Oh, GPS, that’s the thing in your phone that eats up your battery, right? But seriously, I think it works with satellites and some kind of math to figure out where you are. It’s kinda like magic, and all I know is that it gets me to places most of the time without looking like a total tourist with a paper map.

Overview of GPS Technology:

Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system that consists of a network of at least 24 satellites in orbit around the Earth. Developed by the United States Department of Defense, GPS was initially intended for military applications, but was later made available for civilian use in the 1980s.

Working Principle:

GPS satellites circle the earth in a very precise orbit and transmit signal information to earth. GPS receivers take this information and use triangulation to calculate the user’s exact location. Essentially, the GPS receiver compares the time a signal was transmitted by a satellite with the time it was received. The time difference tells the GPS receiver how far away the satellite is. With distance measurements from a few more satellites, the receiver can determine the user’s position and display it electronically to measure your running route, map a golf course, find a way home or adventure anywhere.

To calculate a position accurately, there are four or more satellite signals involved, which aid in determining positions in three dimensions: latitude, longitude, and altitude.