GPS Tracking: What is Used For?

GPS tracking is location monitoring through the Global Positioning System ( GPS) to remotely track a person, pet, or object's location. The technology can pinpoint the target's longitude, latitude, ground velocity, and course direction.

The GPS is a "constellation" of 24 well-spaced Earth-orbiting satellites that enable people with ground receivers to identify their geographic location. For most equipment, the location accuracy is anywhere from 100 to 10 meters. With special military-approved equipment, accuracy can be pinpointed to within one meter.

In science, GPS equipment is widely used and has now become sufficiently low-cost so that almost anyone can own a GPS, and many do so in a navigation device for smartphones, tablets, or GPS.

For police, firefighters, army staff, and large delivery firms, GPS monitoring is indispensable. Many of these use systems for automated vehicle locators (AVL). In general, AVL networks require a network of cars, each with a handheld radio router, a GPS receiver, a GPS modem, and a GPS antenna. A base radio consisting of a PC station, as well as a GPS receiver and interface, is linked to this network.

Rather than static map pictures on the Internet, GPS utilizes dynamic charts. AVL systems can be used to increase field staff accountability and increase the efficiency of a company's dispatching process through tracking and communication.

Other GPS monitoring systems include GPS weapons that can be shot at a speeding vehicle by law enforcement, stopping a risky chase. Law enforcement agencies often use GPS dust in some areas, which consists of GPS trackers so fragile they may be blown or rubbed on a target's clothes.

GPS systems are also used to monitor the position of staff on smartphones and other electronic devices. Privacy advocates caution that marketers, government, hackers, and cyberstalkers will still monitor consumers via their mobile devices using the technology.

What is GPS Tracking Used For?

Some of the most common applications for GPS technologies are undoubtedly familiar to you, but there are others that you might have never noticed. From the military to our emergency responders, to private and personal use, GPS is an important aspect of all kinds of operations.

Military Use of GPS

More than 50 years ago, GPS originated in the military, and the military continues to use it to monitor planes, troop movements, sea navigation, and more. For those deployed in unfamiliar territories or units traveling at night, GPS navigation in the military is extremely important.

More recently, the military has been able to use UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) through emerging GPS technologies. These UAVs are a life-saving invention (sometimes referred to as drones) as they allow us to see and work in some of the most dangerous areas on Earth without injuring our servicemen and women. They may be remotely controlled and are mostly used for missions of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

Search And Rescue

In search and rescue activities, GPS monitoring plays an important function, helping rescue teams keep track of the areas they have covered, look at the larger picture of a search mission, or even pull GPS data directly from the GPS system or phone of a missing individual.

They use a grid system while a search and rescue mission is searching for survivors from a major incident or seeking to find a missing person in an undeveloped environment. This means that each area is carefully searched, and at the cost of other areas, no area is searched twice. To maintain a more detailed search pattern, search and rescue teams are fitted with GPS trackers today.

GPS Vehicle Tracking

There is a range of commercial applications of GPS monitoring, but the implementation of GPS systems to track commercial fleets is one of the most effective. Companies with fleets can keep track of the driver's exact position and condition by providing a GPS on every car, obtain powerful insights into fleet performance, and provide roadside assistance quickly if necessary.

In order to keep track of vehicle operation and position, maximizing protection and performance, GPS is a critical part of current fleet monitoring systems. Although some were worried that this technology would act as a big brother and spark fleet driver labor conflicts, it has proved to be a worthy addition to every fleet's operations.

GPS Recreational Use

You've already experienced some recreational applications for GPS beyond the critical protection and life-saving apps for this technology. For outdoor enthusiasts, it has become a popular weapon. Some operations, such as geocaching, depend entirely on GPS monitoring to be feasible. The inclusion of GPS monitoring, which can provide input on time, distance traveled, and precise position in the wilderness, is improved by others, such as mountain biking, distance running, or hiking.

With the rise of mobile use, most of us now bring wherever we go a GPS tracking device. This means that we can now use this technology in new and novel ways, from AR (augmented reality) software to location-based gaming features. We are just starting to scratch the surface of how GPS can be used for fun and leisure.