Here are some of the examples of GPS uses you may not have heard about:
Finance Industry
Banks and stock exchanges use the satellites for time-stamps that prevent fraud. Accurate time is crucial for stock market operations since the price depends on what time the transaction was made. Forex transactions rely on time stamping too so they may use time-stamp server which in turn use GPS signals for synchronizing.
Cell Phone Operations
Network providers use GPS time to coordinate how your phone communicates with the cell phone towers. More specifically it relies on the accurate time signal transmitted by GPS satellites for synchronization which enables time transfer, which is used synchronizing spreading codes with other base stations to facilitate inter-cell handoff.
Earthquakes
Scientists use GPS in earthquake prone areas near the faults to maybe help predict earthquakes. By utilizing position information from receivers they can measure how strain builds up over time at Earth’s crust.
Power Grid
By analyzing the precise timing of an electrical anomaly as it propagates through a grid, power companies can trace back the exact location of a power line break.
Agriculture
Farmers may and do use GPS technology for farm planning, field mapping, tractor guidance, on aircraft sprayers, and yield mapping.
Aviation
Southwest Airlines for example recently started using GPS data to assist in landing and take off and even taxiing. Other uses of GPS in aviation help with reducing fuel use through better route planning.
“Smart” Bombs
Though we hate to call any kind of weapon “smart” that’s the consensus for referring to bombs that use GPS satellites to pinpoint it’s target and hit it with amazing accuracy. These weapons uses GPS signals (in addition INS – inertial navigation system) to control the tail system to achieve better than 10 meters accuracy.
Marine
Efficient placement of buoys, harbor navigation, and even management of shipping container at a port.
Railroads
Some railroad traffic management systems already rely on GPS satellites to reduce the probability of collisions between trains, casualties to workers and damage to their equipment, and over speed accidents.
Can you think of any other uses for GPS other than the most basic use for consumers such as driving navigation, and tracking?
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9 uses of GPS you didn’t know about
Source: Navigadget
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