We’ve all seen it in the movies: a small device is attached to someone’s car, and its location is no longer a secret. It seems like every spy and superhero always has one ready to go. But what about ordinary people? You don’t have to be a superhero to use GPS tracking in everyday life. Find out how GPS works and how it can help you.
From the image that Hollywood created around GPS, it sounds almost like magic. Does it really work so well that you can tell someone’s precise location at any given time? Actually yes, it works like that and there is no magic behind it, just modern technology.
Originally, GPS was conceived as a military technology. It was created in the late 70s by
the United States Department of Defense. It consisted of 24 satellites with 17 of them positioned on the horizon at all times. As a result, they were able to “see” anything anywhere in the world.
The military advantage of this technology is obvious. But there are also many uses for ordinary people. Car GPS is probably the most common: it helps you find your way in any unfamiliar place. Another popular use of GPS is GPS tracking systems that can track anything: cars, people, and animals.
Common uses of GPS tracking
– Track your car in case it gets stolen
– Track the driving activity of your teens
– Track lost pets
– Wildlife tracking
– GPS tracking used by police officers and private detectives.
Best of all, the technology is owned by the US government and the service is free. No need to pay monthly fees or anything like that. All you have to do is get a GPS receiver and special software for your computer that will convert the received data for you.
Types of GPS tracking devices
There are many types of GPS tracking from the cheapest and simplest, usually built into pet tracking collars, to the most sophisticated that take full advantage of global positioning system technology. One popular solution is a device that gets the coordinates and then regularly sends them as an instant message. You can receive messages on your mobile or on your computer. This is a very convenient system.
On-Star is a popular GPS tracking system for cars. It used to be installed only on the most expensive cars, but not anymore. Common cars from Ford, Chrysler, Chevrolet and other companies now use ON-Star tracking. If you are wondering how it works, the principle is quite simple. The satellites send out a radio signal and then measure how long it takes for the signal to reach your vehicle. For more accurate results, the signal coming from 4 satellites is usually measured at the same time.
As you can see, there are many ways that we can use GPS tracking devices in everyday life.