With visions of Richard Kiley doing a Jurassic audio tour, the National Park Service has gone HiTech with a program service called “GPS Ranger” to lure members of the iPod generation to the Death Valley National Monument. For a rental price of $19.95, the GPS Ranger as a GPS locator and video tour guide. Major landmarks recognized by the portable GPS device will trigger commentary when coming into view, and provide more in depth information about the monument and the story behind it.

Feeling that national parks lacked the ability to provide on site context for their visitors, the inventor of GPS Ranger, Lee Little came up with a way to experience traveling the parks in a way that is both high tech and personal.

“… I was surprised on how little technology was used, not only to go from point A to point B, but also ‘What’s the significance of the location, Little said recently.

Little’s invention creates a custom tour that is based on where the visitor goes, rather than a linear audio tour that usually confines users from point A through point Z. With the GPS Ranger, it doesn’t matter where you go in the park or in what order.

And no doubt with GPS built in, Park Rangers can find stranded motorists who have rented it for their tour of the park. Rangers also hopes the GPS Ranger achieves the goal of getting the iPod generation away from their computers and back enjoying the beauty of our nation’s parks.

Source: YAHOO NEWS