Aerotel GeoSKeeper hits Finland, keeps mummi from wandering too far away

Have a grandmother or grandfather who tends to go for afternoon walks and somehow winds up on the other side of town? Does that town happen to be in Finland? Aerotel GeoSKeeper system could be your saving grace, a wrist-worn cellphone and GPS combo device that allows for others to keep tabs on the location of the wearer. It was announced back in 2008 and is now going live in Finland courtesy of EcoTec, where families can set up safe zones and receive alerts whenever the wearer decides to wander outside of them, which is reassuring -- so long as you're not the one wearing the thing. Calls can be made to doctors or family with the press of a button should something go wrong, and apparently you can even receive text messages somehow. The one thing it can't do? Tell time. If you're going to make someone wear something like this, the least you could do is build a watch into the thing!

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Aerotel and EcoTec Launch New Personal Telecare Service in Finland

Based on Aerotel's GeoSKeeper™ location-based system, the new wireless telecare service provides safety and peace of mind for seniors, children and lone workers, and already attracts significant interest in the market

Tampere, Finland and Holon, Israel, 21 January, 2010 - Aerotel Medical Systems, a world leading manufacturer of modular, mobile and home-based telemedicine and telecare solutions, and EcoTec, a leading Finnish provider of personal safety and tracking services, jointly launched a new personal telecare service in Finland.

The innovative mobile service, which is based on Aerotel's GeoSKeeper™ personal safety and location system, enables the accurate location of seniors, children and lone workers, granting users and family members safety and peace of mind. GeoSkeeper™ will be distributed in Finland by EcoTec.

GeoSKeeper™ is a light-weight wrist-worn GPS-based personal telecare safety device. It offers users and their families a new level of safety and peace of mind using its embedded GSM/GPRS module, built-in speakerphone and active GPS receiver. With its geofencing feature, the device provides real time information over the user's accurate location. When the wearer wanders outside a specified zone (e.g. neighborhood or school area), the system sends a short message (SMS) alert to a monitoring center and to a relative or caregiver.

"The deal is another step in the expansion of our telecare products offering in Western Europe," said Ofer Atzmon, vice president for business development and marketing at Aerotel Medical Systems. "After the successful launch of GeoSKeeper™ in other European markets, we have formed a partnership with Ecotec to bring our personal safety solutions to the Finnish market."

"By combining our proven abilities and our leadership in the Finnish market with Aerotel's cutting edge technology we are now able to offer a service aimed at providing care and security for those in need, using our unique SmartCare platform connected with GeoSKeeper personal traceable devices," said Jouni Mäkipää, CEO and founder at EcoTec.

GeoSKeeper™ enables two-way voice calls and text messages with an advanced alerting system for enhanced personal security. The product is fully programmable over the air via a user-friendly Web-based portal.

[tvick47 Posted Jan 22nd 2010 8:09AM]

Too bad it looks like crap

[barCODE Posted Jan 23rd 2010 12:56AM]

@tvick47

It needs better functionality like a clock/time display to give the wearer incentive to wear it in the first place. Otherwise grandma might get confused as to why this thing is strapped to her in the first place and remove it.

[ed hardy Posted Jan 22nd 2010 8:13AM]

the least you could do is build a watch into the thing!

[ngko Posted Jan 22nd 2010 8:22AM]

Someone may need that to track his girlfriend!

[d0mth0ma5 Posted Jan 22nd 2010 8:28AM]

Its not a bad idea at all really, would be useless for finding children after abductions (unless the abductors were particularly stupid) but as Grandpappy Positioning System it could be good. Really does need a watch, non-digital of course.

[d0mth0ma5 Posted Jan 22nd 2010 8:29AM]

I await the first grand-father to mischievously attach it to a cat or dog and then go to the pub for an hour.

[Chaos Theory Posted Jan 22nd 2010 8:41AM]

this will make sure the runners don't get too far from the basement. think they'll sell locking versions?

[titus Posted Jan 22nd 2010 9:11AM]

Is there any device like that to attach to my dog? Could do without watch or phone but iPhone radar would be great if not remote.

[newone Posted Jan 22nd 2010 9:39AM]

@titus

http://www.ultrapoint.fi/en/ultrapoint_dog_gps/

also from finland. And it doesnt have a clock but it has bark detection.

[titus Posted Jan 22nd 2010 9:52AM]

@newone

Thank you! That was quick. Not quite right though. A thousand Euros and Java only. The GPS-tracker for my camera cost me 80.

[safe travels Posted Jan 22nd 2010 9:56AM]

I don't like this kind of thing, it just makes the public comfortable with tracking that various governments experiment with and are rebuffed by civil liberties watchdogs. meh, we're all fucked in that respect, soon enough, but this is only speeding up the process..

[tmarks11 Posted Jan 22nd 2010 12:26PM]

@safe travels because the black helicopters are getting tired of just following you around...

Think of the benefits; now they can follow your grandpa too.

[testbildtester Posted Jan 22nd 2010 10:14AM]

@titus

If You want a more cheaper device, with almost same functionality, try:

http://www.geodog.de/en

from Germany. No bark detection, but better locationing and huge battery lifetime.

[newone Posted Jan 22nd 2010 10:22AM]

@testbildtester

Same locationing. Both have maps, directions and tracs of the dog.

No idea which have better battery life.

[testbildtester Posted Jan 22nd 2010 11:00AM]

@newone

True, but although ultrapoint.fi states, that they have two or 4 battery packs, they do not comment on battery lifetime, whereas geodog.de does state, that they have 300 h in eco mode. I thought that's not too bad. See: http://www.geodog.de/en/technik-100-high-tech

[CA Posted Jan 22nd 2010 3:30PM]

"Excuse me sir, do you have the time?"

"64°00'N and 26°00'E"

"Uh...thanks..."