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GPS Luggage Locator

I may be in Boston but my bags may be in Chicago!
  (+4)
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Airlines frequently lose luggage and send them to places other than where you're going. When you reach and you don't see your bags, you ask the airline where your bags are, and they usually don't know (nice cover up). Not so if you have the Luggage Locator in one of your bags. It will have a GPS and a cellular transmitter, and it will report its current location, and you can view it on a website. A pressure sensor will automatically turn it off if the air pressure is too low (so it is not on during a flight) Presto, no more lost bags.
kewldude471, Apr 15 2006

30M bags 'temporarily' lost = $2.5B lost http://www.cbsnews....s/main1425295.shtml
Any other business would... [Shz, Apr 16 2006]

SparkFun: GM862 Cellular Module http://www.sparkfun...php?products_id=278
Based on [half]'s mention. What a great store. [jutta, Apr 16 2006]

Lo-Jack Luggage [theGem, Nov 02 2008]

[link]






       Still wouldn't help you get your luggage any faster. Sure, you'd still get stuff stolen out of your luggage. But at least you'd know WHERE your unmentionables got pinched.
Letsbuildafort, Apr 15 2006
  

       GPS doesn't work from inside the bag, and you won't be allowed to use cell phones even during landing and take-off, when I imagine the pressure is quite normal. But the latter problem could be fixed by changing FAA rules or by including a timer that activates the locator if there's been no movement for longer than X hours.
jutta, Apr 16 2006
  

       Based on the problem statement and resolution presented, GPS seems like overkill. It seems that a general geographic location would meet the stated requriements. Could not the cell carrier provide that information? They always seem to be looking for value-added services on which they can make another buck. Maybe they'll host it, provide the devices and rake in the fees.   

       There's a company called...uhm....oh, yeah, SparkFun Electronics that has a cell phone kit. That would be a good starting point for a prototype. It makes it "easy" to control the cell phone with your own microcontroller code.
half, Apr 16 2006
  

       Currently, luggage that emits cellphone signals is assumed to be a bomb.   

       And yes, the GPS receiver is redundant.
baconbrain, Apr 16 2006
  

       A bomb? Really? Do you have a link to a story or document that relates to that?
jutta, Apr 16 2006
  

       With a GPS in each bag, it seems costly, but at least the luggage knows where it is. Try Lo-Jack Luggage and let professional track them down. [link]
theGem, Nov 02 2008
  
      
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