Global Positioning System

Most of the people these days own a GPS system. Either the system comes installed in the car or it is an after market device. There are lots of GPS devices used in different forms of life. The one I am going to talk about is the one that people use to get street directions while driving.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a U.S. space-based navigation system that provides reliable positioning, navigation, and timing services to civilian users on a continuous worldwide basis, freely available to all. GPS is funded by and controlled by the U. S. Department of Defense (DOD). While there are many thousands of civil users of GPS world-wide, the system was designed for and is operated by the U. S. military. For anyone with a GPS receiver device, the system will provide location and time. GPS provides accurate location for an unlimited number of people anywhere in the world. The GPS is made up of three parts, satellites orbiting the Earth, control and monitoring stations on Earth and the GPS receivers owned by users. GPS satellites broadcast signals from space that are picked up and identified by GPS receivers. Each GPS receiver then provides three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus the time.

About a decade ago, just before the internet revolution started, you wondered how you find the address of your friend called you at his/her house for the first time, or if you are travelling to a different city and you need to find a restaurant or a pharmacy. I can't imagine travelling to a new city without my GPS. It just saves me so much time and hassle. With a GPS device in hand, you can stand in the middle of a cemetery, and it will determine the latitude and longitude coordinates, and even altitude if it has enough satellites tracked. A device can store your location in memory so that you can refer back to it later on.

Most of the GPS devices have the ability to remember the locations you mark. You can assign a short name to each location, and even an icon. You can even buy mapping software for your PC that will allow you to assemble a list of destinations, and then download to your GPS device. Even though the GPS is capable of providing 1 foot resolution of accuracy, it will never actually be that accurate. That's because there are so many weather factors that can offset the timing of the signals bouncing back and forth between the device and the satellites. Still, navigation experts claim that you can expect accuracy to within 15 to 40 feet. Either way when you are driving you get audible directions in advance for any turn or exit. I find it so useful that I keep it in my car all the time now.