Global position systems (GPS) have evolved in several exciting ways over the past decade. While GPS technology has been in existence for several decades, it was initially only available for military and aviation use. However, increases in signal accuracy and new receiver technology have allowed for the production of millions of GPS receivers, navigation systems and locator beacons. Today, the evolution of GPS has taken off in the form of mobile electronics.
GPS was invented by the United States Department of Defense. Early GPS were created as an offensive measure to be used in the Cold War against the Russians. Since early nuclear missile systems had limited accuracy, the United States was looking for a way to hit very precise targets. GPS made that a reality.
GPS consists of a network of satellites with embedded atomic clocks. Each of these atomic clocks is set to the exact same time. When an individual on earth turns on a GPS receiver, it will be able to receive a specialized radio signal from these satellite. Each satellite radio signal comes encoded with the time.
Since radio waves travel at the speed of light, it can take different satellites varying amounts of time to transmit radio waves to a GPS receiver. Because of this, the time stamp of the satellite radio wave can vary based on one’s position. Based on this variation, it’s possible for a GPS receiver to triangulate the position of a user.
While GPS systems are very popular, it’s important to remember that the GPS radio signal is very weak. Many people have problems using GPS receivers in valleys or near skyscrapers or tall buildings. In addition, GPS navigation tools will not work inside subways or in areas where one doesn’t have a clear view of the sky.
Fortunately, there are several new types of GPS networks that are slowly going online. Since the United States controls the current GPS system, it’s vulnerable to the decisions of the United States government. If the United States government wanted to block GPS access to another country, it could do so in less than 30 seconds. Because of this, other countries are creating their own GPS networks.
One of those networks is Glonass. Glonass is a GPS network created by Russia. Originally created in the 1980s, Glonass slowly fell out of use during Russia’s transition from communism to capitalism. However, Glonass has been repaired in recent years. It’s currently online and can be accessed from anywhere in the world.
There are a number of modern GPS receivers that combine both the United States and Russian GPS systems. These receivers can lock on to satellites in only a few seconds. In many cases, it’s possible to determine one’s location in a subway, in an underground parking lot or inside a building.
While this technology is becoming more sophisticated & technical, due to multiple programs being used simultaneously, they also rapidly drain mobile battery power. Until better battery power technology arrives, individuals with smart phones should consider getting an
amazing cell phone car charger. Since GPS receivers use lots of electricity, they can drain the battery on a smart phone very quickly. Without the appropriate car charger, it may not be possible to use a smart phone for navigation purposes.
There are also other GPS networks that are being developed. For example, China is currently developing a GPS network known as Compass. While Compass only has coverage in mainland China at the moment, it should be possible to use it across the world in the next few years.
In addition, the European Union is developing a GPS network known as Galileo. Galileo will offer a higher level of accuracy than any other network. With Galileo, it will be possible to determine one’s location to within a few centimeters. However, Galileo will not be publicly available for at least 12 years.
