New GPS Device Tracks Letters in the Mail

The Letter Logger

Share via:   Technorati    (Inside GNSS) Twitter

The new GPS Letter Logger (GLL-1000) by TrackingTheWorld uses a Texas Instruments microprocessor and a u-blox ANTARIS 4 GPS module to help the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) find out where and how long a piece of mail spends in one place.

The device fits in a standard Number 10 business envelope and is sturdy enough to go through USPS sorting machines without damage. It is only ¼” thick with a surface slightly smaller than the envelope and the weight of a few sheets of papere. Positioning data can be linked with Google Earth, allowing
officials to identify delivery delays. The USPS is
apparently still evaluating the results from a trial of the device in the Denver area last year.

The GLL-1000 uses an 1100mAh battery that can last from 20 hours to 2 weeks depending on how often the device is programmed to receive updates. The user can also select a mode that activates the tracking device only when it moves. Positioning date is stored on a standard micro-SD card for later downloading and analysis.

Engineers at TrackingTheWorld developed the Letter Logger for the USPS. The company designs custom GPS and OEM products and software and is based in Burlingame, California, USA.

The company website indicates that a commercial version will be released in February and that TrackingTheWorld is seeking wholesale distributors for the product.