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By Greg Bartlett

Although GPS tracking devices were originally developed for the use of the military, this same technology is very popular for personal uses as well. More and more devices are being developed that are specifically designed to track a group of people. The two most common groups of people to track with GPS technology are young children and the elderly, especially those with Alzheimer’s.

Putting GPS to Use

Although the idea of monitoring the movements of people with GPS tracking devices is a good one, young children and people with Alzheimers are the two groups who are least likely to cooperate with this kind of a program. This makes it difficult to develop a GPS tracker that will work for this particular function. Unless a tracking system was sewn into an individual’s clothing, it would have to be attached to a belt or carried in a pocket. Either of these two places would make it easy for the wearer to mess with or discard the tracker.

For this reason, a couple of different options are being developed that will work better with young children and those with Alzheimer’s. GPS tracking devices are now being placed in watches and shoes to keep tracking as subtle as possible.
Alzheimer’s patients have a tendency to remove things that they are not accustomed to wearing which is why GPS tracking shoes are one of the best developments for them. Those that regularly wear watches may not mind the switch to a watch with a GPS tracking device, but on the whole, the tracking shoes work better for them. There are several different companies that have been developing these kinds of shoes. These GPS tracking shoes can be set with geo-fencing techniques to inform family members if their loved ones go missing.

Although GPS tracking devices in shoes would also work to track children, a watch can also be helpful. Children usually wear many different pairs of shoes, and older children probably want to purchase fashionable shoes. This can make GPS tracking shoes somewhat ineffective. A watch with GPS tracking is more likely to be worn every day, and an easy digital reading will allow even younger children to be able to read it. Most of the designs for GPS tracking watches have some sort of panic button that children can use to signal their parents that they are in danger.

Throughout the next decade, many developments will be made in GPS tracking devices, making them better for tracking people like young children and those with Alzheimer’s.