New Technology allows you to follow participants Etape Cycle Race from around the world
A new GPS system allows cyclists fitted with a system produced by SportsTrack that will record their position during a race and project it in real time onto an international platform via the Internet. This allows friends and family from around the world to watch their progress around the course even if they can not be there.
SportsTrack allows everybody to participate in the race: friends and family can text through the SportsTrack website or their own mobile phone to each participant encouraging them throughout the race. At all times, the exact location of the participant is still displayed on the Sportstrack website.
The SportsTrack unit acquires GPS location data, stores it into memory before retransmitting that same data in real time via the GPRS mobile phone network – effectively a data call rather than a voice call - to the SportsTrack web servers. The data is then displayed in real time on Google Earth or Microsoft Virtual Earth through a password protected login to your own section of the SportsTrack website.
The cyclist's exact location is refreshed to the website every 20, 60 or 120 seconds. You then have the comfort of knowing that should anything happen, your exact location and time is stored on the SportsTrack web site. This same data is also available through a small application running on most mobile phones and it is therefore not necessary that a person be beside a computer to know where you are.
One of the advantages of this, is there is an emergency, a participant can be assured that in emergency mode, an automatically pre-drafted emergency text can be sent to the race organisers. They can then call the participant on SportsTrack to discuss the problem before calling on the emergency services should that be necessary.
It all sounds great but at £499 each (including VAT) it is not something that everyone will be buying. May be they can be hired out to race participants?
Dr.Ian Hulbert, Managing Director, BlueSky Telemetry Ltd writes "There is a comment in your article about the price being a bit steep. I would like to point out that the unit includes one year's worth of international roaming SIM card coverage that allows the unit to move across Orange Vodafone, O2 and T-Mobile. It will never be without coverage and of course will work overseas as well – Mark is using the same unit now without any modifications." He goes on to add "However, since you wrote that article we are now offering it for £299 plus £14.99/month for three years which include a three year SIM card contract. We also offer a three day hire for £39.99." 27th May 2008
SportsTrack is the leader in real time GPS trail recording for events management. SportsTrack and its integrated internet and mobile phone based mapping solutions were developed in South Africa by Sportstrack RSA in Cape Town and launched there in March 2007.
For more information please contact Ian Hulbert on:
01887 820816 or 07786 073660
info@sportstrackuk.com
or visit http://www.sportstrackuk.com/
27th May 2008 - You may be interested to know that we are now tracking Mark Beaumont on his next venture from Mont Blanc to Mont Clinto at present. Map link specific to Mark: http://www.sportstrack.net/V2/?mode=50853D49-531C-4D79-A7CC-5227DB896FC4 To track Mark, you go to the web page and on the RHS bar, you will see a report – you need to click on the “show/hide trails” to see where he it.
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