What we're trying to do is add some technology to improve the accuracy and take away that element of trial and error

Dr Peter Aves, QinetiQ

The kit will also check the length of the course, something that has not been measured accurately for 150 years.

The technology is similar to that installed on Harrier jumpjets to allow them to land automatically on a moving aircraft carrier.

It has been developed by QinetiQ, a commercial spin-off of Dera, the UK Government's defence research and development organisation.

Trial and error

Dr Peter Aves of the Hampshire-based company joked that there was no danger of the crews getting lost on the River Thames.

He told BBC News Online: "In the past, a lot of these traditional races have been timed with men with flags and stop watches.

"In some instances, the people watching the timing lines can't even see the lines because they're obscured by, for example, parts of the bridges - so there's a guess there.

"Everybody knows it's a compromise and what we're trying to do is add some technology to improve the accuracy and take away that element of trial and error."

Global positioning equipment uses radio signals from a global network of military satellites to give an accurate location of where somebody is on a map. In this case, it will be used to track the exact position of the moving boats.

It will also determine velocity, timing and each crew's stroke rate. The information will be broadcast to the riverbank and will be used in the commentary of the event.

The 148th university boat race starts at 1410 GMT on Saturday, 30 March.