What do you guys know about "Skymeter"?
In today's Age newspaper there is an article about it being considered by
Melbourne City Council as a way of combating congestion. Then they talk
about it
tracking vehicle movements, purely in the interests of scientific
research, of
course, as well as insurers using the data to set premiums for individual
policy
holders.
Looking at the website it says this about the in car unit:
"Skymeter has teamed with leading partners in the development of its
In-Vehicle
Sensor. This intelligent GNSS receiver records and corrects vehicle
positions
without the need for Map Matching: a ***bersome, expensive, inaccurate
technique
that provides no evidentiary assurance. Designed to be inexpensive,
self-installed and eventually self-powered, Skymeter collects data,
compresses
and encrypts it and uploads to a remote data center via a wireless
transmission.
Skymeter's Agile Client approach drives operating cost to a bare minimum
while
providing enhanced security. "
What I don't understand and I can't seem to find the info is how the
wireless
link works. Being a rural type person, if it relies on mobile phone
networks to
transmit the data, then what does it do when I'm travelling a lot outside
of
mobile coverage. And perhaps more im****tantly, who pays for the phone
link?
Certainly, Telstra, or whoever is contracted to provide the service would
not be
giving it away for free.
Then it says this about the GPS signals.
"Our service uses GNSS signals (such as GPS and Galileo) to determine an
accurate, reliable, consistent, and private (even anonymous) record of
road use.
Skymeter can implement GPS road pricing today, because Skymeter has solved
four
critical problems that have until now, blocked progress:
"Reading GNSS signals reliably in cites (‘urban canyon' problem)"
Now, the receivers must be bloody good ones. I've used two types of GPS
now
navigating Melbourne. And each time, this "canyoning" effect has rendered
the
units useless.
Then there's the issue of accurate maps. I wonder how it goes if it tolls
you
for using Smith Street at x cents/km when you're really on Jones Street
which
has a toll rate of y cents/km.
It talks about "privacy". Thing is, if the various councils and government
authorities as well as insurance companies are able to track your every
move,
then there is no privacy any more.
Mobs like this, and others like Gatso are a scourge on society. (getting
into
Toby mode, now...)
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