Most car tracking system nowadays are for direction purposes where the system is use to get the user from point A to point B. The current technology available for this sort of system is based around GPS technology and user needs to pay on a monthly basis to be able to use this service. There isn’t a car tracking system that enables users to locate their car in a big car park (ex: Airport car parks) using Bluetooth technology. Bluetooth technology is ideal in this situation as it doesn’t require user to pay to use Bluetooth when locating the car compared to GSM or GPS. GSM (SMS system) would not work in this case as car parks might be built underground and might not have GSM coverage. Similar tracking system already exists for lost child in zoos.

When the user wants to get to the car, it could send a message to the system via a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone and the system could look up its database to search for the user’s car using a unique car ID and send back an SMS to the user to tell the exact location of the car. On a harder scale, the system could direct the user to the car as the user moves towards the car like a GPS system.

For commercialisation purposes, the device could be embedded in e-tags so that it would be available freely to everyone. It could also be embedded into car’s computer system in which the system could adjusts seats, steering wheel, interior temperature and even radio station based on the user’s mobile phone. The device could be versatile such that it can be diversified to virtually track anything that moves.

Car park management companies and car auctioneers with lots of cars to keep track of would benefit from such a system. Shopping centres could also use this system as an added service to its customers to track their child.

Dr Jamie Evans, Aliza Ali, Andy Ng Ken Win Ng