More indepth: AeroAstro Leverages Globalstar To
Build Low-Cost Asset Tracker
Herndon - Apr 03, 2002
spacedaily.com
To meet the growing
demand for low-cost,
remote monitoring of
business assets,
Globalstar, the world's
most popular handheld
satphone service, and
AeroAstro, one of the
world's leading providers
of small satellites and
related technology
products, are now
developing a new, very low
cost simplex data modem
for remote sensing and
asset tracking via satellite. An initial demonstration of the
new product is scheduled for late-summer 2002.
The new modems will be part of a system that combines
Globalstar's satellite communications network with
AeroAstro's Sensor Enabled Notification System (SENS)
technology, allowing sensing or tracking data to be sent
from remote locations via satellite and over the Internet to
the customer.
These modems will provide businesses with an economic
solution to remotely and automatically track the movement
and condition of assets, such as shipping containers, or to
monitor environmental data such as pipeline temperature
and pressure or utility use.
By sending data over the Globalstar satellite network and
through SENS decoders at the Globalstar gateways, the
modems will enable reliable data transmissions in
real-time from locations far beyond the reach of any
ground-based network - a combination of features never
before available in such a low-cost unit.
"Globalstar is continuing to broaden its portfolio of products
and services, bringing affordable and innovative satellite
communications applications to an ever wider range of
customers," said Paul Thomas, Globalstar vice president
of data products and services.
"These new simplex modems developed in partnership
with AeroAstro will be an economically attractive solution
for all manner of businesses who need to manage distant
fixed and mobile equipment - from pipeline operators and
electric power transmission companies to trucking and
maritime cargo shippers."
"Asset management is a growing business, and our
low-cost sensors offer the marketplace an economically
viable and highly reliable solution," said Dr. Rick Fleeter,
President and CEO of AeroAstro.
"By leveraging the capabilities of the Globalstar satellite
network, our SENS system can be up and running in
months, rather than years - at very economical costs to
our customers."
The Globalstar/AeroAstro basic modem unit is expected to
be available in volume quantities for as low as $60,
including the antenna, on an OEM basis. Implementation of
the modem into an end user solution will normally include
additional components, such as housing and sensors, at
additional cost depending on the particular industrial
application.
The new modem -- the size of a wireless pager -- will
allow data to be sent at pre-set or random intervals from
the modem over the Globalstar satellite network and then
transmitted to the customer's data collection facility via the
Internet.
The new modems provide myriad business solutions for
various industries: For pipeline operators, the new
Globalstar/AeroAstro modems will make it possible to
economically monitor pipeline conditions such as pressure
and throughput, at regular intervals and in real-time across
a field or across a continent, allowing extremely rapid
notification of a pipeline break or other anomaly.
For shippers, the modems will provide the location of their
containers, affording immediate notification of any
emergency situations. With these features, assets may be
tracked even in very remote locations, and, if coordinated
with customs officials, these modems can be used to
streamline freight traffic at international border crossings. |
