Global Positioning System, also known as GPS, is a navigation system that works with the help of satellites and provides us with information about location and time around the globe. In various industries, its application extends not only to navigation in vehicles, but over time it has also expanded to other devices and devices, from cell phones to wristwatches and from fitness trackers to personal safety trackers on our wrists . But despite its many indispensable uses in today's world, it has not escaped the limitations that come with it, as is the case with all types of technology. As reliance on this technology increases worldwide, it is paramount that some of the major drawbacks are addressed and discussed. Without denying the fact that it has vastly improved our ability to navigate, the existence of areas where it requires more attention to improve safety and accuracy is well founded. The only way to understand the advantages and disadvantages of GPS technology is to consider its limitations and find ways to reduce its impact.
One of these limitations can be called a technical disadvantage called signal blocking by physical barriers. Such obstacles may include tall buildings, trees, or other atmospheric conditions that cause GPS signals to be obstructed. Another cause of signal blockages is urban sprawl, which means that tall buildings and narrow streets in city centers prove problematic for GPS signals. They create a canyon effect, blocking signals from reaching devices on the ground efficiently, which affects the accuracy of GPS readings and makes them unreliable. The growing population in urban areas has led to the formation of dense settlements, which has proven to be an obstacle to accurate GPS measurements and therefore inconsistencies in location data are a common result. The problems caused by urban canyons are expected to increase unless there is rapid improvement in the design and functionality of GPS technology to address such technical problems.
Another limitation, according to GPSWOX, is atmospheric interference, which has affected the accuracy and precision of GPS technology. This is caused by two sources called the ionosphere and the troposphere. The former is a layer of charged particles in the upper part of the atmosphere that affects the speed of radio waves, thereby causing delays in GPS signals. The troposphere, on the other hand, is the lower part of the atmosphere that consists of water vapor and gases and has the ability to change not only the speed of signals but also the direction through a process called refraction. The delay caused by refraction is usually greater than that caused by the ionosphere. Although these atmospheric effects do not remain constant but vary with time and location, this makes them even more difficult to compensate for. Due to these factors, GPS receivers use different algorithms to counteract atmospheric influence. However, this is not enough and errors can still occur, which can have drastic consequences in areas such as aviation and surveying.
Another important phenomenon that affects the precision of vehicle tracking systems is multipath interference. This occurs when the signals bounce off reflective surfaces of buildings and large metal objects, negatively impacting vehicle tracking systems. The result is the reflection of GPS signals, which are therefore called multipath signals. Their interference with signal receivers occurs when they reach the receiver together with the direct signal or at a later time than that which the receiver has already measured. Receivers work with specific frequencies and codes emitted by the satellites to measure time, which leads to distortion and incorrect position calculations due to multipath signals. Cars, shipping containers and even large bodies of water can serve as reflective surfaces for GPS signals. In the presence of advanced algorithms and techniques to reduce the impact of multipath signals. It is still considered a significant technology test in urban environments.
Another reason GPS reliability is compromised in areas with large foliage and tree cover is environmental limitation. A densely populated area can significantly weaken or even jam the GPS system, making receivers vulnerable to determining locations based on a weaker signal, leading to a variety of errors. This could be problematic for certain applications that emergency response teams use for location and navigation. Such applications work with precise and continuous data, and although there are several possible solutions, the problem still exists, although not frequently.
Last but not least, the increasing and evolving use of GPS technology has raised ethical concerns regarding individual security and privacy. For example, spoofing is considered a major security threat. This is a technique used to trick a GPS receiver into sending out fake signals or even mimicking legitimate signals, which could lead to the manipulation of a person's movement. The consequences range from mere inconvenience to serious safety concerns. Unauthorized tracking and misuse of location data pose additional risks and can lead to serious data breaches. Every other day we hear stories of companies misusing individuals' location data for targeted advertising without consent, which in turn can also be used by individuals with malicious intent.
Despite the problems mentioned above, research and development leads GPS technology to new solutions. These solutions, which aim to address the limitations and mitigate the challenges, include enhanced satellite technology-assisted GPD (A-GPS), multiple constellation support and alternative positioning technologies. Improved satellite technology is crucial to overcome the atmospheric and physical barriers and eliminate weak signals. This is done by examining the possibility of using alternative satellite constellations. By leveraging additional data sources, A-GPS has also improved the performance of traditional GPS, and we can see that on our smartphones. Multiple constellation systems have also been proven to improve precision and accuracy. Europe and Russia have taken a step in this direction by developing their own satellite navigation systems.
Comments are closed.