GPS Migrates from Military Technology to Consumer Commodity
By J.D. Wilson

Judging by the exponential growth in use, it is little wonder Global Position Systems (GPS) have been called the fifth utility.
      A relatively young member of the GeoTechnologies family, GPS has been widely accepted for all varieties of applications, including land management, natural resources, utilities, communications, transportation and navigation.
      Virtually every discipline in which spatial data is part of the core data has embraced GPS with unqualified enthusiasm. There are three main reasons:
     • Integration with most geographic information systems (GIS). GPS developers have created efficient data formats to download three-dimensional positions and a variety of descriptive features directly into the database of most GIS software packages.
     • Fast, low-cost data collection. Traditionally, data acquisition or conversion from paper to digital maps was the largest hurdle in implementing a GIS - accounting for 60 percent or more of the total project cost. With portable GPS mapping systems the speed and cost of acquiring and maintaining data has been substantially reduced.
     • Accurate, maintainable data. Using GPS technology and portable computers, GIS users can perform an exhaustive field inventory, collect three-dimensional locations on every object, input associated attribute data, and down-load the combined information into a GIS to create a spatially accurate and up-to-date digital map without ever referring to an old, outdated, perhaps inaccurate paper map.
      GPS-collected information is current and often more accurate than the original paper maps it updates. And by eliminating the steps of writing information on field maps and then manually entering it into the system in a digitizing sweatshop, users can sidestep the unavoidable duplication of errors.
      Research has shown that in almost any human activity, from typing to building cars to filling pharmaceutical prescriptions to entering map data, you'll always get a two percent error rate at each step of the process - it's human nature. The only way to reduce the error rate is to create quality-control mechanism to find and correct the errors or eliminate the process that causes them altogether.
      GPS receivers can record not just points, but also lines and areas. It is flexible enough to capture whatever data may be required for virtually any GIS application. Moreover, they come in all sizes and shapes, from large systems mounted in vehicles or built into backpacks, to hand-held devices, to simple boards that can be added to laptop or pen-based computers.
      For road surveying, attaching the GPS antenna to the roof of a vehicle and driving both sides of the road provides a fast, efficient means for collecting centerlines, rights-of-way and intersections. By adding laser range finders to the arsenal, crews can pinpoint the locations of utility poles, road signs, trees and buildings along the road without leaving the comfort of their vehicle. Deep in the woods, surveys can locate a remote landmark from a mountain-peak away.
      For smaller areas, like subdivisions, a hand-held device may be used to establish control points. Then a crew can locate utility poles, trenches, property boundaries, fences, buildings-whatever type of information they may need.
      Spatial data users are finding that the marriage of GIS and GPS technologies saves them time, money and headaches-with the proper training and pre-project planning. There are still limitations to the technology and not everyone will benefit equally from its use.
      Data collection crews must have a fair amount of training before they go into the field. They need to understand the system and how to get the best results. Large land features, buildings and heavy cloud cover can limit your ability to get the readings you need. And there are still gaps in the satellite network. You must time your field work to coincide with the best satellite coverage for the area.

Three Caveats:
• Be sure someone on your staff fully understands the science of mapping via earth coordinates.
• Invest in the proper training for your field crews. A little basic knowledge will eliminate a lot of frustration.
• Plan your data migration strategy carefully. While you can collect locations and attribute information simultaneously, a carefully-designed GIS database format and good GPS-to-GIS migration table will enable you to use your data with a minimum of manual adjustments once the data is brought in from the field.
      GPS has made a successful transition from top-secret military technology to professional commercial application. In addition to mapping applications, GPS is finding a welcome home in transportation and naviga- tion, where the ability to locate and reference objects in real time can improve operations and increase safety.
      Trucking companies already are implementing GPS to track their trucks. The technology enables them to increase customer responsiveness, improve dispatching and plan better delivery routes, reroute vehicles around potential or sudden traffic delays.
      Private boaters are using the same technology as large ships to navigate safely through the nation's coastal waterways, lakes and rivers. Navigational GPS receivers can be purchased through computer catalogs and boating supply sources for as little as a few hundred dollars.
      Now, as the commercial satellite network becomes more complete and GPS devices become more portable, more user friendly and less costly, GPS is moving to the next level penetrating the consumer market. Credit the public information machine of the Gulf War, which acclaimed its virtues on the five o'clock news, for making GPS a household phrase.
      Those elite techno-consumers, lovingly called early adopters by marketing types, are now rushing to buy their personal GPS receivers, assumably so they can tell how far they've wandered from home without referring to a road map or street sign.
      GIS is going the way of so many other computing applications, and may one day become an integral technology to the fabric of American society. Auto makers are experimenting with in-dash computers that will enable drivers to find their way through unfamiliar cities. Business travelers can get into their rental car, call up a map on the dashboard computer and chart the best route from the airport to the location of their business meeting.
      They may inquire about the nearest Marriott or Comfort Inn or search an online database to find a moderately-priced Italian restaurant for entertaining clients. Through a sophisticated cellular network, linked to a vendor-supported database, travelers may view a list of options, complete with descriptions, sample menus, prices, and step-by-step directions on how to get there.
      Who knows, they may even be able to make reservations directly through the network. The potential is unlimited. Let your imagination run wild.

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