News: A new way of tracking children

Posted at 10:21 PM EDT (0221 GMT)

Aug. 11th, 2004 -- A new wristband beacon detecting service at Paramount's Great America has been installed. The new wristbands feature beacons that communicate with a central computer. The computer then sends the information to kiosks scattered in the park. Parents can report to the kiosk, and there, the parents view a screen of the exact location of their kids. The technology used can be described similar to a GPS, tracking down the exact pin-point of a beacon.

The new technology allows to clear off some stress with parents worrying about their children at Paramount's Great America. "I think it's a great system,'' said Winding of Brentwood, Calif. "When I was here as a little kid, my sister got lost in the park and it was very traumatic for my parents,'' she said. "I remember that vividly.''

The "Star Watch" band rents for 5 dollars a day. Guests who buy the tracking device are even able to use the kisosk for advanced features. Such as finding a specific resturaunt, ride, or bathroom based on their location.

Great America was first concerned about the wrist bands encountering a "dead zone", a zone similar to one encountered while using a cell phone. Great America avoided this zone, by zoning the park into 63 zones, and creating a stable transmission for each zone.

For more information, visit The Beacon Journal

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