Global Positioning System, or GPS as it is commonly called, is a navigation system centered on satellites, which means that it works with a network of satellites in order to determine the direction, speed, and location of any object on Earth. It was designed and developed in the 1970s by the United States Department of Defense but was later adopted for wider use. It works with the help of 24 satellites in the Earth’s trajectory, and the transmitted signals are received by the GPS devices on the ground. Providing accurate information about a location in real-time as a result of calculating the time taken for the signal to reach the device along with the orbit and location of satellites, it has revolutionized the way objects are navigated and tracked.
Discovering the possible uses of satellites for navigation, a group of scientists in the early 1960s conceived the idea of GPS, but the first Navigation Satellite System (NAVSTAR), also called as the Transit system, was formally launched by the United States Navy. It was done under the supervision of Dr. Ivan A. Getting, who was a pioneering scientist in the field of navigation. Primarily, the system was designed to provide accurate positioning solely for military commitments, including but not limited to guiding missiles and aircraft, which used a constellation of 6 satellites to provide position and measurements of velocity to ships and submarines. The system went through various challenges and faced hindrances during the times of its initial development, but by the last quarter of the 1980s, it was not only fully operational but also made available for civilian usage when the United States Air Force launched the global positioning system in order to enhance navigation for both military and civil purposes. It consisted of 24 satellites that circled around the Earth at an altitude of approximately 20,000 km. In the civilian sphere, it opened up an entire new range of possibilities, especially in remote areas, where it made tracking and navigating very much possible.
However, as groundbreaking as it was at the time of its launch, these navigation systems came with limitations, one of which was the availability of satellites. Both the Transit system and GPS tracking system faced difficulties in giving uninterrupted coverage due to the lack of an adequate number of satellites. The accuracy of these systems was another challenge, as in the formative years, they were not as precise as they are now. The transit system and the GPS tracking system had an accuracy of about one nautical mile and 100 meters, respectively. In areas with mountains or tall buildings, it was difficult to achieve exact navigation. Not only that but these systems were also exposed to interference and susceptible to signal jamming, which was a concern on the part of their reliability.
With the end of the Cold War in the 1990s, when the US government lifted the limitations on the civilian use of navigation technology, it led to a sharp surge in its development and usage, thereby leading to not only its rapid advancement but also its utility for various purposes. The commercial sector was quick to pick up on it, and very soon, the vehicle tracking and logistics were two of the initial fields that the GPS tracking technology found roots in. Among the first to adopt it were the fleet management companies, which made it possible for them to monitor the location, routes, and speed of their vehicles in concurrent time. By giving precise access into the shipment’s location and estimated time duration of delivery, it changed the outlook of logistics operations and proved beneficial for companies whose primary business was the transportation of goods.
Other than that, industries such as health care, construction, and personal safety were swift in adopting the GPS tracking technology. Hospitals started to use it for monitoring supplies and medical equipment, and construction companies started to utilize it to track the location of their on-site workers and machinery used. GPS trackers became known for personal safety purposes and started to be used in monitoring the location of children, senior citizens, and persons with special needs, which made it possible to track them in case of emergency.
Over the past few decades, significant advancements in GPS receiver technology have not only improved the accuracy and reliability of GPS systems but have also made them more accessible to everyone, adding to their affordability. One of these key advancements can be referred to as miniaturization and cost reduction, which has made it possible for the receivers to be smaller and cost-effective as compared to the earlier ones, which were quite bulky and expensive. This feature has allowed for the GPS receivers to be used in the everyday devices such as fitness trackers, smartphones, and smartwatches. It has also helped it to be integrated with cameras, drones, and vehicles, which have given rise to a new horizon of possibilities for such industries. One such example is aerial photography and videography, which has become more precise with drone cameras. It has also made the filmmaking and entertainment industry more inclusive, giving way to amateurs, too.
Keeping the conveniences in mind that GPS tracking technology brings to our lives, it has also raised concerns about privacy and ethics. Some of these include challenges to personal data as well as surveillance, regulatory measures in place, and the vitality of user awareness. GPS tracking in personal devices poses threats to privacy, and by constantly monitoring the location, it can lead to revealing sensitive information, which can be misused by third parties for malicious purposes. There is also a risk of personal data being shared without the knowledge and consent of the common use of wearable technology such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. This, in turn, brings us to the point of considering the ethical implications of the technology, which has made surveillance easy. Ethicists see this as a violation of privacy and personal freedom. To address such grave concerns, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe makes it mandatory to obtain explicit consent from the users. Similarly, regulations are also in place in other parts of the world.
