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TrackerPad.pngTrackerPad – a small GPS sticker you can apply to your bike in case of theft
The creators of a new tracker sticker, which is said to be able to pinpoint the location of a stolen bike to within 2.5m, are appealing for funding via Kickstarter. However, a number of comments on the crowdfunding website question whether the product is genuine.
The TrackerPad, which purports to be around the size of a ten pence piece, can also be applied to other items – with one suggested trackable item being ‘children’. It is said to come with a built-in SIM and once you have scanned the QR code on the sticker with your mobile, you can subsequently track its location using an app. There is also a geo-fencing function which allows you to set boundaries so that if your bike moves beyond them, you will receive a notification.
The battery can last for up to seven days on a single charge and charging is carried out wirelessly via an induction pad. TrackerPads are also waterproof and in fact if you need to remove one, the sticky surface is reactivated by applying water.
Whether or not this is the best tracker for bikes is debatable. It could, presumably, be easily removed by any thief who spotted it and knew what it was, whereas other GPS bike trackers rely on concealment to ensure their effectiveness. There also seem to be major doubts about whether the creator is genuinely able to produce the product with many comments on the Kickstarter page questioning how the device would work.
The TrackerPad does appear to be surprisingly affordable. The Kickstarter campaign is offering five for £45 and the creators suggest a number of alternative uses, including on wallets and bags – and even for pets and children. At the time of writing, the campaign had raised around £39,000 of a £100,000 target.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
Latest Comments
- imajez 3 hours 23 min ago
Nothing new about zebra [or light controlled] crossing on roundabouts. Sheffield has had them for decades, possibly since the 1970s.
- David9694 4 hours 53 min ago
Herefordshire man fined after throwing parking ticket...
- OnYerBike 6 hours 13 min ago
I'm sure that sort of thing will come sooner or later. But presumably a key ingredient (and why you'd turn to a big brand like Fizik) is knowing...
- muhasib 6 hours 18 min ago
"the cost to rebuild the M25 junction 10/A3 Wisley interchange is £317 million. The project is expected to be completed in 2025. "
- mark1a 6 hours 42 min ago
I think they did, from memory back in the 70s/80s... haven't seen one for years though, our current milkman uses a standard van, albeit hybrid.
- kingleo 7 hours 56 min ago
I believe that straight forks that are used on carbon frames are more dangerous than the old steel forks because they are more rigid, the old steel...
- S.E. 8 hours 28 min ago
Yes, sleep apnea produces more CO... I'm not aware of any doping effect but what do I know....
- Gd29 10 hours 36 min ago
That's true enough. But doesn't address my point that the chainset you get as a replacement will not physically fit chainrings from the chain set...
- brooksby 11 hours 7 min ago
In all fairness, it almost certainly NEVER happened…
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13 comments
It definitely will work: when you scan the sticker, you know exactly where your bike is - right in front of you.
yea the hand model sucks - this is not even a well done scam! the video looks like it was edited in 2006. shamefuk
I reported the project, there is no way you can fit GPS + communications + battery into a 1.6g package. The battery would only last for minutes at most.
The GPS unit mentioned costs $25 each in bulk, it is bigger than the device pictured and it costs several times more than the device is being sold for. It would need a battery as large as a mobile phone battery.
The guy is a web-designer, there is no way he can make this.
Doesn't look right at all to me. Lets looks at a simple parts list
GPS chip/module + antenna. To aquire GPS fix
Arm 7 Micro to process the data from the GPS module and pass it to the GPRS module
GPRS module to send the position over the air, cant see any mention of this
battery + power/charging circuit
Power consumption doesn't add up
Nor does the size requirements. Its way too thin to get to get any of the above inside, let alone all of them.
You could put something together like this using Bluetooth Low Energy for sure, even then with a single BLE chip that thickness would be challenging. But that only has a single radio/CPU to power and BLE doesnt consume anywhere near what is required by GPRS and GPS.
A quick dig and the specs seem to be a cut and paste from an off the shelf GPS (rx only) module with no mention of any other type of radio either short (BLE) or long range (GPRS) to actually do anything with the position data once you have it.
You would also want something like a BLE radio to configure the device over the air locally.
If you ask me it stinks
The bar code in the video is obviously fake and links to windowsphone.com
wouldn't touch it with a barge pole
This is a complete scam, just take the damn story down.
Better that the story be left up and the project be pointed out as clearly being a scam.
If you're a kick-starter member then please report this as fraud.
This looks very suspect.
You can have GPS receivers this small (not for that price though), but that's not the main issue here. Its how the signal is transmitted.
I would assume the "sticker" would need to remain connected to a device such as a phone to actually have any functionality. A good example would be how your Garmin GPS unit (a receiver) can connect to your phone (transmitter) to enable live tracking.
I do not know of the technology available in the public sector that would allow a a GPS receiver, Transmission device AND Power Circuit to be contained in such a small package. In all honesty, its just not possible at this time.
The only way I could imagine something like this being possible now would be if it were a tracking device similar to what is used at a Sportive to register the rider times. But this is not done via GPS and would require a complete network of "Receivers" to be placed around the world...
Solid Fraud here guys, why would a 'web developer' employ someone else to build his page, why no contact for 8 days... new story chasing the scammer down please
Bez, you'd simply set a password to enter the app - shouldn't be a huge stumbling block at all; also what apps record your home address?
Smallboy, interesting, that was my first thought, 5 for £45 is pretty much impossible for any device that takes a SIM, plus how do you get 7 days worth of battery into a think sticker?
Agree - this appears to be a scam.
Road.cc team - please kill this story or post a big health warning on it.
Guys it's a fake, you should probably take this down before someone unknowingly pledges money.
There's no way that this is possible with current technology, especially for that price.
Read the comments on KS.
Hm. Being a little sceptical of a couple of other aspects I went and read the comments on the Kickstarter page.
Would suggest doing likewise.
Hm. There's a fairly howling design flaw here.
If you stick one on your bike then (provided your bike's out of your sight for a bit) someone with the app can come along, scan the QR, and track you. Which means they'll find your home address and know where to find at least one bike to nick.
I'd like the QR to be, say, on the packaging that comes with the tag, not on the tag.