Handheld GPS has certainly brought our navigation forward in a big way over the last half-millenium. When Columbus first “sailed the ocean blue”, all he had to rely on in terms of navigation was his navigation by the stars, his tools (compass and sextant) and “dead reckoning”. He was searching for the East Indies and the spices therein. If he had a handheld GPS, perhaps he would have arrived in the East Indies instead of the Caribbean and the New World would have been discovered many centuries later. But fast forward 500 years and the global positioning satellite (GPS) system now allows people to get to their destinations without trouble (and without getting lost).
How Does GPS Work?
The GPS system works by constantly streaming data between the GPS unit on the Earth’s surface and the GPS communications satellites in geo-synchronous orbit above the Earth. By constantly remaining in contact with each other the satellite is able to pinpoint where the GPS unit is and relay that information to the GPS system (and therefore to you). The exact location is cut down to within a few feet. This allows you to plan your route to your destination and for the GPS system to immediately recalculate your route if you deviate from the pre-planned path.
Another thing that GPS systems can do is to monitor how fast the vehicle is driving. This is essential for parents with teens who drive the family car or for employers who want to make sure their employees are following the rules of the road.
Parents can also use portable GPS systems to keep track of their children. Children are naturally curious and can wander off. By employing GPS tracking devices on their children, worried parents can quickly be reunited with their child.
Columbus could definitely have used the functionality of the GPS system. But we’re glad he ended up in the wrong place all the same.
