Future Technologies
Nokia Locate Sensor: Your ideas?
By Mike on 11 February 2009
UPDATE: We’ve taken our favourite six ideas from your great suggestions below, and are now running a poll to find out which concept you like the best. Click to visit the poll and get your vote counted.
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GLOBAL – With the buzz surrounding Nokia Locate Sensor still reverberating, it got me thinking that there must be other uses for this innovative concept that have yet to be voiced, other than just finding your lost items and directing you to your favourite store in a shopping centre.
Debuted at CES and currently being trialed by the Nokia Research Center in over 40 locations, Nokia Locate Sensor surely has a multitude of other potential applications. What are your ideas? Can you think of a potential use for Nokia Locate Sensor that would make it even better? Click through and leave your ideas in the comments section.
Recently, we’ve seen ‘old’ tecnhology, such as SMS exploited to create new innovative mobile solutions, such as Nokia Life Tools, mPedigree and FrontlineSMS, so with that in mind it would make sense that an untapped innovation such as Nokia Locate Sensor is ripe for alternate thinking.
Once we get your ideas, we’ll set up a poll and get you to vote on the best suggestions, then we’ll take those ideas to the NRC team working on Nokia Locate Sensor, and do our best to get a response from them with feedback and thoughts on your concepts, including whether they’re possible. Let’s see where it goes.
So what do you think? Hit us with your ideas for other ways Nokia Locate Sensor could be used below.
Related posts:
- Nokia Locate Sensor team comment on your ideas
- Nokia Locate Sensor sparks widespread reaction and ideas
- Poll results: Your ideas for Nokia Locate Sensor
Tags | Nokia Locate Sensor, NRC, research center
February 11th, 2009 at 11:57 am
I’d like to use one of these on bike rides. I often drop my brother when we are riding and it would be great to have a warning go off when that happens so I know to slow down and wait for him to catch up. Link it into Sportstracker and then it could tag the places I drop him, as well ! A additional signal when the sensor comes back into range would also be great.
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February 11th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I can see it coming in handy for pets, dogs, and cats for example. Attach it to the pets collar, and you can keep track of them should they venture out of the home, or their boundaries.
I know, some of the more mature members of families may use this for such things as Spectacles, placing it in the case.
Radio controlled aircraft I can see if coming in handy for too, for not only mapping the sky roadmap, but to help you find the plane/helicopter should you crash land it in the deep undergrowth.
Then you have the wannabe Private Eye, who could use this to track someone, in true James bond Style, maybe a cheating husband/wife, or someone suspected of something, and you need it verifying.
The possibilities are endless really. I will certainly be looking into getting one.
My only concern, and one of some of our community members over at Nokiausers, are the battery life. Does the locate Sensor have a rechargeable battery, or a long life battery which can easily be replaced.?
If I think of anything else, i will be sure to post the items here later.
Micky
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February 11th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I will look for substitute product’s market… ?
- RFID -> huge warehouse (clothes?) -> locate lost spare parts
- large gatherings/events… locate like-minded people/lost group
/V
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February 11th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
I’ll use it for Asset Protection in my office , keep track of my pets and also for advertising even on the crawling babies the possibilities are unlimited , I’ve written in detail how I’ll use it at my blog
http://senseapplied.com/index.php/nokia-senses-and-locates/
Farhan
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February 12th, 2009 at 5:54 am
I think this technology could be used to keep track of kids in day nursery (+4years old)…
Another solution could be installing one of these devices in our cars, and add gps caps on it, so when our wifes went to the mall would never loose track of the parking.
Ok, even without gps it could be functional, aslong they (our wifes) wouldn’t get the car too far.. ( as far as i know, it has a range of 100meters.)
I could be here all night launching my ideas, but i’ve got work to do, i’ll say some more when time is less precious..
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Mike Reply:
February 12th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
@Nuno Pereira (and everyone): Some really great concepts already. Please keep them coming folks!
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Rafael Reply:
March 4th, 2009 at 11:11 am
@Mike, I have a question to ask.
Since obviously the feedback Nokia receives here will help position the product better, will those who suggest viable use cases receive a reward or recognition of some sort?
The situation is that my colleague and I had this idea with sensors two years now (we called them ‘beacons’), and have elaborated quite a few highly practical usage scenarios. And I believe this product is all about usage scenarios. So, quite logically, given the benefit Nokia may get, will the company be willing to recognize the value of such efforts in some way?
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February 12th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Just merge it with the ‘morph’ concept. And intuitively connect my whole environment to it.
The sensor device could develop a memory about the user or self-personality;so that devices,though physically similar,are uniquely different.
It would be able to accomplish all the tasks mentioned above and would be powered several sources simultaneously&intelligently;based on the immediate circumstance :: by green energy, the enviroment, slim battery, or by electromechanical movement.
David.
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February 12th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Times to steal the show..
My thoughts are thus:
It could follow use of the ‘morph’ concept, allowing my whole enviroment to be connected to it.
It would develop a memory about the user or self-personality. Such that though two locator devices might be physically similar;they would be uniquely different.
It would be able to accomplish all the tasks stated in the previous posts and be able to artificially respond.
e.g. Making use of any available features – location (gps, wifi, cell towers or bluetooth) , barometric pressure, surrounding temperature, vibration, ambient light detection, orientation, moving-velocity, sound(acoustical) – by all this it would have a ‘near accurate’ picture of the user’s environ.
It would be powered by several power sources simultaneously & intelligently based on the immediate circumstance :: by green energy, the environment, sound energy, a slim battery, or by mechanical movement of where its placed .e.g. attached to the wrist.
By all these it will enable the locator to be used in a number of cases:
- Anticipate and track disease outbreaks across populations.
- Ensure compliance and public accountability.
- Protect endangered species and natural resources.
- Monitor the health of aging, disabled, and remote individuals and communities.
-Share real-time data about weather and environmental hazards
- Plan roads, transit services, utilities, and urban systems.
- Domestic use; for communicating and interacting with all ‘connected’ devices&appliances: allowing the creation a truly intelligent environment.
- As aforementioned, to track lost items or people.
- Help in data mining work, to gather information during analysis.
- Act as a language translator, to interprete language between any two people of different background;allowing the bridging of sociological and geographic gaps and barriers.
David Olorundare.
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February 12th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Times to steal the show..
My thoughts are thus:
It could follow use of the ‘morph’ concept, allowing my whole enviroment to be connected to it.
It would develop a memory about the user or self-personality. Such that though two locator devices might be physically similar;they would be uniquely different.
It would be able to accomplish all the tasks stated in the previous posts and be able to artificially respond.
e.g. Making use of any available features – location (gps, wifi, cell towers or bluetooth) , barometric pressure, surrounding temperature, vibration, ambient light detection, orientation, moving-velocity, sound(acoustical) – by all this it would have a ‘near accurate’ picture of the user’s environ.
It would be powered by several power sources simultaneously & intelligently based on the immediate circumstance :: by green energy, the environment, sound energy, a slim battery, or by mechanical movement of where its placed .e.g. attached to the wrist.
By all these it will enable the locator to be used in a number of cases:
- Anticipate and track disease outbreaks across populations.
- Ensure compliance and public accountability.
- Protect endangered species and natural resources.
- Monitor the health of aging, disabled, and remote individuals and communities.
-Share real-time data about weather and environmental hazards
- Plan roads, transit services, utilities, and urban systems.
- Domestic use; for communicating and interacting with all ‘connected’ devices&appliances: allowing the creation a truly intelligent environment.
- As aforementioned, to track lost items or people.
- Help in data mining work, to gather information during analysis.
- Act as a language translator, to interprete language between any two people of different background;allowing the bridging of sociological and geographic gaps and barriers.
David Olorundare
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February 13th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Guess using the sensor as METAL DETECTORS isnt a bad idea at all..at least that can help security folks and individuals in detecting when a gun is around them
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February 13th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Hey
How abt Showing some luv this vals with the E63????????????????
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February 14th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
It can be used for several applications namely:
- basic one being mobile security
- one can also use it as a keychain with house keys / car keys / inside wallets etc. and be aware that they r always in d pocket. An excellent warning tool
- short distance measuring tool for architects; to measure area of a room or distance between two walls etc.
- As a means of identification / authorization..when 2 ppl meet after chattin online for the first time, they can use their personal sensors as a means of identification
- can be stuck on tv remotes to locate them easily within the house
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February 14th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Keeping track of kids in shopping malls. There is no bigger gut-wrenching feeling than letting your kids hand go for 1 minute then suddenly discovering they’ve wandered off and you can’t see them.
The sensor would be a fantastic safety tool.
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February 14th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
A range of 100 meters? Great! I’ll stick one on every car of my local police force. They’ll never gonna catch me now!
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February 16th, 2009 at 7:53 am
can find my little daughter in a shopping centre, supermarket etc if she is lost.
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February 16th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
I’d like to see them available cheaply enough, and in enough different form factors, that you could tag the “important things” in your life to keep track of them, their status and their environment.
- One that fits easily onto a pet’s collar.
- One that fits into a car (and is potentially wired into the car’s battery).
- One in a credit-card format to fit into a wallet or purse.
- One that’s wearable (in a watch, bracelet, charm, carabiner).
- One that a patch, to be sewn into backpacks, luggage.
- One that is easily embedded in a laptop, or perhaps a PCMCIA card.
Devices should gather data appropriate to the application.
I agree with the above that they should manage power and connectivity intelligently, searching for the best options. A wearable one might benefit from a kinetic power source, where a vehicle one could charge off the running engine. They should transmit data via a paired phone to the internet or find other internet connections when the phone is out of range, so the status can still be monitored via the phone or a web interface.
When searching for a lost object, I’d love to see them create a 3D wireframe of the room/area they’re in and be able to transmit that to a system that displays the relative location and conditions in reference to the room.
I like the ideas above about traffic data gathering, weather/conditions monitoring, and locating nearby friends. Businesses could also use them – ie: if every Starbucks store had one at their door, and you could add Starbucks as a ‘favorite’ in your phone, your phone’s map could provide you nearby Starbucks stores, including Open status or special promotions. (ie: Is the donut machine at Krispy Kreme running?)
In an emergency situation (like a hurricane evacuation) they could be issued to all citizens in the evac area, and be used to monitor the successful evac of all people, alerting emergency personnel to the stranded or ill.
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February 18th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Nokia Locate Sensor can also be used to track people without their knowledge or consent.
Slip one in their bag, stick one on their car, etc.
Does the Nokia Locate Sensor come with some sort of protection against malicious tracking?
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February 19th, 2009 at 11:56 am
I would definitely get one if it will support GPS at some time. I am a musician with irreplacable vintage guitars, and I have long been looking for a tracking system that allows me to locate the guitar/case if I should lose it.
Converting this unit into a tracking device that pairs with my nokia phone and through a simple application allows me to track all my belongings via GPS – that would be neat!
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March 1st, 2009 at 5:09 pm
My husband is constantly misplacing his sunglasses. It would be great if this sensor could be placed in the eyeglass case.
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