HidnSeek is a tiny GPS tracker that’ll help you locate just about anything

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HidnSeek uses the SIGFOX network to provide users with accurate geo-localisation updates every five minutes.

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Developed by French entrepreneurs Stéphane Driussi and Xavier Torres-Tuset, HidnSeek is a smart GPS tracking device that connects to the low-cost SIGFOX network and provides users with accurate geo-localization updates.

The solution is comprised of a palm-sized, open source unit that attaches to any object in need of being monitored and a smartphone application. Based on an ATmega328P MCU, the lightweight tracker packs an accelerometer, a battery and a micro-USB port for recharging. Whereas most gadgets use GSM networks which tend to consume quite a bit of energy and heavily limit tracking capabilities, HidnSeek employs the ultra low-power SIGFOX network instead. Meanwhile, its accompanying app (available for IOS, Android and Windows) lets users easily manage the number of HidnSeek devices being logged, customize geo-fences and configure alert messages.

The system works by determining its position through GPS and transmitting up to 140 geo-localization updates per 24 hour period to its servers via the network. SIGFOX permits two-way communications with HidnSeek, giving users the ability to change their settings up to four times per day and to facilitate geo-localisation updates every five minutes, if necessary.

To get started, a user simply drops HidnSeek inside a suitcase, a child’s backpack or even a car’s door panel, then keeps tabs through its mobile app. Thanks to an embedded accelerometer, the tiny gadget boasts a range of additional features including a “Body Guard” mode that sends an alert if a device remains stationary for an extended period of time and a “Motion Sensor” security system that can inform a user if an doorway has been opened.

“Perhaps you can’t check on an elderly relative as often as you would like or you want to ensure your loved ones are safe during their sporting expeditions. By sharing your tracker ID and with ‘Body Guard’ mode activated, anyone you trust can be alerted directly and notified of the exact location should there be no movement observed for a period of time from 1-15 minutes,” its creators explain.

HidnSeek goes beyond just revealing the whereabouts of one’s belongings. With its built-in geo-fencing technology, users can predefine a set of boundaries, such as a school, neighborhood or workplace, and if a HidnSeek gadget enters or exits the area, a notification will be immediately sent to their phone. This function will be come in handy should a drone go out of reach as it will be able to assist the flier in retrieving their UAV when it goes down.

“HidnSeek determines its location accurately with GPS technology and broadcasts your data using SIGFOX network connectivity, meaning its range extends as far as the SIGFOX network coverage. SIGFOX have committed to rolling out their connectivity across the globe; Europe is nearly fully covered and America is on the way,” the team writes.

“This makes HidnSeek so versatile you can find just about anything, anywhere! Other tracking devices use Bluetooth or cellular tower technology to locate their devices, both of which have limitations. Bluetooth has a limited detection span of 40 meters maximum, and cellular tower technology has limited geo-localization accuracy, which may be greater than 500 meters.”

Whether you’re a worrywart or actually prone to losing things, your car or even grandma, head over to HidnSeek’s Kickstarter campaign to get a tracker of your own. Stéphane Driussi & Xavier Torres-Tuset are currently seeking $13,688. Shipment is expected to begin in October 2015.