Wearable human and asset tracking company GTX Corp is ramping up its wearables business on all fronts. Citing high post-pandemic demand from law enforcement, government agencies, medical institutions, and consumers, GTX Corp announced increased testing and certification efforts in North America, Europe, and Australia. GTX designed its GPS SmartSole wearable smart insole human trackers to help control wandering behavior of people with cognitive impairments, such as some people on the Autism spectrum, patients with dementia, and people with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
The GPS SmartSole is a trim-to-fit shoe insole with a GPS module sealed inside. The wearable uses the GPS to track its current location. Every five minutes the device sends its location to the GTX monitoring system. Family members and care givers can track the wearable user’s location via an online platform or a smartphone app. Caregivers can also implement geofence alerts when a wearer leaves an allowed area or enters a restricted region. The GPS SmartSole must be charged daily with an included wireless charging pad. The device requires a subscription service plan that includes cellular connectivity and access to the location-tracking platform.
GTX Corp announced testing and certification processes with Verizon in North America and with Orange and Telefonica for service in Europe and Australia. GTX also stated the company is stockpiling components to meet the anticipated demand as it clears certification and regulatory hurdles.
The appeal of the GPS SmartSole is clear when there is a need to keep track of people who might wander. One factor in the system’s appeal is its passivity; all the user has to do is put on their shoes or boots. Due to the required tie-in with the devices, cellular connectivity, and a location monitoring platform, we might term the GPS SmartSole as a LaaS (Location-as-a-Service) device.
