What is the Purpose of a GPS?
GPS systems are used for a wide variety of purposes by civilian and military forces all over the world. GPS stands for Global Positioning System and it was developed by the United States as means of navigation for marine vessels. The system functions by constantly receiving and interpreting signals produced by satellites.
GPS systems are frequently used by public consumers, private companies and military forces.
Public Consumers
The general public uses GPS devices for several activities. The following list includes some of the most popular purposes:
- Navigation - This is the most common civilian use for GPS systems.
- Geocaching - An activity in which hikers hide a cache and program a map that leads other geocachers to it.
- Hiking - These outdoors enthusiasts use the devices to navigate and to signal help in emergency situations.
- Tracking - GPS devices are often used to keep track of children and pets.
Private Companies
Major companies use GPS systems in navigation, tracking of employees and materials and construction. The devices are particularly useful in the autopilot systems used by commercial airlines.
Military Forces
GPS was initially developed for military purposes. The system is often used for the following purposes:
- Directing the movement of ground forces. Units are often issued GPS devices that military leaders use to determine their location and determine further orders.
- Aerial units often use GPS devices to determine their location in association with ground forces.
- Naval units use GPS to stay on track with their planned routes. This is particularly true of submarines.