GPS Story

GPS Story

What is the meaning of GPS?

GPS stands for ‘’Global Positioning System’’ which is a satellite-grounded navigation system conforming of about 24 satellites that identify & detect precisely the exact position of an individual or any object on the Earth. The GPS-Enabled satellites work in all rainfall conditions anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, with no subscription freights or setup charges. The U.S Department of Défense (USDOD) had originally launched many satellites on Earth routes primarily for military use. They were made available for mercenary use in the late 1980s. Presently, there are 31 GPS satellites ringing the Earth with 3 satellites ready for launch when demanded. 

GPS came into actuality in 1973, the idea of a Global Positioning System originally named NAVSTAR, was developed by the United States Department of Défense (USDOD). GPS technology owes its progress & advancement to three people who are conceded by the scientific community to have been easily associated with the invention of this revolutionary technology.

Roger. Easton, the former head of the Naval Research Laboratory’s Space Application Branch, was the brain behind colorful engineering operations and technologies that led to the development of the GPS. The Luminary in the development of GPS was Ivan Getting, who was the founding chairman of the Aerospace Corporation in the USA. They are credited for enhancing the satellite system to enable perfect data in the shadowing and monitoring of moving objects on Earth that range from vehicles to dumdums. Another luminary in the GPS field is Bradford Parkinson, generally appertained to as the ‘’The Father of GPS’’. Bradford was the principal developer & device of the GPS regarding its engineering elaboration & development.  

Factors of GPS

It consists of 3 sections.

1. The Earth-Ringing Satellites.
2.  Command, Control & Monitoring Centres.
3.  GPS Receivers are operated with individualities & diligence.

 How did GPS work?

There is an aggregate of 31 satellites revolving around the Earth in their pre-determined routeways. At any given time on the Earth. There are a minimum of 4 GPS satellites that are concentrated on a given geographic area on Earth.

Each records GPS enabled satellite photos & records stationery as well as moving objects and also transmits the data about the objects' current position, speed of movement, and time of videotape graph at regular time intervals. These GPS enabled satellites transmit the data signals to the GPS receptors on colorful handsets at the speed of light the digitized data are detected by the GPS handset receiver and restated to visual images; the handset receptors calculate the ringing satellite distance which is presumed on the time interval of the entered digital data. That’s between data transmission & data event. Once the handset receptors acquire all the information from the ringing satellites concentrated on that particular geographical area, the GPS receiver can pinpoint the exact position of the Earth-grounded object/ which may be stationary or mobile using a process called ‘’Trilateration’’. The more satellites that are concentrated on the given area, the more directly the locales, images, and pets can be determined.

GPS Tracking

GPS showing is the remote-enabled surveillance/supervision of precise locales through the use of GPS technology. To track & cover the position and trip routes of one or further objects. GPS shadowing is inestimable for police, firefighters, service, and businesses that bear constant supervision of moving objects similar to vehicles, dumdum, and individualities.

The GPS tracking systems typically use the Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) systems which employ a network of vehicles, each of which is installed with a movable radio receiver, a GPS receiver, and a GPS antenna. Further, GPS technology employs interactive charts in place of static maps to determine the current situations of the roads & roadways. GPS-Enabled Smartphones and other movable biases are constantly used to live track & examiner targeted objects.

Commercialization of GPS

On May 25, 1989, the first marketable GPS trackers were launched into the consumer requests with the brand name and model no. Magellan GPS NAV 1000s. The hand-held leakproof device measured 8.75 3.5, 2.25 elevation in size, counted 680 grams, and looked like a large calculator with a rotating antenna arm attached. The device featured a multiline TV display but had a comparatively low functional time of just many hours. Just as was the case when the simple hand-held calculators came with a high price label at the time of their launch, the GPS hand-set vended at USD$.

In 1990, the famed auto manufacturer, Mazda, launched its Eunos Cosmo Model with an erected GPS navigation system. The first auto to come with the GPS tracking installation. Latterly in 1999, Benefon, a mobile phone manufacturer, launched the first commercially available
ever since GPS technology fleetly came a menage word with every smartphone and smart wrist watch boasting of GPS enabled technology. Erected in GPS technology mobile phones. At the same time, Casio launched the first-ever GPS wristwatch known as ‘’Casio GPS’’.

Industrial Applications of GPS Trackers

·         Heavy Vehicle Guidance

The mining & construction industries today rely very heavily on GPS monitoring, tracking, and navigational data. This is primarily because highway constructions, surveyors, and marker pens have been replaced with in-cabin vehicle guidance & control systems for excavators, graders, bulldozers & road paving machines.

These modern and advanced specialty vehicles enable their highly trained drivers to program their vehicles to respond to pre-programmed site plans, thereby enabling the vehicles to achieve close tolerance parameters for positions, level, and gradient.

GPS technology is specifically integrated for high-precision applications in open-cut mines such as vehicle & equipment tracking and mine asset management. In such Hi-technology integrational applications, GPS critical data is acquired and decoded by sophisticated IT systems and meshed with other engineering applications to provide multifunction guidance and control. Companies that have integrated their vehicles and mine management systems include Leica Geo-systems, Topcon Positioning Systems, and Trimble/Caterpillar.

·         Surveying, Mapping & Geophysics

Advanced GPS survey-grade technology utilize L1 & L2 signal frequencies to position survey markers, buildings, bridges, airports, harbors, railway stations, and various other large infrastructures. This technology is also used to determine aerial mapping, and terrain data, through the geographical information system (GIS) applications. GPS is widely used in the acquisition of terrain & aerial mapping data, sensitive physical formations such as volcanoes and earthquake fault lines, and the tracking/monitoring of seismic and incipient activities. Data is transmitted to TV including other news channels for early warnings to the public so that adequate precautionary measures are taken well in time.

·         Telecommunications

One of the major highlights in the characteristics of GPS satellite technology is the accuracy, reliability, and stability in the synchronicity of its technology. This has proven to be very compatible with telecommunications applications. It has been observed that GPS synchronization of coordinated universal time (UTC) time through the resolution of signals from discrete atomic clocks at specified locations. Although ground-based chip-scale atomic clocks (CSAC). They are quite accurate for this purpose, the synchronization of the CSACs is rather problematic without the GPS satellite technology.

·         Financial Services

As the local and international markets are fast globalizing. The global financial system that enables, groves, schedules & prioritizes digitalized monetary transactions, funds transfers, and audit trails are becoming more and more contingent upon high precision time systems. Today, 80% of the millions of daily global retail transactions are done through credit. The debit cards and GPS satellite technology integrates perfectly with onboard atomic clocks to allow high-speed and high precision local and global transactions.

5 Tips to use a GPS Wisely

GPS can help us to get directions to find new places & eat as well as play. Important tips that can assist you in using a GPS have been explained below:

1. Use a simple GPS device

The GPS device has been flooded with various options, devices & features. So, don’t complicate the process by buying a GPS device that is complex as this can only make things difficult for you. A simple smartphone is enough to take you all around the world.

2. Lean-to read the co-ordinates

This means that you must learn and gain some knowledge on how to read the coordinates of latitudes & longitude? These are represented by the numbers and are also known as degrees. These can measure your distance from two of the zero lines. A longitude can measure the distance from East to West while latitude can be used for North to South.

3. Download Data

You can plug your GPS device onto your computer. To download all the data. Most of the complex GPS systems come with software that can let you save your entire data onto your computer as well. This program will help you to import your waypoints. They also use them to make a map of the entire area where you are located in.

4. Update your map

Your map needs frequent updates because the names of certain areas & streets can keep changing from time to time. Thus, make sure you update your map as much as possible to can accurate names and directions of the places you are visiting.

5. Get the most out of your GPS application

Don’t use your GPS just to show off. You need to make the most out of it because it has a lot of things that it can offer. Thus, make sure that you use it for locating your favorite or desired places like restaurants and parks. It is one of the important things to remember.