New Device Uses GPS Projectile to Track Fleeing Vehicles

The StarChase GPS vehicle tagging and tracking system is so new it’s still in the development stages, but it could soon help to reduce the number of high-speed pursuits.

At the heart of the system is an air launcher that propels a projectile from a police vehicle onto a suspect vehicle. The launcher sits behind the grill on the front of the cruiser. An officer making a traffic stop can aim the launcher at the back of the suspect vehicle while still behind the wheel.

If the suspect flees in his vehicle, the officer can use a remote control to activate the system, launching the sticky projectile onto the fleeing car. The projectile contains a GPS receiver, battery, and radio transmitter, all embedded in a specially developed epoxy compound.

The device activates automatically on impact and transmits the vehicle’s location every few seconds to a central location where it is shown on a computerized map display. With this information, police can meet up with a fleeing suspect in their own time, without initiating a high-speed pursuit that can endanger officers and others.

For more information visit www.starchase.org