Inventor prepares to launch vehicle tracking system (From The Northern Echo)

Inventor prepares to launch vehicle tracking system

10:40pm Thursday 11th December 2008 in News By Gavin Havery, Reporter (Derwentside & Tyneside)

AN inventor from the North-East has joined forces with an Indian lunar satellite company to launch his latest vehicle tracking technology.

Dr Phillip Tann, who used his innovation prove to police he was not guilty of speeding, is to market his patented technology to the mass market.

The device monitors the vehicle's speed and location in real time and provides a full history of a vehicle's movements for a year, which are immediately accessible.

Dr Tann, from South Shields, said: "Within a few years we anticipate that cars and other vehicles will once again take the lead with the integration of sophisticated technology transmitting data to a remote 'black box' at such low cost and volumes that will enable a multitude of applications to be utilised.

"Just imagine the road networks as a computer network with traffic lights as switches and roundabouts as hubs and we could end up with super-efficient highways and massively reduced congestion, all because the transmission of data is so low that it will enable route optimisation and analysis."

In October last year Dr Tann received a speeding ticket from Northumbria Police alleging that he was doing 42mph in a 30mph zone.

Using a prototype GPS tracking device he proved he was travelling legally - to six decimal places and the case against him was dropped.

He has teamed up with motoring campaigner Neil Herron, director of FleetM8, and the invention has attracted the attention of Indian firm SLN Technologies.

The company is currently involved with the Indian lunar satellite, Chandrayaan, having worked on the control system for the dish antenna for the Moon Mission, India's most prestigious project.

Anil Kumar, director of SLN Technologies said: "We anticipate massive demand for the unique product that Dr. Tann has created and it will be highly beneficial to anyone operating any fleets in India, whether it be trucks, tankers, buses or taxis.

"We believe that the unique, patented technology will revolutionise the GPS tracking industry and we will be working closely with Dr. Tann in taking new ideas forward using his concept."