Smart Dynamic Position Tracking Wearable for Geofencing in Marine Environment

The main aim of this article is to develop a smart wearable system for location tracking and border alerts in marine environments. This wearable monitors the location of the user and alerts him before the preset border is crossed. The operation is achieved by using an Arduino UNO development board and a global positioning system (GPS) module, along with a buzzer placed on the lifejacket of the user. The GPS module antenna has been replaced by a novel embroidered textile antenna radiating at 1.575 GHz. The antenna was characterized in free space, bent, crumpled, wet, and on-body conditions. The specific absorption rate (SAR) was well within the IEC limits. A haversine function-based location-finding algorithm that takes advantage of the actual GPS data alerts the user in case of any breach. Experiments were carried out in both land and estuarine environments to validate the wearable functionality.