Couple invent a novel tracker to catch chain snatchers

Chain snatching has become an urban menace putting the cops on their toes to catch the culprits. Distressed over this, here is a couple who have come out with a novel smart electronic gadget to track down the culprits and know their where-abouts before catching them red-handed.

Titled 'ATME Technology-Ultimate Real Time High Speed Tracker for Serious Convert Operation' the device is invented by BS Manusudhan, Lecturer ECE Department, along with his wife S Sowmyasudhan, Lecturer CSE Department. Both lecturers of the ATME College of Engineering.

How it works

The chip Micro Electronic Mechanical Switch (MEMS) with a customized real time GPS tracker will be embedded in the gold chains and ornament. A mobile number will be assigned to the tracker. The biasing voltage required for operating the chip is generated by the body temperate of the person wearing the ornament.

When a chain is forcibly snatched, the weakest link disconnects and the chip transmits an emergency high priority signal to the nearest mobile tower and there by switching to the nearest police station and also sends an SMS message to the per-designated cell phone number.

The Police need to have equipment or a computer to monitor the incoming signal and to track the coordinates of the chain snatchers. As the GPS Tracker keeps sending the message for every five seconds, the culprits are tracked in real time. Another advantage of the tracker is that even if the culprits takes it to a goldsmith to melt ornaments, the exact last location can still be known and the culprits can be traced.

Naming the processor as 'ATME – P2011' the couple have applied for a patent. In the meantime, they have also obtained a digital signature for implementing this prestigious project. The Approximate cost of this tracker is around Rs 1200.

Manusudhan says, 'We conducted a detailed survey before working on the Tracker. Police informed us that between 2008 and 2010, around Rs 1 crore worth of gold chain snatching cases have been registered by 223 victims. It has become a challenging task for the Police Department to catch the culprits.

The smart processor ATME-P2011 in the gold chain or any valuable, tracks the criminal and can be put behind bars,' he said. The couple are presently working on extending the concept to transmit video signals in real time to nearby police station when untoward incidents occur.

He thanked ATME College Principal Dr KS Srinivasan and Chairman L Arunkumar for extending support to establish a project cell and launch the product by coming years.