GIS planet: Navigator 1.0.1

GIS planet: Navigator 1.0.1

First Multimedia Community Portal for GPS Users Launched

After a complete re-vamp of it's website, GPS Software Hub has officially launched a multimedia community portal for global GPS users. GPS Software Hub Community, the first of its kind, has come up with many interactive features for GPS users, such as image gallery, video gallery, user blogs, live news and a dedicated forum.

“There are websites on GPS, but this community portal is different in many ways.” an official claimed, “The number of GPS users around the globe is growing very fast and support from OEMs takes long time. People are looking for a place where they can come together and try to help each other and we have created this platform for the same”. The site has a User Blog section where users share there thoughts on GPS units, software or maps. They also can create own photo gallery and share videos.

“We have carefully designed the image and video gallery sections with categories, such as video tutorial, trails, geocaching, automotive GPS, cell phone GPS, GPS tracking and more. Users can view, vote, comment and create their own photo gallery. “ said a product manager at GPS Software Hub. The new portal also host a dedicated discussion board on GPS navigators, software and maps. The forum also has a classified section where users can post their GPS Buy-Sell ads.

“We wanted to create a common platform for both the end users and businesses. GPS companies can also use this platform to blog about their products or submit videos and pictures to educate users. We are also planning to launch a GPS company directory soon. The bottom line is whatever we do, it' should benefit the users and that's our ultimate aim”, said an official at GPS Software Hub.

GPS in Recreation

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has eliminated many of the hazards associated with common recreational activities by providing a capability to determine a precise location. GPS receivers have also broadened the scope and enjoyment of outdoor activities by simplifying many of the traditional problems, such as staying on the “correct trail” or returning to the best fishing spot.

Outdoor exploration carries with it many intrinsic dangers, one of the most important of which is the potential for getting lost in unfamiliar or unsafe territory. Hikers, bicyclists, and outdoor adventurers are increasingly relying on GPS instead of traditional paper maps, compasses, or landmarks. Paper maps are often outdated, and compasses and landmarks may not provide the precise location information necessary to avoid venturing into unfamiliar areas. In addition, darkness and adverse weather conditions may also contribute to imprecise navigation results.

GPS technology coupled with electronic mapping has helped to overcome much of the traditional hardships associated with unbounded exploration. GPS handsets allow users to safely traverse trails with the confidence of knowing precisely where they are at all times, as well as how to return to their starting point. One of the benefits is the ability to record and return to waypoints. Similarly, fishermen typically use GPS signals as a means to continually stay apprised of location, heading, bearing, speed, distance-to-go, time-to-go, chart plotting functions, and most importantly, returning to a location where the fish are plentiful.

An advantage in newer GPS receivers is the capability to transfer data to and from a computer. Outdoor enthusiasts can download waypoints from an exciting adventure and share them. An example of this is a web site based in Malaysia dedicated to GPS for mountain biking enthusiasts. Riders post waypoint files marking their favorite rides allowing other riders to try out the trails.

Golfers use GPS to measure precise distances within the course and improve their game. Other applications include skiing, as well as recreational aviation and boating.

GPS technology has generated entirely new sports and outdoor activities. An example of this is geocaching, a sport which rolls a pleasurable day’s outing and a treasure hunt into one. Another new sport is geodashing, a cross-country race to a predefined GPS coordinate.

GPS modernization efforts, designed to enhance more serious applications than recreation have provided direct and indirect benefits to the user. Various GPS augmentation systems that were developed in several countries for commerce and transportation are also being widely used by outdoor enthusiasts for recreational purposes. Modernization plans for GPS will result in even greater reliability and availability for all users, such as under a denser forest cover -- just the environment in which many adventurers most need this capability.

Source:gps.gov

GPS in Surveying and Mapping

As technology evolves and expands throughout the world, the surveying and mapping community is steadily redefining the tools required to increase productivity and obtain highly accurate data.

Using the near pinpoint accuracy provided by the Global Positioning System (GPS) with ground augmentations, highly accurate surveying and mapping results can be rapidly obtained, thereby significantly reducing the amount of equipment and labor hours that are normally required of other conventional surveying and mapping techniques. Today it is possible for a single surveyor to accomplish in one day what used to take weeks with an entire team. GPS is unaffected by rain, wind, or reduced sunlight, and is rapidly being adopted by professional surveyors and mapping personnel throughout the world.

GPS provides accurate three-dimensional positioning information for natural and artificial features that can be displayed on maps and models of everything in the world - mountains, rivers, forests, endangered animals, precious minerals and many other resources. GPS position information for these features serves as a prime input to geographic information systems (GIS), that assemble, store, manipulate, and display geographically referenced information.

GPS has played a vital role in relief efforts for global disasters such as the tsunami that struck in the Indian Ocean region in 2004, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that wreaked havoc in the Gulf of Mexico in 2005, and the Pakistan-India earthquake in 2005. Search and rescue teams used GPS position information to create maps of the disaster areas for rescue and aid operations, as well as to help assess damage.

Throughout the world, government agencies, scientific organizations, and commercial operations are using the surveys and maps deriving from GPS and GIS for timely decision-making and wiser use of resources. Any organization or agency that requires accurate location information can benefit from the efficiency and productivity provided by the positioning capability of GPS.

Unlike traditional techniques, GPS surveying is not bound by constraints such as line-of-sight visibility between reference stations. Also, the spacing between stations can be increased. The increased flexibility of GPS also permits survey stations to be established at easily accessible sites rather than being confined to hilltops as previously required.

Remote GPS systems may be carried by one person in a backpack, mounted on the roof of an automobile, or fastened atop an all-terrain vehicle to permit rapid and accurate field data collection. With a GPS radio communication link, real-time, continuous centimeter-level accuracy makes possible a productivity level that is virtually unattainable using optical survey instruments.

With the modernization of GPS even further enhancements are in the works. In addition to the current GPS civilian service, the United States is committed to implementing two additional civilian signals. The extra signals will, for example, provide a means for correcting errors caused by the ionosphere, thus improving positioning accuracy. The new signals will also improve the availability and overall integrity of the system for all users.

Source:gps.gov

GPS in Public Safety and Disaster Relief

A critical component of any successful rescue operation is time. Knowing the precise location of landmarks, streets, buildings, emergency service resources, and disaster relief sites reduces that time -- and saves lives. This information is critical to disaster relief teams and public safety personnel in order to protect life and reduce property loss. The Global Positioning System (GPS) serves as a facilitating technology in addressing these needs.

GPS has played a vital role in relief efforts for global disasters such as the tsunami that struck in the Indian Ocean region in 2004, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that wreaked havoc in the Gulf of Mexico in 2005, and the Pakistan-India earthquake in 2005. Search and rescue teams used GPS, geographic information system (GIS), and remote sensing technology to create maps of the disaster areas for rescue and aid operations, as well as to assess damage.

Another important area of disaster relief is in the management of wildfires. To contain and manage forest fires, aircraft combine GPS with infrared scanners to identify fire boundaries and “hot spots.” Within minutes, fire maps are transmitted to a portable field computer at the firefighters’ camp. Armed with this information, firefighters have a greater chance of winning the battle against the blaze.

In earthquake prone areas such as the Pacific Rim, GPS is playing an increasingly prominent role in helping scientists to anticipate earthquakes. Using the precise position information provided by GPS, scientists can study how strain builds up slowly over time in an attempt to characterize, and in the future perhaps anticipate, earthquakes.

Meteorologists responsible for storm tracking and flood prediction also rely on GPS. They can assess water vapor content by analyzing transmissions of GPS data through the atmosphere.
GPS has become an integral part of modern emergency response systems -- whether helping stranded motorists find assistance or guiding emergency vehicles.

As the international industry positioning standard for use by emergency and other specialty vehicle fleets, GPS has given managers a quantum leap forward in efficient operation of their emergency response teams. The ability to effectively identify and view the location of police, fire, rescue, and individual vehicles or boats, and how their location relates to an entire network of transportation systems in a geographic area, has resulted in a whole new way of doing business. Location information provided by GPS, coupled with automation, reduces delay in the dispatch of emergency services.

Incorporation of GPS in mobile phones places an emergency location capability in the hands of everyday users. Today’s widespread placement of GPS location systems in passenger cars provides another leap in developing a comprehensive safety net. Today, many ground and maritime vehicles are equipped with autonomous crash sensors and GPS. This information, when coupled with automatic communication systems, enables a call for help even when occupants are unable to do so.

The modernization of GPS will further facilitate disaster relief and public safety services. The addition of new civil signals will increase accuracy and reliability all over the world. In short, GPS modernization translates to more lives saved and faster recovery for victims of global tragedies.

Source:gps.gov

GPS in Environment

To sustain the Earth’s environment while balancing human needs requires better decision making with more up-to-date information. Gathering accurate and timely information has been one of the greatest challenges facing both government and private organizations that must make these decisions. The Global Positioning System (GPS) helps to address that need.

Data collection systems provide decision makers with descriptive information and accurate positional data about items that are spread across many kilometers of terrain. By connecting position information with other types of data, it is possible to analyze many environmental problems from a new perspective. Position data collected through GPS can be imported into geographic information system (GIS) software, allowing spatial aspects to be analyzed with other information to create a far more complete understanding of a particular situation than might be possible through conventional means.

Aerial studies of some of the world’s most impenetrable wilderness are conducted with the aid of GPS technology to evaluate an area’s wildlife, terrain, and human infrastructure. By tagging imagery with GPS coordinates it is possible to evaluate conservation efforts and assist in strategy planning.

Some nations collect and use mapping information to manage their regulatory programs such as the control of royalties from mining operations, delineation of borders, and the management of logging in their forests.

GPS technology supports efforts to understand and forecast changes in the environment. By integrating GPS measurements into operational methods used by meteorologists, the atmosphere’s water content can be determined, improving the accuracy of weather forecasts. In addition, the proliferation of GPS tidal tracking sites, and improvement in estimating the vertical component of a site’s position from GPS measurements, present a unique opportunity to directly observe the effects of ocean tides.

GPS receivers mounted on buoys track the movement and spread of oil spills. Helicopters use GPS to map the perimeter of forest fires and allow efficient use of fire fighting resources.
The migratory patterns of endangered species, such as the mountain gorillas of Rwanda, are tracked and mapped using GPS, helping to preserve and enhance declining populations.

In earthquake prone areas such as the Pacific Rim, GPS is playing an increasingly prominent role in helping scientists to anticipate earthquakes. Using the precise position information provided by GPS, scientists can study how strain builds up slowly over time in an attempt to characterize, and in the future perhaps anticipate, earthquakes.

Another benefit to using GPS is timeliness with which critical products can be generated. Because GPS data are in a digital form available at all times and in all parts of the world, they can be captured and analyzed very quickly. This means that it is possible for analysis to be completed in hours or days rather than weeks or months, thus ensuring that the final product is timelier. With the rapid pace of change in the world today, these savings in time can be critical.

The modernization of GPS will further enhance the support of GPS technology to the study and management of the world’s environment. The United States is committed to implementing two additional civilian signals that will provide ecological and conservation applications with increased accuracy, availability, and reliability. Tropical rain forest ecology, for example, will benefit from the increased availability of GPS within heavy foliage areas and the reduction of spatial error in fine-scale vegetation mapping.

Source:gps.gov

GPS in Rail systems

Rail systems in many parts of the world use the Global Positioning System (GPS) in combination with various sensors, computers, and communication systems to improve safety, security, and operational effectiveness. These technologies help to reduce accidents, delays, operating costs, and dangerous emissions, while increasing track capacity, customer satisfaction, and cost effectiveness. Integral to the efficient operation of rail systems is the requirement for accurate, real-time position information of locomotives, rail cars, maintenance-of-way vehicles, and wayside equipment.

Ensuring high levels of safety, improving the efficiency of rail operations, and expanding system capacity are all key objectives of today’s railroad industry. Unlike most other modes of transportation, there is little flexibility in managing rail traffic. Most rail systems are comprised of long stretches of a single set of tracks. Trains bound for thousands of destinations must simultaneously share the use of these single line tracks.

Precise knowledge of where a train is located is essential to prevent collisions, maintain smooth flow of traffic, and minimize costly delays due to waiting for clearance for track use. Only the skill of the crews, accurate timing, a dynamic dispatching capability, and a critical array of “meet and passes” locations on short stretches of parallel tracks, allow rail dispatchers to guide their trains safely through. It is therefore critical for safety and efficiency reasons to know the position and performance of these trains both individually and system-wide.

GPS also contributes to dependable scheduling through train location awareness, enhancing connectivity with other modes of transportation, such as rail station to airport transfers.

An enhancement to the basic GPS signal known as Differential GPS (DGPS) improves accuracy and safety within its coverage areas. The enhanced position information enables the dispatcher to determine on which of two parallel tracks a train is located. When coupled with other location and navigation devices to account for time in tunnels, behind hills, and other obstructions, DGPS can provide a reliable and accurate position-locating capability for rail traffic management systems.

Differential GPS is an essential element of the Positive Train Control (PTC) concept being adopted in many parts of the world. This concept involves providing precise railroad position information to sophisticated command and control systems to produce the best operating plan to include varying train speed, re-routing traffic, and safely moving maintenance crews onto and off tracks.

A PTC system can track the location and speed of a train more accurately than was previously possible, providing train movement information to rail management personnel who can then enforce speeds and limits of authority, as necessary. By providing better tracking of train location and speed, PTC increases operational efficiency, allows higher track capacity, enhances crew, passenger, and cargo safety, and also results in a safer environment for personnel working on the track.

Differential GPS can also aid in surveying and mapping track structure for maintenance and future system planning. By using DGPS, one can precisely locate mileposts, signal masts, switch points, bridges, road crossings, signal equipment, etc. GPS can satisfy the high level of accuracy needed for operation in terminal areas and rail yards, where dozens of tracks may run in parallel.

Finally, with the modernization of GPS, rail operators can look forward to providing better service. In addition to the current GPS civilian service, the United States is committed to implementing two additional civilian signals. Access to the new signals will mean increased accuracy, more availability, and better integrity for all users.

Source:gps.gov