More and more parents are using GPS for kids nowadays. They are using these devices to keep track of their children. But how does it work? GPS stands for Global Positioning System. This system was designed by the United States’ Department of Defense which was seeking a better way to navigate its forces around the globe. Its full name is NAVSTAR GPS. This is an acronym that stands for Navigation Signal Timing and Range Global Positioning Systems. The system originally went “live” in 1985, with the final satellite placed in orbit in 1994.
There are twenty four satellites in geo-synchronous orbit around the Earth. These satellites send continuous signals 24 hours a day down to the GPS systems on the Earth’s surface, regardless of weather conditions.
How Does GPS Tracking Work?
The system works by analyzing the signals from the receiver (the GPS tracking device you might have) to different satellites. The system measures the time difference of the signals from each of the satellites and how long they take to reach the receiver. From there, the system can compute the location ( longitude and latitude) of the device.
How Accurate Is GPS Tracking?
GPS systems have improved its accuracy over the past 23 years. Right now, the system can pinpoint a receiver within twenty feet, anywhere on the globe. As technology improves, this guaranteed location can be narrowed down to mere inches. Because of its accuracy, it is used for navigating planes, vehicles and ships around the world. Additional uses are in land surveying (very important for oil companies to help find new deposits), mapmaking as well as many different types of scientific research.
Original receivers were fairly large. Now, they are small enough to be placed in cell phones. This is good thing for harried parents as it allows them to use GPS for kids to assist them in keeping track of their children.
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