Technology has made our lives easier and is continuously finding ways to create and develop programs and applications that will automate systems and make humanity’s life better. One of the latest, useful, and helpful devices that technology introduced to us is the Global Positioning System or more commonly known by many with its abbreviation “GPS”. During the time of our ancestors, there was no device like GPS that will help them track of their position where to head and what directions they should take to get them where they want to be. To remember their tracks, they put up extreme measures such as building monumental landmarks, creating maps that are detailed, and reading the stars to guide them in their travel.
Gone are those days. You don’t need to wait for the stars or look for the landmarks all you need is a pocket-sized GPS to tell where your exact location is at the moment. With a clear sky view and a GPS receiver, getting lost will be the least of your worry. So how does this small device works out? While it may seem complicated, it is actually intuitive and simple with its fundamental concepts working. GPS is an assemblage of the 27 satellites the orbits the Earth. It was developed by the military which was initially for their navigation system and as time goes on, it was introduced to the public.
How does GPS work?
Each satellite circles the Earth at about 19,300 km rotating twice daily. The orbits are positioned and arranged in a way to ensure that there would be at least four visible satellites anytime anywhere in the sky. The GPS receiver function is to detect four or more of the satellites and compute each distance and use it to deduct the exact location. The mathematical principle involve in the operation is called trilateration.
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