A Global Positioning System

A global positioning system (GPS) consists of one or more earth-based receivers that accept and analyze signals sent by satellites in order to determine the receiver's geographic location. A GPS receiver is a handheld or mountable device, which can be secure to an automobile, boat, airplane, farm and construction equipment, or a computer. Some GPS receivers send location information to a base station, where humans can give you personal directions.

GPS has a variety of uses: to locate a person or object; ascertain the best route between two points; monitor the movement of a person or object; or create a map (Slifka 16-19). GPSs help scientists, farmers pilots, dispatchers, and rescue workers operate more productively and safely. A new rescue worker, for example, might use a GPS to locate motorist stranded in a blizzard. A surveyor might use GPS to create design maps for construction projects.

GPSs also are popular in consumer products