MSHA Certifies Helicomm and Venture Design Services' Mobile Location Transponder

MSHA Certifies Helicomm and Venture Design Services' Mobile Location Transponder


October 4, 2007
Helicomm, Inc. and Venture Design Services Inc. (VDSI) today announced that another milestone in their joint product development for mine safety has been reached.

The Mobile Location Transponder (MLT), an integral part of MineTracer, the ZigBee-based tracking, monitoring, and emergency messaging system, was fully approved for intrinsic safety in a methane-air environment by MSHA.

MineTracer is a location, tracking and communications system now under review by owner/operators of more than 60 coal mines. The majority of these mines are located in West Virginia where safety plans have been mandated by state law. The MLT is a device for tracking miners or "tagging" anything in a mine: rover, mantrip, longwall machine, or other equipment.

"MineTracer continues to be the benchmark for self-configuring, low-power, location and tracking systems," said Ken Hill, director of sales, Helicomm. "This certification allows us to move forward with additional capability and continue our mission of improving mine safety."
MineTracer was included in the first group of approved products by the state's Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training on June 6, 2007. West Virginia required mine operators to submit initial plans for communications and tracking systems under legislative rule Title 56 Series 4 during Q2 2007.
It is expected that final plans will be submitted in October of this year to meet the requirements of the new rules.
"The key accomplishment with this approval is having proven the ruggedness and intrinsic safety against more serious impact and environmental tests. There are no restrictions for use of the device in any hazardous areas of any mine," said Eric Pirttima, business development manager, VDSI. "This technology provides a safer environment for the miners and peace of mind for their families."

About Helicomm

Headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., with wholly owned subsidiaries in Beijing, China, and Taipei, Taiwan, Helicomm is a leading provider of voice and data wireless networks to improve tracking, management and communication of assets by providing wireless networking solutions built upon the IEEE 802.15.4 (ZigBee) and IPv6 global standards for reliable, secure, low-power, cost-effective wireless networks. Helicomm's networking SOFTWARE and development tools provide customers the quickest and easiest way to integrate wireless networking into their products and systems. For more information about Helicomm, please visit www.helicomm.com.


About VDSI and Venture Corporation

With R&D facilities in Santa Rosa, CA and Liberty Lake, WA, Venture Design Services, Inc. (VDSI) develops wireless communications products and systems focusing on remote sensor networks and data collection. VDSI?s parent company, Venture Corporation, Ltd., is a leading global electronics services company providing comprehensive manufacturing and engineering design services. Venture is a strategic partner with top Fortune 500 companies including Agilent Technologies, HP, IBM, and Intermec