The Growth of GPS Applications in Every Day Life

December 14th, 2008 by George Casuen

by George Casuen

Though the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system was first created to help military units find their way in difficult situations, the technologies use has fast become a valuable tool in modern day life. Over a short number of years many personal and commercial uses have developed for GPS navigational and tracking devices and the number of applications continues to grow.

One of the early examples of how GPS could benefit commercial interests was in the construction of the “Chunnel” a tunnel that crossed beneath the English Channel between Great Britain and France. Using GPS technology the constructions crews dug the tunnel from both ends at the same time and were able to meet perfectly in the middle. The type of use has grown and GPS is used in the operation of many mines and other underground operations.

Emergency response services are also integrating the technology into their computer systems allowing them to determine which unit is closest to the accident scene and can respond the quickest. This reduces response times and saves lives. There have also been many people, trapped or lost, that have been rescued because of GPS equipment. Now GPS is also being used for broader emergencies such as tracking the progress of forest fires and keeping fire fighters away from dangerous areas.

What has become one of the most common applications of this wonderful technology is the use of GPS navigation systems in automobiles. Once a luxury for even ships and airplanes has become standard equipment in many models of cars and trucks. Whether in rental cars or the family van these devices have proved very helpful for navigating in unfamiliar cities and for getting emergency help in times of trouble.

Because GPS devices have become smaller and are easily installed in vehicles they are being used more and more by transportation companies for tracking company vehicles, public transportation buses and trains, delivery trucks, and courier services. By being able to monitor the location of all their vehicles, companies can improve their efficiency and provide better driver safety.

Truck drivers are not the only beneficiaries of this technology. Some larger farms have begun installing sensors on their tractors that allow them to work at night or in situations where visibility is low. They can also tie these into sensors that monitor soil samples to map out areas in the field that need attention.

There have also been many advances in the scientific world. Balloons with GPS devices have been used to monitor such things as air quality and holes in the earths ozone layer. Buoys have been equipped so that they can track oil spills in open water. Archaeologists have use the GPS system to find and map ancient ruins, while biologists have put them to work tracking herd migrations and studying the movements of various species.

GPS devices have even become a personal item as hikers carry them into the mountains and as pet owners have chips implanted in their pets so that they can be located if they get lost. Even a new hobby has been born from this new technology. Hobbyists known as Geo-cachers hide “treasures” for others to find while they hunt for those planted by other people. With the advances made in this field it is certain that we have only seen the beginning of the applications possible in this new technology.

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