These are some of the ways that GPS is used in the "real world" for a variety of different purposes. In this lens we feature the "best of the breed" products in these GPS use categories
uses of gps technology
1. GeoCaching: High Tech Treasure Hunting: Geocaching takes treasure hunting one step further by using GPS units to located hidden treasures. The name of the game is a combination of "Geo" from geography and "Caching" from the action of hiding the cache (or treasure). The term cache is commonly used among hikers and campers to refer to a hidden supply of food or other provisions.
2. Personal Emergencies: GPS equipped cell phones can transmit precise locations to 911 dispatchers. This allows the dispatcher to have an immediate and accurate location instead of relying upon descriptions of people who may be unfamiliar with the area or too distraught to explain their location. The same technology has also helped catch people who make crank 911 calls from their GPS-enabled cell phone.
3. Recreational Uses: GPS is popular among hikers, hunters, snowmobilers, mountain bikers, and cross-country skiers. rails can be viewed on topographic map software, traced on the screen and that route can be downloaded into the GPS. Then, in the field the route can be displayed in the map window of the GPS and easily followed. Another use is to leave the GPS on and in a mesh pocket of your backpack while hiking. This will allow the GPS to record a tracklog of your hike. The tracklog can be shared with others, plotted on maps, used for distance hiked estmiates and even printed with mapping software and shared with friends
4. Emergency Roadside Assistance
OnStar by GM for example uses GPS to track vehicles' whereabouts and allows motorists to summon emergency help or to ask directions.
5. Tracking Your Kids: GPS-enabled cell phones can be used to monitor your kids. When Johnny calls you for his after school check in you can confirm if his coordinates are at the public library or at the pool ha
6. Photography: Geocoding Photos Some cameras will annotate your digital and traditional images with the date and time, however, new GPS-enabled cameras can also annotate them with precision coordinates which mark the location of your photos. These annotations can be very useful in science field work, real estate, law enforcement and many other areas.
7. Automobiles and Driving: GPS tracking devices can be used to navigate your car through traffic and find your way to any destination. Many Auto GPS Systems come with preloaded destination settings or points of interest (POI) that provide directions to attractions, and important pit stops such as gas stations, hotels, motels, and lodges. For vacation travel, or any other time you need to map out a course for traveling, the system has course-planning functionality.
8. Laptop GPS: Laptop GPS receivers turn any mobile computer into a fully functional GPS System. Save money and use a laptop GPS receiver for in-vehicle, office based meetings to track locations and find directions or simply to plan a cycle ride for the next day. The in built sophistication of the laptop, augmented with navigation and mapping programs provides much more extensive information than most handheld applications. By using laptop GPS navigation, you are using an already familiar tool, with no need to learn new hardware functionality. Laptop GPS receivers are simply attached to your laptop, notebook or utlrasmall computer using USB or serial connections as with many other peripheral devices. Quite often bundled with software, they are very effective GPS systems
uses of gps technology
1. GeoCaching: High Tech Treasure Hunting: Geocaching takes treasure hunting one step further by using GPS units to located hidden treasures. The name of the game is a combination of "Geo" from geography and "Caching" from the action of hiding the cache (or treasure). The term cache is commonly used among hikers and campers to refer to a hidden supply of food or other provisions.
2. Personal Emergencies: GPS equipped cell phones can transmit precise locations to 911 dispatchers. This allows the dispatcher to have an immediate and accurate location instead of relying upon descriptions of people who may be unfamiliar with the area or too distraught to explain their location. The same technology has also helped catch people who make crank 911 calls from their GPS-enabled cell phone.
3. Recreational Uses: GPS is popular among hikers, hunters, snowmobilers, mountain bikers, and cross-country skiers. rails can be viewed on topographic map software, traced on the screen and that route can be downloaded into the GPS. Then, in the field the route can be displayed in the map window of the GPS and easily followed. Another use is to leave the GPS on and in a mesh pocket of your backpack while hiking. This will allow the GPS to record a tracklog of your hike. The tracklog can be shared with others, plotted on maps, used for distance hiked estmiates and even printed with mapping software and shared with friends
4. Emergency Roadside Assistance
OnStar by GM for example uses GPS to track vehicles' whereabouts and allows motorists to summon emergency help or to ask directions.
5. Tracking Your Kids: GPS-enabled cell phones can be used to monitor your kids. When Johnny calls you for his after school check in you can confirm if his coordinates are at the public library or at the pool ha
6. Photography: Geocoding Photos Some cameras will annotate your digital and traditional images with the date and time, however, new GPS-enabled cameras can also annotate them with precision coordinates which mark the location of your photos. These annotations can be very useful in science field work, real estate, law enforcement and many other areas.
7. Automobiles and Driving: GPS tracking devices can be used to navigate your car through traffic and find your way to any destination. Many Auto GPS Systems come with preloaded destination settings or points of interest (POI) that provide directions to attractions, and important pit stops such as gas stations, hotels, motels, and lodges. For vacation travel, or any other time you need to map out a course for traveling, the system has course-planning functionality.
8. Laptop GPS: Laptop GPS receivers turn any mobile computer into a fully functional GPS System. Save money and use a laptop GPS receiver for in-vehicle, office based meetings to track locations and find directions or simply to plan a cycle ride for the next day. The in built sophistication of the laptop, augmented with navigation and mapping programs provides much more extensive information than most handheld applications. By using laptop GPS navigation, you are using an already familiar tool, with no need to learn new hardware functionality. Laptop GPS receivers are simply attached to your laptop, notebook or utlrasmall computer using USB or serial connections as with many other peripheral devices. Quite often bundled with software, they are very effective GPS systems
