GPS Tracking System

A GPS tracking system is a set of devices that detect a person or thing’s exact location on earth.

Although it was not just until a few years ago that people became very familiar with the technology, the global positioning system has actually been around for quite some time now. The United States government developed the technology through the Department of Defense.

The first global positioning system satellite was launched in February of 1978. The innovation was primarily intended for military use. However, President Ronald Reagan decided to open it for civilian use after a Soviet jet shot down a passenger aircraft for allegedly entering a restricted portion of its airspace in 1983.

GPS - How it Works

The technology is mainly composed of a constellation of satellites above the earth and by small receivers or stations on the ground. There are currently 29 satellites orbiting the planet that send and receive data from the ground. Only 24 are needed to fully cover the globe, though. The other five serve as backups. They complete 2 sets of rotations everyday.

A GPS receiver tries to look for signals from at least four satellites. The device then computes its exact location on the ground by determining its distance from each of the satellites. This method was derived from a mathematical precept called trilateration.

GPS Tracking System – How Accurate Is It?

The global positioning system is extremely accurate. Its precision could be narrowed down to within 4-20 meters from the object or person that is bearing the receiver. However, atmospheric conditions sometimes distort the strength or accuracy of the signals.

Inaccuracies due to weather and other events are easily remedied by Differential GPS (DGPS). This basically involves a comparison of past recorded data to the new ones being shown by the signals. During fair conditions, DGPS can further increase the precision of the signals to just 1-3 meters.