Satellite signals can help find lost pets

Technology will soon be on its way to help pet owners stay connected with their pets.

Pet owners can hope to find their lost animals using a new collar beacon developed by scientists that uses Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite signals to locate them.

The GlobalPetFinder device is about the size of a large wristwatch and weighs 0.15 kg.

It clips discreetly on to a pet's collar and reports GPS satellite signals back to the animal's owner via a cellular phone network.

Owners can find out the precise position of their pooch at any time, by sending a cellphone text message containing 'F-O-U-N-D' to a special number.

The transmitter also lets them create a virtual fence around their beloved pet and will automatically send alerts when the animal strays outside the invisible boundary. It can even be used to monitor a pet's well being, by tracking the surrounding temperature.

It could, for example, warn them that a dog is overheating inside a hot car. The device also sends a warning message back to the owner when its batteries start to run low.

GPS receivers calculate their position using signals broadcast from several orbiting satellites, with a precise timestamp.

The GPS component inside GlobalPetFinder's collar gadget uses an ultra-compact, multidirectional antenna developed by British company Sarantel, which can pick up satellite signals regardless of the antenna's position, unlike many existing GPS devices.