The Impact of GPS Systems on Daily Life
GPS is the popular name for global positioning system devices that people commonly use for navigation while driving. GPS is actually space-age technology that allows GPS satellites orbiting the earth to transmit free location and weather information to any GPS receiver on the face of the earth that has an unobstructed view of the satellite. The United States government maintains the GPS satellites and they have been operational in their present form since 1994.
Other versions of global positioning systems are either under development or in use, such as the Russian GLONASS system, China's Compass navigational system, and the Galileo system of the European Union. GPS technology became attainable when the Soviet Union launched the man-made satellite, Sputnik into orbit and scientists realized that the Doppler Effect allowed for exact global positioning. It wasn't until the Cold War, however that the United States government felt the need to spend the money on costly development of this technology.
Between the years of 1983 and 1994, the United States government endeavored to make GPS technology freely available to civilians by continuing to develop the machinery and expertise as well as launch several satellites into orbit. In the spring of 2000, the precision of GPS technology available to civilians was improved by allowing access to the high signal quality that had been previously reserved for military use. The Global Positioning System is a natural resource of the United States of America and is maintained by the Department of Defense branch of the government.
GPS technology is now embedded into many portable electronic devices as a way to track the movements of people and pets, locate directions safely while driving, and for emergency location needs for people who need 911 services who are unaware of their location or unable to speak. Automobiles can be fitted with GPS devices to help recover them in case they are stolen. Many cell phones come equipped with the same technology, and computer software programs can be installed on many electronic devices that are not equipped with GPS as a standard feature.
Service companies have found that they can greatly reduce fuel costs by improving schedules of technicians in a way that not only saves fuel, but increases efficiency, which also improves their overall customer satisfaction levels. Tracking aircraft paths and truck routes are two of the main ways transportation and delivery has been affected by global positioning systems, making it easier to keep track of shipments.
GPS has made the lives of many people safer by reliably transmitting maps to unfamiliar locations through portable GPS navigational devices that speak to the user rather than requiring the driver to read a map. These devices can save a great deal of time and fuel costs by preventing a driver from becoming lost in an unfamiliar location. For people who are traveling alone, GPS can make drivers feel comforted the dependable technology that can lead them to a specific address or a vague location such as the "nearest police station".
The website centertech.org has much more information about the undeniable impact GPS technology has had on our daily lives.