HNL's technology has seen a number of innovative uses of the technology when solving customer's needs. Master key tracking has been a common use of the technology since loosing a master key is a significant security concern. Once a master key is lost the facility re-key all the doors with a different master key pattern - a rather expensive endeavor for a campus environment. Our technology provides the continuous monitoring of the location of the keys at all times within the campus both indoors and outdoors. The administration can setup alert zones at exit and entrances to create alerts when a key goes out of the campus area. Our peer-to-peer technology allows campus administration to find the key even when it is outside the active tracking area - as it would happen when the key is taken underground into a basement. New uses of our technology in safety allows the tracking of personnel within a factory or a campus environment. Similar to master keys, zones can be created to setup alerts and creates reports when personnel enters or exist different areas. The same technology can be integrated within the facility fire-drill and Muster zones. In case of a fire or a fire-drill, the system can automatically show the facility administrator which employees are within the Muster area, who is not and who is missing. The peer-to-peer technology can then be used to locate an employee who may be missing even when their location is not within the radio coverage of the system. It is certainly interesting uses of the technology.
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![]() A new PixieTracker mobile app updated is available on the Google Play store. We improved the Bluetooth integration with Android OS when first paring the PixieEngine Bluetooth device. This process is only done once when pairing the Bluetooth device to the phone. It is simple enough if you go through the Android settings menu subsystem and this is how most people paired the two. However if you did not go through the Android setting menu, you could still pair the device through the mobile application but that tended to be a bit problematic. Now both ways work well. We also added a beep sound if you lose the Bluetooth connection to the PixieEngine device. In addition, you now have a dialog box indicating that Bluetooth connectivity has been lost. Previous version just showed an error in the alert section of the screen. This fix prevents the user from not realizing that the PixieEngine is disconnected from the mobile phone - especially important when searching for a Tag. We also added a beep whenever a new Tag is found nearby. While this is a small fix, it makes a big difference for the end user. Now when searching for a missing Tag you don’t have to be constantly looking at the screen to see if one was found. ![]() Tag Filtering has been added to the Map-View window as shown on the image. This capability is designed to filter selected Tags in order to create an uncluttered map view. The default settings allow all Tags to be shown - which can get pretty busy if you are looking at 50 Tag within a small area. To filter, Tags simply press each Tag intended to be shown on the map. The filtering capability also works the same on the Tag playback viewing mode. ![]() A new addition to the web portal! Now users and administrators can enter notes on Spotcast, microSpotcast or objects along the campus. This capability allows information to be associated with a particular object. For example when a Spotcast is installed within a building the installer can attach a note describing the final installation details. A note can also be added to objects that have a Tag. A master key tag can have its own unique notes which may help in providing additional information about the use and status of the object. ![]() HNL's Pixie Tracker platform utilizes the PixieEngine peer-to-peer technology and the user's mobile device to find tag objects without any other infrastructure. The Pixie Tracker is a complementary layer to our existing Pixie Map which provides a Geo synchronized object locations in Google Maps both within a floor plan indoor and outdoors. The Pixie Tracker allows for the finding and locating of objects which are outside the range of the Pixie Map. For example, a master-key may be actively tracked across an university campus with the Pixie Map, but the key may be lost in the basement of a building which is not within the Pixie Map tracking area. The Pixie Map shows the last known location through the Google Map display and now the Pixie Tracker can be used to find the key in the underground environment. HNL has published the Android application Pixie Tracker in the Google App Store (play.google.com) which can be downloaded and used by HNL's users of the Pixie Tracker. Future updates of the Pixie Tracker mobile application will be done via the Google App Store. You can search for it using the key words "Pixie Tracker" ![]() HNL has released a new version of its Android application Pixie Map in the Google App Store (play.google.com) We have been working on this new upgrade over the last months to include new version incorporated a number of new features and bug fixes. Android devices will automatically update the app, however, if that's not the case, you can search for it using the key words "Pixie Map" When a college campus loses a set of master keys, the time and cost to replace and retool all the locks can be staggering. Facility managers have been seeking creative ways to solve this issue with little success until they ran across Carlos Garcia the founder of Human Network Labs, better known as HNL, based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 2011, HNL teamed up with Global Tracking Group based out of Baltimore, Maryland to design the first ever master key tracking system that works both indoors and outside. The patent pending technology is called the Pixie Engine™ and is a significant breakthrough in the asset tracking market space. “In the last 6 years Facility Managers and Security Directors from colleges, universities and even corporate campuses have been calling us seeking a solution for master key tracking” said Ken Barksdale, CEO of Global Tracking Group and Chairman of HNL. “GPS is not the solution due to its limitations for indoor tracking and RFID is extremely limited in accuracy and very expensive to install”. The Pixie Engine™ not only covers both indoor and outdoor areas but is extremely cost effective as well. A typical midsize college campus can spend upwards of $100,000 to replace and retool all their locks and some have lost keys multiple times in one year. The return on their investment is immediate. Tracking master keys is not the only capability of the Pixie Engine™ technology, any asset can be tracked using this same technology such as; campus vehicles, equipment, security personnel and even visitors. “Our vision of this technology is not limited to Colleges and Universities but they have been the ones seeking out a solution so we have built the platform to meet their needs first and will expand to other arenas as the demand develops” says Garcia. “Carlos and I are very excited for the future of this technology. The opportunities are endless and the market demand is very high for security and asset tracking. Our first few accounts have been installed and we have more than a dozen more to implement in the next few months. Who knew master key tracking would lead to such a large opportunity” said Barksdale. HNL was established in 2007 and has spent the last 5 years developing the technology and user platform for Real-time localization services. Find us at: www.humannetworklabs.com Global Tracking Group was established in 2006 and is the premier provider of Real-time GPS personal tracking solutions. www.globaltrackinggroup.com For more information call 1-800-774-9808 ![]() We are now doing installations of solar power Spotcast 2.0 on campus. This installation utilized a bucket truck as one was available, but could have easily been done with a contractor ladder. Spotcast are installed 3-4 meters above ground to provide both wide coverage. Installation was quick, about 10-15 min per post. |
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June 2013
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