BENGALURU:Safety has always been a top concern in the city. So now, a woman has filed an online petition, writing that every time she has to take a cab late at night, she spends most of her travelling time memorising the face of the driver in case she has to later report it to the police.
The petition on change.org, requesting cab aggregators to train women in driving, has received more than 7,000 signatures.
With an aim to minimise security issues and threats such as kidnapping with the latest technology, Bengaluru-based UniGPS Solutions has launched GPS tracking devices under the name ‘UNI Suraksha’. Deepti Kohli, founder & CEO of UniGPS Solutions, says that the devices can help trace your loved ones with an accuracy of five to 10 metres distance from the person. “If your elderly parents or children aren’t seen at a wedding venue or say a hospital, you could use these devices to trace them without making a call.
The device has good memory life and battery life for 10 days, and hence, even when your loved ones are at a place where there is no network, you can trace their location and know they are safe.” However, she adds that since privacy could be a concern with such tracking devices, steps have been taken to ensure that data is protected and not leaked. “Also, only authorised people can log in and trace locations. For real time tracking, the user needs to send a request to the team to activate the feature. Only after verification through phone number or email address, will this feature be activated,” she says.
The software can analyse data and do real-time tracking as well. The feature is on portable tracking devices and GPS wearable watches. “One just needs to carry them in their pockets or in bags. The watch works on GPS-based technology, where tracking can be done online. SOS can be sent through call or messages,” she says, adding that some elderly people do not like to carry phones or wear watches, and hence, they can be convinced to carry these portable devices. The device can give a great sense of security to their family members as the devices provide location trails online 24/7, and run for days without charge. These devices are also used to track valuables kept inside bags/ containers using IoT technology.
Unlike other safety apps or devices that send data to the manufacturer’s server, these devices send data to the UNI server. “Using this device, you can have complete control over the server software. You can feed, say, the number of hours your child spends at the tuition centre and if it exceeds the time you have fed in, you will be notified.
Parents can also be notified if the child is out of his school zone or if the school bus drive is overspeeding,” she adds. The devices also have hot dialling numbers, and hence, it can even connect to the Police Control Room in case of an emergency.
The device is available to the public and can be purchased online from the company’s website unigps.in. The cost is Rs 4,000, and the price of watches range from Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000.