. Not so for us civilians.

[Brandon @ Sep 19th 2006 4:42AM]

Depends if it uses Differential GPS:

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differential_GPS

"Depending on the amount of data being sent in the DGPS correction signal, correcting for these effects can reduce the error significantly, the best implementations offering accuracies of under 10 cm."

Note that any civilian receiver that supports DGPS (including my cheapier Garmin III+) can be just as accurate as a military receiver, just not out of the box.

[Tom @ Sep 18th 2006 10:48PM]

Andrew, watch the video, or read the article or ANYTHING! yes its a vodaphone sim, cause the tracking system uses GSM (among other things) and they put it inside of a tomtom. Couldnt the Tomtom be tracked using its own gps thing? Why put another in?

[Vinni @ Sep 18th 2006 11:14PM]

Pretty cool. However, as mentioned before, the military is already ages ahead.

[Deluxe @ Sep 18th 2006 11:40PM]

Well, you start enmiitary.com and I'll visit :D

[Gristle @ Sep 19th 2006 2:20AM]

No 3 - Tom.
Ohh the irony.
They should have chosen another product to demo it in!

[DeShaun @ Sep 19th 2006 10:30AM]

I think it's laughable that we're complaining about accuracy of an inch because the military has it better. What do you need accuracy down to the centimeter for? If I'm trying to locate an item and the readout is an inch off...I can still locate it. Chances are, I'd just be trying to locate some item that I'd be able to see in plain sight. If I needed to shoot down a target 500m away, then yeah, maybe that centimeter is a lot more significant. If I'm trying to locate a car or some item that I've placed this on, a radius of an inch or so won't matter to me. Big whoop.

[csnoke @ Sep 19th 2006 11:17AM]

The "1" accuracy" they're quoting here is off of the RF based scanner only. They're not going to get that off of GPS.. especially a non-corrected L1/L2 only device that doesn't have a clear view of the sky. You guys completelly mised the boat on this one.. but the GPS tracks on a large scale (such as getting you to your buddies' house) and the RF adapter will find the unit inside the house.

And for the record, the DoD turned off select availability in 1996.. and since that time anyone willing to fork over the cash can buy a few milimeters accuracy GPS equipment. Hear that LukeA, it hasn't been military only for more than a decade! Get with the times.

[hugoliva @ Sep 19th 2006 1:20PM]

I haven't been able to find this guys in the internet, anyone knows what's their webpage?

[lee walkey @ Sep 25th 2006 10:18AM]

the website address: is www.cats-eye.net

[Steve Mills @ Oct 17th 2006 8:44AM]

Looks like a fantastic product - anyone spoken to these guys or used the device?