SHYSPY GPS tracker for bicycles

SHYSPY GPS tracker not only enables cyclists to track their cycling activity but also to locate their stolen bikes in case of crime.

SHYSPY GPS works in much the same way as other GPS tracking devices, the unit uses a combination of a mobile SIM card along with a GPS module to accurately track the location of your bike to and deliver this data to your desktop or mobile device via a data connection.



Some of the hardware features:

• Long battery life. In passive mode (not tracking but connected to network) it can operate for 5 weeks continuously. It can also easily support a power down mode in which it will listen to external events (e.g., motion detection) and can run for months at a time (most likely even a year)
• Quad band GSM connectivity, meaning compatibility with all GSM networks.

Now, there are plenty of other trackers out there, so what makes this one special? Besides the aforementioned simplicity of the hardware,  we see that most trackers today fall in two categories:

• The first one uses hardware which is sold at a loss with a monthly contract to access the tracking data
• The second one sends tracking information to a cell phone using SMS where the user can see the coordinates and open a link in Google Maps

Both have some serious disadvantages. The first one has a monthly cost attached even if you're not using the tracker. Furthermore, all the tracking data sits on a third party server. If there is a security breach or if the provider goes out of business your data could very well be compromised or lost.

The second one has a problem of usability. What if you want to track 3 or 4 or a lot more bikes? How do you efficiently manage this data? Sending text messages to the tracker is prone to errors and can be very tedious. Getting the data back and clicking on a link to get you to a Google map might work for one tracking point, but what if you are tracking a bike over time and need to see a history of your cycling activity?

The advantage of the second one however is that it uses SMS for the communication of tracking data from or commands to the tracker. Why SMS is a good idea over other technologies such as GPRS, EDGE or 3G/4G?

• Coverage: works even with connections that are not good enough for voice, and is available where other network services are not
• The network itself acts as a buffer in case one of the communicating ends has no connection
• The amount of power needed to send an SMS is much less than to e.g., set up a TCP connection over GPRS
• Point to Point communication without the need for a server with static IP address

These, and other criteria make that SMS is a very good method specially for the cyclists who want to use the gps tracker as a security device, meaning that they may not need to track the bike for months and even years but they need to have the tracker ready at any moment if the bike crime happens.

 We just had to simplify the manual process of sending SMS with a software system:SHYSPY desktop and mobile app just do that for you. and gives you the choice to choose between either GPRS or SMS tracking methods and benefit from the one that suits you better.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/385904042/shyspy-gps-gsm-tracker-for-bicycles