GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS)
Introduction
The global positioning system (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of defense. GPS was originally intended for military application, but in the 1900s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day.
Originally designated the NAVSTAR Navigation system with timing and ranging global positioning system, GPS was developed by the US department of defense to provide round-the-clock navigation capabilities for military, ground, sea, and airforces. Since its implementation, GPS has also become an integral asset in numerous civilian applications and industries around the globe, including recreational uses, corporate vehicle fleet tracking, and surveying. GPS employs 24 spacecraft in 20,200 km circular orbits inclined at 55°. These spacecraft are placed in 6 orbit planes with four operational satellites in each plane.
Applications of GPS Technology
GPS technology has matured into a resource that goes far beyond its original design goals. These days, people from many professions are using GPS to make their work more productive, safer, and sometimes even easier. There are five main uses of GPS today:
1. Location- determining a basic position.
2. Navigation - getting from one location to another.
3. Tracking - monitoring the movement of people and things.
4. Mapping- creating maps.
5. Timing - providing precise timing.
1. Location
The first and most obvious application of any Location-Based Service such as GPS is simply determining a "position" or location. GPS was the first positioning system to offer exact location data for any point on the planet, in any weather. Knowing the precise location of something or someone is especially critical when the consequences of inaccurate data are measured in human terms
.
2. Navigation
GPS helps you determine exactly where you are, but sometimes it is more necessary to know how to get somewhere else. Recall that GPS was originally designed to provide navigation information for ships and planes. So it's no surprise that while this technology is appropriate for navigating on the water, it's also instrumental in the air and on the land.
3. Tracking
GPS used in conjunction with communication links and computers can provide the backbone for systems tailored to applications in agriculture, mass transit, urban delivery, public safety, and vessel and vehicle tracking. Therefore, more and more police, ambulance, and fire departments are adopting systems like GPS-based AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) Manager to pinpoint the emergency location and the nearest response vehicle on a computer map. With this kind of clear visual picture of the situation, dispatchers can react immediately and effectively.
4. Mapping
Mapping the planet has never been an easy task, but GPS today is being used to survey and map it precisely, saving time and money in this most stringent of all applications. GPS can help generate maps and models of everything in the world, mountains, sea, rivers, cities, and help manage endangered animals, archaeological treasures, precious minerals, and all sorts of resources and accurately manage the effect of damage and disasters.
For example, peace brokers used GPS-generated maps to determine the partitions of Bosnia under the Dayton Peace Accord, and GPS was used to map Cambodia accurately for the UN stabilization force introduced after the civil war ended in 1993. In fact, large tracks of Cambodia had never been mapped at all due to inhospitable terrain and low population density. GPS solved this in weeks, whereas it would have taken months before the introduction of GPS.
5. Timing
GPS can also be used to determine the precise time, time intervals, and frequency. There are three fundamental ways we use time:
• As a universal marker,
As a way to synchronize 
• To provide an accurate, unambiguous sense of duration.
You must be logged in to post a comment.