Honeywell has brought out the Personal Tracker, a new satellite-based hardware/software kit that can monitor the location and safety of workers in remote areas.
The Personal Tracker uses the private Iridium low-earth orbit satellite network as a base, giving the unit pole-to-pole coverage. The Personal Tracker allows companies to track assets and communicate with workers anywhere on the planet.
“Those responsible for employees in remote locations, especially lone workers who may be performing risky work, increasingly need a reliable method to stay connected to those workers to keep them safe and secure,” Honeywell president of workflow solutions Taylor Smith says.
“Honeywell’s connected worker technology and Iridium’s proven platform enable satellite communications from anywhere on Earth.
“This offers remote workers, such as workers on offshore oil platforms or forestry service workers, peace-of-mind and provides their employers with a valuable communication and search-and-rescue tool for emergency situations,” Smith adds.
Remote workers can share their location with GPS coordinates and send text messages using the rugged personal device, which has been certified to function in hazardous environments where explosions or fire may occur.
The device can be used a stand-alone two-way communication device or clipped to a backpack to serve as a tracking beacon. The Personal Tracker can also be paired with an iPhone so users can access a Honeywell mobile app that offers messaging and situational awareness features.
A basic example of the Personal Tracker in use would be when, in the event of an emergency, an organisation can send push notifications to alert its workers, and then track their location and provide them with updates as they seek shelter.
The mobile device runs Honeywell’s ViewPoint software, a web-based platform that provides real-time visual representation for tracking and monitoring high-value assets such as vehicle fleets and cargo containers.
Representatives from Iridium said they were excited about the partnership and how its technology can help expand worker safety.
“We are proud to work with Honeywell in enabling their connected worker technology, and support their commitment to lone worker safety,” Iridium executive VP of sales and marketing Bryan Hartin says.
“The unique architecture of our constellation makes it a natural fit over other providers for mobile applications,” he says.
“Providing reliable coverage is critical for companies tracking employees and assets located in remote areas, and Honeywell’s new Personal Tracker will make that possible.”