VICTORIAN Angus cattle and sheep breeder Mark Gubbins is hoping some good will come out of tragedy with his tracker and roll-over alert system for four-wheel motorbikes.
Three years ago he lost a nephew in a four-wheel motorbike accident, prompting him to think about what could have been done.
Victorian livestock producer Mark Gubbins with his four-wheeler rollover alert device.
His motorbike roll-over phone text alert system linked to a GPS tracking system placed second in the farm machinery and technology sections of the Hamilton Sheepvention inventions competition last week.
“Basically what I have designed is a tracker system and a roll-over alert on a four-wheel motorbike that you could put on a car, but we’ve fitted to a four-wheel motorbike to demonstrate it,” the Chatsworth (VIC) livestock producer said.
“What it does is, if we invert this bike it text message the bike’s position and the time of the roll-over within one minutes to as many phones as you want to pre-program.”
“That could be to your fellow workers, your boss, your wife, your children or your neighbours.”
Mr Gubbins said with the system on a vehicle if there was a roll-over accident, people had the ability to find and render assistance to an injured rider or driver.
“It also pin-pricks it on a map (on the Austracker website).”
The invention used readily available parts, including a GPS tracker and a data link joined to a mercury switch, which could send a signal through the GSM network or via satellite in remote areas.
“So it can be used Australia-wide, it is not just through the phone network.”
The alert system will send a signal when the bike has gone over or is past the point of no return and that will then send a text message through a prescription-based server worth about $320 a year, which is “nothing” in the context of saving a life, Mr Gubbins said.
“What is a life worth?”
Parts cost about $700, but Mr Gubbins is seeking support from the Victorian Farmers Federation and Worksafe to minimise the cost.
“I’m hoping with a bit of support we can get a bit of volume in it and get the cost down.
“I’m not going to make anything out of it because I would rather it be cheaper – if they are going to pay me a commission I would rather put it back.”
Mr Gubbins said riders could still hurt themselves on a motorbike with roll-over protection.
“Nothing is perfect, but both can help.”
Sheepvention Inventions 2016 results:
Class 1, Livestock (including wool) equipment and technology – Charlie Webb, flexible sheep movement system, Back-up Charlie, 1st; Andrew McFarland, adjustable width cattle race, 2nd; Rick Luhrs, lamb weigh cradle, 3rd.
Class 2, farm machinery and technology –PJ Green/Grassland Flora, native grass applicator, 1; Mark Gubbins, roll-over rescue tracker, 2; Stu Willder, Safe-T-level, 3.
Class 3, animal health and welfare — Gallagher dashboard, 1. Class 4, farm, house and garden — Barry Bennett, gate stopper, 1; Scott Atkins, firewood vice, 2; Jeff Nagorcka, portable electric drill storage, 3.
Class 5, best overall student invention – Archie Willder, cutting-n-time, 1; Isaac Mott, animal cart, 2; Wil Kelly, auto oil dripper, 3. Best innovative student idea –Christa Bunge, lamb securer/stabiliser/birth assistant, 1; Nadine Bunge, laser shift, 1; Carmen Bunge, kangaroo scarer, 3. Encouragement award primary student, James Tonissen, fox destroyer trone, 1.
If anyone is interested in further information on this product, please feel free to contact me on 0499-491-291. Regards, Richard Mason. General Manager, Austracker GPS
The device and idea seems to have merit. Perhaps it should be standard safety equipment on all quads?
Great bit of thinking, Mark Gubbins.