Aardvark Daily

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A plague of smart frogs?

Technology is coming together to create a new plague of smart devices that are totally self-contained and virtually maintenance free.

Solar cells generate the electricity needed to power their circuitry, lithium batteries store the excess for night-time operation.

Nano-power microcontrollers deliver more than enough MIPs to handle complex tasks and tiny CMOS cameras give these devices the power to spy on us, both covertly and overtly.

GPS receivers allow them to identify their location, no matter where they are, almost anywhere on the face of the planet and WiFi or cellular modems give them the power to relay their collected data to any other place on the globe.

If you stopped and thought long enough about it, the prospect of these smart devices could be a little scary.

Especially if you're overparked on an urban street in Wellington.

That's because a clever Kiwi company called MonkeyRoom has developed and is now marketing a device called a "Frog".

Yes, it's one of those stand-alone, solar-powered, wirelessly connected "spies" I was talking about and according to news reports, the Wellington City Council is considering the use of these devices to police parking spaces in the city.

Even though none of us like getting parking tickets, you have to admit that this is a nifty bit of technology. In fact, it's so nifty that I sure hope they've bolted them down hard, lest someone decide they'd like a pet frog of their own and kidnap a few.

Right now the Frog does little other than alert cruising parking wardens to the fact you're overparked. They still have to beat-the-feet to reach your overparked vehicle before you race off in the nick of time.

However, I can see that with the addition of just a small amount of extra technology, it would be very easy to extend the Frog's function to automatically creating an infringement notice and billing your credit-card or whatever.

How long before all vehicles on NZ's roads are required to have an RFID device which can be scanned from a distance of two metres or so, thus allowing for such extended automation of infringement notices?

This would be a godsend for police.

Regular "scan and fine stations" (SAFS) could be set up throughout town and on the open highway.

Each time a vehicle passed by a SAFS it could be checked for expired WOF and registration and all the necessary infringement notices automatically created.

Now, instead of tying up our police on ridiculous revenue-generation activities such as random stops simply to check rego/warrants in the hopes of scoring a few extra dollars for the crown's coffers, the whole process could be pretty much automated.

What's more, because these "frogs" are self-contained, they could be relocated at regular intervals, effectively thwarting those who might try to dodge them by taking alternative routes.

Place two frogs on a piece of road, have them talk to each other and they could even do a speed-check of each passive vehicle by measuring the time taken to travel between them.

RFID on vehicles would also greatly simplify the levying of tolls on roads that require or the introduction of congestion charges in our busier urban centres.

Gosh, think of the possibilities!

Horrifying isn't it?

What do you think?

Should all vehicles be required by law to carry an RFID tag so that this kind of revenue-collection law-enforcement can be automated, thus freeing up our police to deal with real crimes?

Or would such a system constitute too much of an infringement of our rights to travel without being snooped on?

Surely it's hard to argue against the former?

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