Getting lost is very easy, more so for people in the past. This is why they studied and learned how to read the position of stars, they took extra measures to put up landmarks and they painstakingly drafted charts and maps.

Nowadays, there are devices that will tell your exact location to within 2 meters anywhere on Earth you may be. With the availability of GPS devices, getting lost is no longer an option.

What is GPS?

GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It is a technology first developed for the use of the U.S. military and was eventually opened for public use.

GPS is a navigation system dependent on a network of 27 satellites, of which 3 are extras in case of one failing. Each satellite revolves around our planet making 2 complete revolutions in a day. The system was configured in such a way that at least 4 satellites are present in the sky at the same time wherever you may be.

Signals from at least 3 satellites will be used by a GPS receiver unit to infer its location. The GPS receiver gathers information related to the location of the satellites and its distance from each. Using triangulation, a trigonometric method of appraising, a receiver deduces its position based on the information it has collected.

GPS is used in many ways. It is most commonly employed for navigation purposes on land, sea and air transport. Hand-held GPS devices are common among hikers and mountain climbers. GPS receivers are also used in conjunction with cell phones, PDAs, laptops, or tracking devices.

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Common GPS receivers can ascertain your specific location on the globe and determine your track as you move along. A GPS receiver, turned on the whole time, constantly gathers information and data from the satellites to monitor alterations in your position.

With its built-in clock and continuous data gathering, a receiver imparts various information. It tells how far you have moved and how long you have been moving. It gives your average velocity as well as your current speed. If you maintain your current velocity, a GPS receiver can make an estimate of your arrival time to your destination.

In the military, GPS enables targeting of precision-guided weapons, cruise missiles and other satellite-aided munitions. It is also used to enhance coordination and control of military forces from various locations. GPS receivers sold to the public have limits on their capabilities to prevent abuse and misuse.

Emergency services consider GPS an asset in their ability to respond to crisis. E911 (Enhanced 911) service can use GPS in determining geographic locations of mobile phones. In the same way, GPS helps in location-sensitive applications such as traffic updates, tracking of people, fleet management and the like.

Standard consumer GPS devices are very affordable. GPS devices used by land surveyors are more expensive but also more accurate. These are used for road constructions and to pinpoint survey markers, boundaries, as well as structures.

Costly units have more radio receivers, better electronic performance and longer battery life. Added features for road navigation, such as text to speech capability for voice-prompting and audible naming of streets and points of interests, make some GPS models significantly more expensive.

You can expect GPS devices to be even more commonplace soon. Integration with cars and cell phones have already begun and it will only become more pervasive in the future.

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