People finder

A system patented by Sandia Laboratories in 1997 to locate personnel exposed to radiological, chemical or other toxic agents is to be commercialised by Washington, DC-based Gentag for non-military use.

The original Sandia system comprised a small microprocessor-based monitor with an associated RF transceiver, chemical sensor and a built-in power source that can be worn on clothing.

In use, the RF transceiver on the unit conveys both distance and hazard information from the person wearing it to a separate base station.

The system, which has already been field tested, allows people to be located over distances of up to 19.3km -- with a potential geolocation accuracy of 91.44cm. In addition to its range, the technology can also detect people either inside or outside buildings.

Dr Mike Lovejoy, who was on the so-called 'radar responsive tag development team' at Sandia, will now work on the commercialisation and miniaturisation of the technology with Gentag.