Global
Positioning System (Garmin)
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a navigation
system that uses the satellites to identify the location of any element on the
earth’s surface. The Global Positioning System entails of a network that
comprises of twenty-four satellites placed around the orbit of the earth. The
United States department of defense is responsible for the existence of the
satellites on the orbit of the earth. The chief purpose that contributed to the
development of the Global Positioning System is the intention to assist in
military undertaking and application by the United States. However, in the
1980s the United States government made it possible for the public to utilize
the system for other purposes (El-Rabbany 23). The Global Positioning System
works in any given location of the world and in any climatic condition. The
system also works in both daytime and during the night hence the military have
a better viewing of the world from the other environments.
The GPS was invented for use in intelligence and military
services during the climax of the cold war in the years of 1960s (Van 48). The
United States department of defense gained interest in inventing the Global Positioning
System after the launch of the spacecraft Sputnik by the Soviet Union in the
year 1957 (McNamara 71). The GPS works by receiving signals from the satellites
on the earth’s orbit at fixed points. The system works because of the fixed
points on the earth’s surface that receives the information from the
satellites. Any information required from the satellites gets to the military
department headquarters through the beam of signal reflected down to the
earth’s surface to anyone with the GPS receiver. The signal sent from the
satellites to the receiver always contains a geographical data and a time code.
This makes it easier for the person in subject to easily pinpoint the exact
position, time and speed of any given object on the earth’s planet.
Uses
and Benefits of the Global Positioning System
In the current world, the GPS is essential in a variety
of applications both on the land, sea and the even in the air. In most cases,
the GPS will become applicable in almost every place except for areas such as
caves, most complex buildings and subterranean locations especially under the
water surface.
In the past, the most common application of the Global
Positioning System is in the aviation industry to offer directions to the
pilots. In the commercial aircraft and aviation industry, the pilots need to
have detailed information regarding the movement of the aircrafts (Helms 106).
In the modern world, the air transport has increasingly gained attention to the
fact that most people rely on the aircraft for movement (El-Rabbany 51). Since
people need a faster and reliable means of transport, the air transport
industry has become one of the most frequently applied means of transport. The
need for people to move from one nation to another because of the need to
conduct businesses, to accomplish desired tasks from all over the world, the
aircraft industry has become almost an essential tool for survival.
However, the
movement of the airplanes in the sky from one location to another does not work
similar to that of the vehicles on the roads. In the case of the cars, it is
easier for humans to move from one distinct location to another because of the
fact that roads exist (McNamara 111). The roads play a significant role in contributing
to the movement of the cars from one distinct position to another. The same
case works for the trains that use the railways for the movement of the cars.
However, to make it possible for the cars to move, the Global Positioning
System assists in obtaining the position of the airplanes while moving in the
sky (El-Rabbany 101). The position of the airplanes works in the sense that the
pilots rely on the Global Positioning System to identify is any other airplane
is traveling on the same bearing. In using bearings extracted by the GPS, the
pilots will become aware of the aircraft movement in the sky hence capable of
reducing airplane crashes and accidents in the air.
An additional application of the Global Positioning
System is the fact that the professional mariners and general navigation on the
ships on the water bodies. The movement of the ships on the larger water bodies
also requires the assistance of coordinates to avoid the ships from colliding.
The navigation of the boats, ships and other marine machinery rely on the
coordinates to move efficiently and safely from one distinct position to
another (Van 99). Since the ships are big in size hence can easily collide with
other water machinery, it is only safe that each ship uses a definite
coordinates and bearing to move from one place to another. The movement of the
ships from one place to another relies on the coordinates and bearings given to
the captain. In following the coordinates given, the captain will avoid any
given accidents especially those involving the colliding with other existing
water body machinery.
In most of the survey undertakings, the Global
Positioning System will always plays a significant role in ensuring that the
entire process is cost effect. The portion of work undertaken by the surveyors
involved frequent movement from one distinct location to another. To increase
the level of accuracy needed in the field of survey, the surveyors have to
repeat a single procedure more than once (McNamara 137). In applying the Global
Positioning System in all the other procedures necessary for the undertaking,
the surveyors save enough capital through decreasing the time needed to
complete a single undertaking (Van 141). In the normal circumstances, a basic
survey unit always needs thousands of dollars before the project manager can
undertake the actual project. However, in applying the Global Positioning
System, the surveyors always become aware of the essence of approximation hence
save the cost of moving from point A to B to physical calculate the distance
between the two obstacles.
Automobile
industry
In the current world, the development-taking place in the
car industry is drastic hence requiring additional enticing feature to attract
customers into purchasing the given car model. The increasing competitive edge
in the car industry contributed to the additional of features such as the
Global Positioning System in the car system (McNamara 155). The Global Positioning
System assists in the automobile navigation.
In accordance to Hinch, from the year 2008 to the year
2011, the worldwide market for the automotive Global Positioning System has
increased from eighty five million to over one hundred million (Hinch 67). An
automotive navigation system simply refers to the GPS application integrated
with the route guidance technology hence capable of offering direction to the
drive, real-time and guidance at any given time. In the past, for the driver to
move from one position to another in a new location, he/she needed a map to
assist in the navigation (Helms 130). However, with the introduction of the
inbuilt automobile navigation, the driver only needs to input the name of the
desired location and the car will give proper direction to the desired
destination.
In the recreation field, the Global Positioning System is
vital in performing diverse essential functions in ensuring that humans enjoy
in participation of the diverse games. In some games, the use of the Global
Positioning System also aids in the reduction of risks related to participating
in the games (El-Rabbany 126). In hunting and fishing, Global Positioning
System contributes to the scouting and marking hence increasing the accuracy
when it comes to finding the perfect spot. The Global Positioning System also
assists in enabling the hunters to go to a given destination at the shortest
time possible. In fishing, the Global Positioning System enables the anglers to
return safely to the place of origin without getting lost.
In the mountain and road biking, the use of the Global
Positioning System assists in tracking the numerous participants in the given
game. Since the biking competition involves of numerous participants, it is
necessary that the organizers of the game track the movement of the
competitors. This is vital in reducing injuries and incidents of the
participants missing especially in the woods during the competition of the
game. In the mountain competition, the Global Positioning System assists in
calculating the distance covered and the remaining distance to complete a given
race (Hinch 74). The Global Positioning System also provides additional
information concerning the present position in the race hence assisting the
competitor to plan on the best alternatives in winning the game. The use of the
Global Positioning System increases with the technology innovation.
In the current world, the Global Positioning System
affects the human’s lives in diverse ways hence making it almost impossible for
the humans to survive without the technology. The GPS technology in the modern
world today exists into diverse portable electronic devices (Helms 162). The
presence of the GPS technology in the diverse gadgets performs diverse tasks
such as tacking the movement of people especially family members and pets. The
GPS also contributes to assistance of direction especially to the car users in
new locations.
In utilizing the GPS, the drivers easily locate the directions
especially in the developed cities and towns. In the emergency cases, the GPS
also plays an essential role in offering the doctors and police concerning the
location of patients that need immediate attention. The fire fighters in most
of the nations also utilize the presence of the GPS to locate places with fire
emergencies that require immediate attention (El-Rabbany 171). In the case of
the automobiles, the GPS assist in the process of recovery especially if the
car has gone missing. The simplest of the diverse such as the mobile phones
also uses the same technology to enable in recovery of stolen property. The
uses of the Global Positioning System in the current world vary depending on
the level of technology.
In the current society, the Global Positioning System has
made a huge impact especially to the way people live and associate to other
while at the same time interacting with the environment. In using the GPS, the
lives of most people have turned into becoming safer and the world becoming an
interesting place to travel and tour new places. In almost all the daily
undertakings, it is easier for one to identify the application of the Global
Positioning system in use. Almost all the devices that humans use rely on some
form of GPS to assist in making the life of the humans better and simpler
(Hinch 96). In the business world, most of the automobile industries have
discovered the need to install the GPS in the cars. This acts as a competition
edge over the other car manufacturing industries. The GPS in the car offers the
drivers with direction and real time location of a given area. In recreation
area, the GPS assist in tracking of the participants taking place in the
completion hence boosting security level. In the society, the GPS assist in
retrieving of stolen property such as the cars and the cell phones. It is
essential to note that the Global Positioning System has contributed in making
the world a better place for the humans.
Works
cited
El-Rabbany, Ahmed. Introduction
to Gps: The Global Positioning System. Boston: Artech House, 2002. Print.
Helms, Russell. Gps
Outdoors: A Practical Guide for Outdoor Enthusiasts. Birmingham, Ala: Menasha Ridge Press, 2006. Print.
Hinch, Stephen W. Outdoor
Navigation with Gps. Birmingham, AL: Wilderness Press, 2010. Print.
McNamara, Joel. Gps
for Dummies. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley, 2008. Print.
Van, Diggelen F. S. T. A-gps:
Assisted Gps, Gnss, and Sbas. Boston: Artechture House, 2009. Print.
