Chuck, Spider-Man and other sci-fi "tracers"

[Matt²]

Ok so here goes..

Spider-man comics for years had "spider tracers" he would plant on unsuspecting people or villains to see where they go. I believe it's been a Hollywood staple for a long time. Watching last nights Chuck, Ellie used one on her father that I SWORE looked exactly like a Spider Tracer, some little round black disc with a mark that the opposing agent was then immediately able to track on a computer map.

I'm sure this technology exists now, but I'm wondering how something can exist in such a small package? Does it transmit radio frequency waves? Is it radioactive?

 

[Bowielee]

Well, Spider-man's tracers worked by transmitting a frequency (I assume sent via radio waves) specifically attuned to his Spider sense. How they get a radio transmitter that can fit into that small of a package to be able to track someone through the whole of New York, I have no idea.

 

[Chibibar]

The chips and such can be small enough, the big trick would be power source. I see a lot of "spy stuff" in catalogs and such still use lithium batteries? or those little disc one or even those pacemaker (really small disc). So you can have that. The tough part is transmitting it. Usually you have a limit range due to power/transmitter of the unit (being small doesn't have that powerful stuff) but you "could" transmit in lower frequency/cycle which has a longer distant. All you need is a pulse really so you don't need it to be high frequency. Then all you need is a receiver to pick up that particular signal and follow it.

There are couple of ways to track it. Most common via cellphone trace is triangulation (pretty common way) using cell towers to track a phone. So if you have a team of people with the receiver running around if different location, you can triangulate the person you are following.

Now in the movies you see those little radar stuff. I don't know.
That is the limit of my knowledge. I only know about the low frequency stuff cause I had to learn it when I was in college. We have to worry about cross talk when we make cables, and shielding our servers, wireless signals and stuff like that.

 

[Wyrminarrd]

Perhaps the device can be remotely activated somehow when they want to go after the target... That way the battery wouldn't have to last all that long.

GPS tracking devices these days are getting pretty small so I´m sure that something like this is easily possible if your not all that cost conscious.

 

[Matt²]

Well I know devices can be made that small.. but how would it transmit a usable signal, is what I want to know?

 

[@Li3n]

Well I know devices can be made that small.. but how would it transmit a usable signal, is what I want to know?

The right frequency + the receivers being in the right places i guess. Like mobile phones really.

Of course this is the movies, the device works perfectly on TV no matter how it does in real life in certain conditions.


BTW, did you knw that Spiderman is responsible for the ankle bracelet home prison thing?

 

[Papillon]

Usually you have a limit range due to power/transmitter of the unit (being small doesn't have that powerful stuff) but you "could" transmit in lower frequency/cycle which has a longer distant. All you need is a pulse really so you don't need it to be high frequency. Then all you need is a receiver to pick up that particular signal and follow it.

Antennas are most efficient near a quarter of the wavelength of the transmitted signal. This is why CB radio antennas (frequency ~27MHz or 11 m wavelength) are much longer than wireless network antennas (frequency ~2.4 GHz, or 12.5 cm wavelength). Longer frequency <--> further transmission is mostly applicable to the near-field, since a source with a lower frequency will have a larger near-field region (the near-field being 1-2 wavelengths away from the antenna). I believe for transmission outside the near-field you need an approximately quarter wavelength antenna -- this is one of the reasons you don't see very many ultra-low frequency radio transmissions: the size of the antenna required. The other is of course the low bandwidth available.

 

[Chibibar]

Usually you have a limit range due to power/transmitter of the unit (being small doesn't have that powerful stuff) but you "could" transmit in lower frequency/cycle which has a longer distant. All you need is a pulse really so you don't need it to be high frequency. Then all you need is a receiver to pick up that particular signal and follow it.

Antennas are most efficient near a quarter of the wavelength of the transmitted signal. This is why CB radio antennas (frequency ~27MHz or 11 m wavelength) are much longer than wireless network antennas (frequency ~2.4 GHz, or 12.5 cm wavelength). Longer frequency <--> further transmission is mostly applicable to the near-field, since a source with a lower frequency will have a larger near-field region (the near-field being 1-2 wavelengths away from the antenna). I believe for transmission outside the near-field you need an approximately quarter wavelength antenna -- this is one of the reasons you don't see very many ultra-low frequency radio transmissions: the size of the antenna required. The other is of course the low bandwidth available.[/QUOTE]
I knew I was missing something.

But I guess if you can design such a device, you could use the item you are tracking AS antenna right? would that even work? like tracking a car, if you ground it to the body (well old car with metal parts not fiberglass)

I remember watching "real genius" of using the guy braces as a transmitter (but that was in a movie and short range like next door or something)