This Christmas, children across towns in the UK will be able to track when Santa is on their street, thanks to an app supported by SatSense.
SatSense are used to tracking ground and infrastructure movements using satellite data, but this is the first time they’ve tracked the movements of a sleigh! This initiative is part of a cherished tradition where The Lions International Santas are pulled by trucks around towns each December evening, delighting children with music, lights, and a glimpse of Father Christmas before he heads back to the North Pole to finish making all the toys.
Pre-AppIn previous years, children would wait outside for up to two hours in the cold winter, hoping to catch a glimpse of Father Christmas dancing to music and flashing lights on his sleigh. Parents often expressed concerns about their kids getting too cold in the bleak midwinter.
Some even claimed that Santa had bypassed their street, leaving their children bitterly disappointed. However, the reality was that these Santa-spotters were simply not looking in the right place at the right time.
Paul and the Wetherby Lions
Wetherby Lions volunteers spreading festive joy.
SatSense’s Technical Project Manager, Paul Froes, has long been involved with the Wetherby Lions, the charity behind Santa’s appearances in the West Yorkshire town of Wetherby. The development teams have created a tracker that broadcasts the sleigh’s progress, enabling residents to follow the movements of Santa and his elves on the charity’s website.
Paul had previously used an existing free app for this purpose, but the associated costs skyrocketed as the developer increased fees based on usage. As a result, the app had to be abandoned halfway through one December, leaving children in the dark about when, where, and if Santa would visit their street.
Updated Santa Tracker
Santa bringing joy to children with his magical sleigh.
Now in its third year, the tracker is being used by other branches of the Lions, a global network of charities. The bespoke web-based front-end uses a phone tracker app, powered by GPS, to send minute-by-minute location updates to the website. With SatSense’s support, the system is entirely free for the Lions clubs, ensuring that all money raised goes to their chosen charities.
“Seeing the kids’ faces when they see Santa is magical,” Paul said. “It’s great to be able to use this technology to benefit the community.”
This December, wrap up warm, head outside, and follow the magic with the SatSense Santa Tracker. It’s a testament to how technology can brighten lives, even on the coldest winter nights.
Example Santa Tracker: https://wetherby.lionssantatracker.net/