Global positioning systems (GPS) are used in nearly every aspect of life in today’s world. These systems have revolutionized today’s technology by becoming more interactive and useful in multiple industries. From navigating unfamiliar cities to locating missing people, GPS devices have evolved since being introduced to the world. Advances in GPS devices has made them more accurate and useful.
Real-Time Data Delivery
GPS sensors can be placed on objects to track them. This is useful for fleet vehicle management, scientific exploration/experimentation and even finding missing persons. The horse racing industry uses GPS sensors to deliver real-time data during races. The data can be streamed to viewers to deliver play-by-play commentary and track the race without having to be in attendance.
Real-time data helps multiple organizations including the entertainment sector, law enforcement, government entities and consumers. In terms of governmental usage, attaching sensors to planes, missiles, and even military personnel can help plan proper means for situation resolution and proper attack positioning in wartime situations.
Military Targeting
Military targeting is made possible from GPS devices being attached to airborne items to track missile paths, bombing patterns and track aircraft flight patterns. The ability to plan targeted attacks by analyzing the data returned from sensors and other GPS locating devices ensures that the coordinates for an attack are correct.
The ability to set specific coordinates from a remote location helps keep civilians in wartime cities safer as warnings can be issued to evacuate, or roam with caution, to prevent mass casualties whenever possible. Soldiers can navigate themselves away from dangerous situations with suggested routes and maps of specified locations.
Safety While Boating
Using GPS devices for marine use such as satellite weather reports, satellite phone communications, and even depth reading technology is ideal. These devices help keep you safe during periods of inclement weather. With GPS enabled on your communications devices, including a personal cell phone, the location of your watercraft remains pinged unless a signal is lost.
Receiving a warning of increasing wind velocities, maritime storms and increasing waves saves lives. Getting out of harm’s way quickly when on the water is ideal. The boat is prevented from potential capsizing and is kept free from damage.
Internet Integration
Internet compatibility is important for GPS function. For instance, searching for a business in your general vicinity is completed by a signal from your smartphone or mobile device to find relevant locations for your current location. The combining of GPS technology and the Internet allows your location to be revealed, but in most cases, GPS must be enabled on your device to work properly.
This is revolutionary in the industry because it proves that technology evolves with society and that adaptation occurs to add convenience to everyday life. Added features to Internet-enabled GPS programs improves existing systems to become the best GPS system a manufacturer can provide.
Signal Detection
Computer programs are developed to work in coordination with GPS locating systems. An example of how signal detection has helped revolutionize this technology for today’s society is the ability to locate missing persons. As long as the missing person’s mobile device is powered on and GPS is enabled, law enforcement can ping the device to obtain a general location. In most cases, the location is within a city block, which is rather accurate given how geographical grids work.
Plans were made for roughly 24-satellites to orbit for GPS purposes. A total of 32 satellites are currently in orbit, having an immense impact on life as a whole. GPS technology is used around the world. Signals sent from space help scientific research. Without orbiting satellites, knowing the exact location of a space station would be impossible. It would also be impossible to follow airplanes and passenger planes as well.
Logistics
Logistics management, when distracted driving is an issue, helps fleets locate vehicles to update vendors and customers regarding shipments. Updated GPS systems are able to accurately direct a driver on a safe route, without showing roadways that don’t really exist or roadways that are not complete. Fleet managers can also track the habits of their drivers to see how each person drives, if they follow traffic laws and if the equipment is subject to any kind of abuse.
Closing Thoughts
Global positioning systems have had a major impact on the way society lives. The technology is relevant in every industry in the world in some capacity. Social media platforms have integrated GPS software to allow for geotagging and location posting. Essentially, GPS technology is making the happenings of the world detectable, capable of being tracked and more preventable.