What with the european union bringing in their own form of GPS sometime soon, that *apparently* is accurate down to less than a metre, we should be looking at some kind of way to utilise this new technology.
I suggest that for a small fee, people could order a tag from a mail order company that could be stuck to just about anything (shoes,pants,etc) or even used as a keyring.
If you lose the item in question, you could log onto the website, and obtain details of the location of one tag, relative to the other.-- gargarax, Apr 15 2002 RFID Tags from Alien Technology, Inc. http://www.usatoday...001-03-14-maney.htmCheap, 5¢ fluidic self-assembly chips that promise: "Embedding an RF tag in every pair of glasses. You lose your glasses, you go to a special Web site, which listens the world over for a little ping from your glasses' RF tag. The site shows that you left them on the bar at Thirsty's. The only alarming part is that you only vaguely remember even being at the bar at Thirsty's." [bristolz, Apr 16 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004] More recent RFID tag article http://www.usatoday.../04/12/tinyband.htmSame as above only more current article. [bristolz, Apr 16 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004] GPS Re-radiator antenna systems http://www.gpssourc...m/htdocs/gpstk.htmlFor indoor GPS use. [bristolz, Apr 16 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004] The War Amps http://www.amputesd...keytag/keytags.htmlThe lost and found for Canadian keys everywhere [bluerowan, Apr 17 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004] Make it accurate enough, and small enough, to find that chip resistor lost on my tabletop and you will get my vote.-- neelandan, Apr 15 2002 No carpet. Easier to sweep up errant components.
Could be 6 m away, Rods. That would be outside the room which is only 2.4 x 3.
Instead of satellites, have them triangulate position from three or four fixed low power transmitters located strategically around the house. For the same complexity, accuracy down to the millimeter should be obtained.-- neelandan, Apr 15 2002 One of them apparently is.-- angel, Apr 15 2002 I'd like to do an experiment and attach small micro-transmitters to everything I own, and track it all, just to see where some of the stuff ends up. I often what happens to the things I lose; were they carried off by a gang of invisible klepto-midgets, or sucked into a trans-dimensional warp where they were destined to appear on the next Star Trek episode?-- Pseudonym #3, Apr 15 2002 The Easter Seals (I think, could have been the war amps) used to send out free key tags and offered a service to return lost keys. Maybe they still do? It was a fundraising campaign. Perhaps they would get better response if they incorporated this location service into the tags?-- rbl, Apr 15 2002 This is larger, more expensive, and less robust than you think it is.
GPS is one way. A GPS receiver can learn where it is, but it can't tell someone else where it is, at least not via GPS.
GPS also requires line of sight to the satellites and hence doesn't work well indoors.
An active component that broadcasts its location would be about the size of a small cellphone and would have to have some sort of battery, at least enough to run a clock, periodically tune into an activation signal, and burst out its location if activated.-- jutta, Apr 15 2002 If one person can log on and find the location of a uniquely numbered tag, that means anyone can. It wouldn't be difficult for someone else to be able to locate my keys, glasses or wallet in this way. I'll stick to old-fashioned 'keep track of own belongings' thanks. (No, I don't ever lose things. It's not difficult. Just keep your head switched on.)-- sappho, Apr 15 2002 in the city you would be better off using gps for positioning and then cellemetry for the communication back to the network. at the moment the smallest black box we have that does all of this is about the size of a standard stapler, including a five year lithium battery (reporting four times per day). but, as juttas said, unless you are outside with clear horizon you are sol.-- rbl, Apr 15 2002 Croissant. Anyone who's ever had to call in "sick" cuz they couldn't find their keys ... yes, I have... no lectures about organization please; my brain is taken up with far more important matters. :)-- arghblah, Apr 15 2002 sappho: I like the idea of anyone, in principle, being able to track every movement of my crimson coloured latex covered toy, which I have attached a tag to.-- neelandan, Apr 16 2002 What if you know where your keys are but can't reach them? i.e. stuck underneath your front step. Would help be sent out to dig them out? We (meaning my spouse) could use this service right now.
rbl - It's the War Amps that distributes the key tags. Quite handy.-- bluerowan, Apr 17 2002 Has anyone seen my keys? I just had them two hours ago....does anyone remember where I parked for that matter....-- runforrestrun, Apr 17 2002 random, halfbakery