![]() ![]() They cannot be off by a foot or two here or there. Where GPS accuracy really mattersįor companies designing and developing self-driving cars, they need their cars to know the exact position at all times. Even less than 1 meter.”īut if you work in a field where every centimeter, millimeter or fraction of an inch counts, then ‘no’ that level of accuracy is NOT enough. Still, many might say, ‘Hey, 95% is really high, and 7 meters is pretty good. Other factors in the environment can impact the user accuracy, such as atmospheric conditions, the receiver design and quality, and signal blockage. The former refers to what is being sent, while the latter refers to what is being received. The URE is not the same as the user accuracy. Yet, there’s something else to take into consideration when considering GPS accuracy. According to the GPS homepage, “ On May 11, 2016, the global average URE was ≤0.715 m (2.3 ft.), 95% of the time.” That’s because in most cases, the actual URE is much more accurate. This immediately seems very high, and in general it is. government commits to broadcasting the GPS signal at an global average user range error (URE) of ≤7.8 m (25.6 ft.), with 95% probability. And of course, both indoor location and navigation are nearly impossible. However, if there are any barriers, such as mountains or buildings in the way, or if you are in a tunnel or going under a bridge, there is a high likelihood that your GPS coordinates will not be as accurate as you might like. The final message includes a combination of three position coordinates, as well as a clock deviation from satellite time for the final output. The message each satellite sends contains the time of transmission (TOT) of the code epoch (in GPS time scale) and the satellite position at that time. GPS needs the assistance of at least four satellites in order to properly solve the equations which eventually spit out your current location. “Why” you ask? Well, because to be quite frank – GPS isn’t all that accurate. As our world becomes more digital and our cities smarter, engineers and creators in the field of AI, ML, and AR are looking for something better than GPS. ![]() Yet, it doesn’t come without its downsides as well. From tracking our pets’ activities while we’re away from home, to criminals on the run from police, to shark attacks, GPS’s usefulness cannot be mistaken. We can share our location with a friend over Whatsapp or Facebook’s Messenger app, or we can calculate the time and distance to our destination and follow the Uber driver to make sure he is taking the best route home.īut there are so many other interesting ways in which innovative and creative individuals utilize this readily available technology. Most of us are probably familiar with a combination of these 3 which tell us where we currently are and where we are moving along our route. Since that time, GPS uses can be summarized into three basic solutions: absolute location, relative movement and time transfer. Originally built exclusively for military purposes, GPS transitioned into mainstream usage in the 1980s under President Reagan making the technology and the data acquired from it accessible to all citizens. ![]() The technology first launched in 1978 after 5 years as part of a D.O.D. The caveat being that it must have an unobstructed line of sight of at least 4 satellites, and more if possible. GPS and other GNSS provide geolocation and time information to a GPS receiver anywhere in the world. GPS stands for Global Positioning System and is one type (of many) of GNSS (global navigation satellite systems). This is Part 1 of a 2 part series on GPS accuracy. Let’s dive into what GPS is, GPS accuracy, and the factors that lead to GPS drift. And while many consider it to be a highly-prized technology, there are those who disagree. All you know is that it gets you from point A to point B, usually fairly accurately and in a decent amount of time. Is one of the most widely-used systems in the modern era which literally helps us find our way in the world worth all the hype? Just how accurate is GPS? Like many other common abbreviations and acronyms, perhaps you have spoken those 3 letters – GPS – dozens or even hundreds of times without considering what it means and where it came from. The Truth about GPS Accuracy and Where We Go From Here ![]()
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