My husband and I have an ongoing, friendly argument as to who gets lost the most. I think it is just about even. We like to take road trips, just pack the car and go. But on those occasions that we have to find a client’s office, or a specific location in a city we don’t know, it is challenging at best. Once, we got lost in a big city and ended up in a part of town that was dangerous. The next day, we purchased a GPS system so that won’t ever happen again.
GPS stands for Global Positioning System. Originally, this system was created by the American Department of Defense and run with 24 satellites. Today, there are about 30 active satellites transmitting signals used in nautical navigation, aviation, land surveying, or anything that requires an exact position.
The decision to develop a satellite navigation system was based on technology used in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy in 1973. According to The National Research Council’s Committee on the Future of the Global Positioning System, originally, the GPS technology was designed mainly to provide precise radio navigation capability to the U.S. military. As the technology progressed, civilian usage increased dramatically and now exceeds military use. It was during the 1991 Gulf War that the system made its debut and received high praise.
Now, in the civilian sector, it is helping save lives, helping society in various ways and providing jobs. The technology is leaping forward so fast that it is predicted in a few years these systems will be the size of a credit card – so no excuse for getting lost!
Some of the uses of the GPS systems are emergency vehicles to pinpoint destinations and map their routes, locating lost vessels at sea, trucking and transportation companies keeping track of their fleets and delivery in a timely manner, pilots for navigation, dusting crops, aerial photos, and surveying. Earth scientists even use the GPS system to monitor earthquakes and the shifting of the tectonic plates.
Besides mapping roads, tracking forest fires, and honing airline flight plans, one of the greatest advantages of civilian use is in the car. Many companies are manufacturing cars equipped with a GPS system, but if you don’t have one in your car, you can purchase a system and install it yourself.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, since the global market for GPS receivers and systems is estimated at more than two billion dollars and growing with expectations of over thirty billion dollars in the next ten years.
It has given us peace of mind when we take our long road trips, if we get lost, have an accident, or need to find a client’s office without the stress of being late. Of course, there are times when our road trips are totally unplanned as to where we end up. We just get in the car and go, and wherever we decide to stop is okay with us. But it sure is nice to know if we do get lost, we always have our GPS system.
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This article was written by Safe Home Sue for Safe Home Products, Inc.® Safe Home Products is a growing e-commerce reseller of consumer products that improve safety, security, health and quality of life. Established in 1999 as a woman-owned business and has served over 100,000 clients worldwide from its customer service and fulfillment headquarters in Iowa City, Iowa. Safe Home Products offers over 10,000 products including carbon monoxide and radon detectors, emergency preparedness equipment, environmentally friendly cleaning supplies, pet products, pest control solutions, and home medical equipment. Safe Home Products ships to all 50 states and U.S. territories and to most countries.
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