Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 7, No. 47

October - December 2023. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 48-56

DOI https://doi.org/10.31876/er.v6i44.850

Analysis and Implementation of a Satellite Tracking

System applied to pets using free software with GPS and

GSM technology

Análisis e Implementación de un Sistema de Rastreo Satelital aplicado a

mascotas mediante software libre con tecnología GPS y GSM

Anthony Morán Cabezas*

Andrés De La Torre Macias*

Jefferson Morán Cabeza*

José Tubay Vergara*

Received: July 09, 2023

Approved: September 11, 2023

Abstract

The project aims to implement a satellite tracking system for

pets, using GSM and GPS technology, free software and a VPS

server. An analysis will be carried out to select the best GPS

device. In addition, a mobile application will be developed

that will allow users to see the geographic location of their pet

and place virtual fences to prevent its loss. The application will

also include additional options, such as the ability to configure

the intensity of satellite tracking, call the device, and access a

video tutorial and a menu of pet tips. The VPS server will host

and route the satellite tracking software, and the mobile

application will allow users to view their pet's location in real

time and receive alerts if the pet leaves the geofence

boundary. In summary, the project's main goal is to prevent

pet loss and provide a useful tool to keep pets healthy and

happy.

Keywords:

GSM, GPS, SMS, APP, GPRS, VPS, Satellite Tracking,

Google Maps

Cite this:

Morán, A., De La Torre, A., Morán,

J., Tubay, J. (2023). Análisis e

Implementación de un Sistema de

Rastreo Satelital aplicado a

mascotas mediante software libre

con tecnología GPS y GSM.

Espirales Revista Multidisciplinaria

de investigación científica, 7 (47),

* Ingeniero Universidad Técnica Estatal de

Quevedo, Quevedo, Ecuador,

amoranc5@uteq.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0009-

0005-2734-8474

* Ingeniero Universidad Técnica Estatal de

Quevedo, Quevedo, Ecuador, jtubay@uteq.edu.ec,

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4984-6483

* Ingeniero Universidad Técnica Estatal de

Quevedo, Quevedo, Ecuador,

jmoranc6@u te q .e d u .e c , https://orcid.org/0000-

0003-2097-5027

* Ingeniero Universidad Técnica Estatal de

Quevedo, Quevedo, Ecuador,

adelatorrem@uteq.edu.ec, https://orcid.org/0000-

0002-2377-0716

Anthony Morán Cabezas, Andrés De La Torre Macias, Jefferson Morán Cabeza, José Tubay Vergara*

Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 7, No. 47

October - December 2023. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 48-56

Introduction

It presents the necessary context, adequately describing the problem and justifying the

need for the study. It is desirable to include quotations that reinforce what is stated by

the authors. It is usually useful to make clear in this section the objective and

contribution of the work carried out. Optionally, the organization of the article can be

mentioned.

The project presented here aims to analyze and implement a satellite tracking system

for pets using already known technology, such as GSM (Global System for Mobile

Communications) and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), for communication

between the GPS device and the VPS (Virtual Private Server) server. This free software

satellite tracking system will allow users to monitor their pets through a cellular

application, which is particularly important in Ecuador, where technology for finding lost

pets is scarce.

Although GPS technology has been widely used in many areas in Ecuador, including

military, police, naval, maritime, vehicular, mining, medical, aerial and industrial, it has

been little used in the veterinary field, specifically in pets. However, with the growing

concern for animal welfare in Ecuador, including the approval of a law that punishes

animal abuse with imprisonment which states the following: "Article 249 of the Organic

Integral Penal Code states that whoever causes injury to animals of the urban fauna,

causing permanent damage will be punished with imprisonment of two to six months

and if the conduct is carried out as a result of animal cruelty or torture will be punished

with imprisonment of six months to one year" (Council for the Protection of Animal

Resumen

El proyecto tiene como objetivo la implementación de un

sistema de rastreo satelital para mascotas, utilizando

tecnología GSM y GPS, software libre y un servidor VPS. Se

realizará un análisis para seleccionar el mejor dispositivo GPS.

Además, se desarrollará una aplicación móvil que permitirá a

los usuarios ver la ubicación geográfica de su mascota y

colocar vallas virtuales para prevenir su pérdida. La aplicación

también incluirá opciones adicionales, como la posibilidad de

configurar la intensidad del rastreo satelital, llamar al

dispositivo y acceder a un video tutorial y un menú de consejos

para mascotas. El servidor VPS alojará y direccionará el

software de rastreo satelital, y la aplicación móvil permitirá a

los usuarios ver la ubicación de su mascota en tiempo real y

recibir alertas si la mascota sale de la delimitación de la

geocerca. En resumen, el proyecto tiene como objetivo

principal prevenir la pérdida de mascotas y proporcionar una

herramienta útil para mantener a las mascotas sanas y felices.

Palabras clave:

GSM, GPS, SMS, APP, GPRS, VPS, Rastreo Satelital,

Google Maps

Analysis and Implementation of a Satellite Tracking System applied to pets using free software with GPS and GSM

technology.

Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 7, No. 47

October - December 2023. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 48-56

Rights of the District of Quito, Ecuador). (Consejo de Protección de Derechos del

Distrito Metropolitano de Quito, 2022).. For this reason, the need has arisen for

technological tools that allow pet owners to control their pets' location, especially in

case of loss. The satellite tracking system implemented in this project will include

customizable geocards to help pet owners keep their animals close.

A mobile application will be developed to allow users to register and modify relevant

data about their pets, view their location in real time, receive notifications if pets go

beyond the geofence, and view the history of their travels. The mobile application has

been chosen due to its popularity, interactivity and ease of use. The database will be

hosted on a VPS server, which is ideal for studio projects and small to medium-sized

businesses, as it saves infrastructure, space and maintenance costs.

Since pets can be very restless, a self-adjusting collar with a lightweight and robust GPS

device capable of withstanding weather conditions will be used. To limit the scope of

the project and focus on an area with a high rate of pet loss, the city of Quevedo, located

in the province of Los Rios, Ecuador, has been selected. Although it is a relatively small

city, it has a large number of inhabitants according to the 2010 SENPLADES census

which indicates the following: "Quevedo has 173.6 thousand inhabitants or 22.3% with

respect to the province of LOS RIOS." (SENPLADES - National Secretariat of Planning

and Development, 2014) and more and more people are joining animal welfare

campaigns.

For the realization of this research work, other research works related to the use of GPS

technology for pet tracking were analyzed, which were of great help for making the right

decisions on the use of technologies and methodologies to be applied.

In the work of (Aguirre, Aguero, Landeo, & Wong, 2019)Geopet, a pet geolocator collar

company, is created, which also has a geofence with which a perimeter can be

established where the device cannot leave and in case it crosses it, an alert will

automatically arrive to the owner's cell phone indicating in which direction he/she

should go to look for it. However, the functions are not only focused on the locator, but

also on providing users with something more, so it also has a social network where pet

owners can interact and upload information about their dogs or cats. The main reason

for the creation of Geopet was to reduce the loss of pets in the city of Metropolitan

Lima and to maintain the safety of those who today are also a fundamental part of

families. (Aguirre, Aguero, Felix, Landeo, & Wong, 2019)..

In the research of (Moltoni, Irurueta, Negri, & Duro, 2010) an evaluation of animal

tracking collars based on GPS technology was carried out in Argentina, which allows the

recording of movement to study animal behavior. The objective of this work was to

evaluate the performance of the collar in the field, under conditions similar to those of

a local production system. The collar consists of a battery-powered GPS collar that was

placed on the animal and a base station in charge of downloading, wirelessly and

automatically, the data from the collar. The collar recorded the position every 30

minutes and the base station was installed in the vicinity of the water trough. The device

Anthony Morán Cabezas, Andrés De La Torre Macias, Jefferson Morán Cabeza, José Tubay Vergara*

Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 7, No. 47

October - December 2023. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 48-56

proved to be robust and suitable for domestic production systems (Moltoni, Irurue,

Moltoni, Irurue). (Moltoni, Irurueta, Negri, & Duro, 2010)..

The author (Basantes, 2016)conducted an analysis of technical feasibility and

commercial viability of devices for locating canine pets through the use of GPS

technology in the metropolitan district of Quito, through a GPS device placed as a collar

on the pet, which was tracked through a cellular App and a GPS server. Helping the

prevention of pet loss in the city of Quito. (Basantes, 2016).

In Ecuador currently the most used technology for pet tracking is the microchip, it has

a size that resembles a grain of rice, which is implanted in the pet's back by certified

veterinarians. This microchip contains vital information such as the pet owner's name,

place of residence, age, medical history, among others.

One of its main disadvantages is that the implanted microchip is of passive Radio

Frequency, that is to say, it will only show its information through an active RF (Radio

Frequency) reader. Only veterinary medical personnel have them. Therefore, the

chances of finding lost pets are very low.

Materials and methods

This research work is aimed at providing a technological service; therefore, the research

methodology to be applied will be exploratory because information on similar cases will

be sought. Descriptive because it will describe the process to be carried out based on

the information obtained. Analytical because the information will be analyzed and from

that it will be synthetic to determine the solution. The study population will be the

canton of Buena Fe, which according to the last census has a population of 38,263

people in the urban area, due to the high number, a sample of 30 people will be taken,

15 women and 15 men residing in the canton.

The technique that will be used will be the virtual interview through Google Forms, since

it is the fastest and safest way to obtain information from people due to the pandemic

that is being experienced.

The interview technique will be carried out with the instrument called questionnaire

which will be applied to the sample population through the WhatsApp application using

a Google Forms link.

Results

Once the application was installed and configured, the following results were obtained:

Once the Geofence has been created, you can visually appreciate the delimitation that

the pet will not be able to cross, and if it does, an alert will be issued via web or email,

the option via SMS is in the paid version of the Traccar platform.

Analysis and Implementation of a Satellite Tracking System applied to pets using free software with GPS and GSM

technology.

Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 7, No. 47

October - December 2023. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 48-56

Within the satellite tracking system, reports can be generated on several aspects such

as:

• Route

• Events

• Travel

• Stops

• Summary

• Daily summary

• Graphic

In this case a route report will be generated, which means the trajectory traveled by the

pet, which can be done by date. To generate this report, click on the icon in the form

of a leaf in the menu at the top, then choose the type of report, then in configuration

the date you want to get the report, and click on the show button. After that you can

close the report window and the route will appear on the date set on your device.

Figure 1.

Route report generated

In the previous figure you can see the route report generated with its respective stops,

which are the green triangles that indicate the periods of inactivity in movement of the

pet with the GPS device. When lines are shown that do not match the roads or highways

on the map, it is because the signal was lost.

Anthony Morán Cabezas, Andrés De La Torre Macias, Jefferson Morán Cabeza, José Tubay Vergara*

Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 7, No. 47

October - December 2023. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 48-56

Figure 2.

Detection of the points visited by the pet.

As can be seen, the GPS device is in correct operation since it is able to be visible on

the map and trace the route of established reports. In the hypothetical case that the

GPS map of the PetGps application is failing, the user has the alternative of using the

"Call" menu of the application in order to receive a link, which when clicked will open

the Google Maps application with the location of the pet with the GPS device.

Figure 3.

Google Maps link generated by the PetGps application.

Analysis and Implementation of a Satellite Tracking System applied to pets using free software with GPS and GSM

technology.

Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 7, No. 47

October - December 2023. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 48-56

Figure 4.

Location of the pet in the Google Maps application.

After completing the experimental study, satisfactory results were obtained. For

example, they were able to provide pet owners with a technological tool that allowed

them to have an effective control to prevent the loss of their pets through geofences or

virtual fences. These geofences can send notifications by e-mail or phone call to owners

when their pets leave their safe area. In addition, the satellite tracking platform enabled

quick and efficient geographic location of pets in case of loss.

The results indicate that the satellite tracking platform fulfills its primary function, which

is to prevent and find pets in cases of loss. However, the study also pointed out some

aspects that need improvement. For example, it is proposed to develop a mobile

application that is compatible with IOS operating systems and to program push alerts

within the mobile application so that users can be alerted more quickly. In addition, it is

suggested to improve the aesthetic design of the application and create an accessible

version for people with visual impairments or disabilities. Finally, it is necessary to

develop a more economical GPS device prototype, since the device used in the

experiment has a high cost and is in short supply in Ecuador.

In summary, the results of the pilot study are satisfactory and demonstrate that the

satellite tracking platform is a useful tool to prevent and find pets in cases of loss.

Anthony Morán Cabezas, Andrés De La Torre Macias, Jefferson Morán Cabeza, José Tubay Vergara*

Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 7, No. 47

October - December 2023. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 48-56

However, it is necessary to work on specific improvements to enhance the functionality

and accessibility of the platform.

Conclusions

The characteristics of different types of open source GPS platforms were analyzed and

the Traccar platform was chosen as the best in performance and reliability. The

characteristics of different types of GPS equipment adaptable to pets were analyzed

and the TKStar TK909 device was chosen as the best in terms of performance, functions,

weight and cost. The VPS server was used and configured on the DigitalOcean cloud

server with the open source GPS Traccar platform, where the acquired data was stored.

A cellular App was created and designed in MIT APP INVENTOR named PetGps, in

which the data obtained from the VPS server emitted by the Traccar platform can be

visualized thanks to the data received by the TKStar 909 device that rests on the pet's

neck.

..........................................................................................................

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October - December 2023. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 48-56

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