Abstract: This article presents a few of the major trends that a panel of experts on global positioning systems (GPSs) predicted will occur in the years to come. Many agreed that the mainstreaming of GPS in the surveying industry will happen in the future through its integration with other types of technology. GPS technology appears to be moving down the same path as the personal computer--it is becoming lighter, cheaper, and faster. The equipment is also getting less expensive as it grows in popularity. A growing market for GPS is in geospatial information systems. With the advent of dual-frequency receivers, which provide a greater number of points to determine spatial position than single-frequency receivers do, the time needed to get accurate points has been reduced considerably. Another development in receiver technology is the integration of GPS (the U.S. satellite constellation) with GLONASS (the Russian satellite system). Several panel members discussed changes to the satellite signals that will improve the capabilities of GPS equipment on the ground. Other improvements include increased power for GPS signals, which would result in improved reception in canyon areas and under tree canopies, and the addition of a second and a third civil code signal. The experts recognized the need for practical training and expressed concern that there are people in the industry who are not fully trained.
Publication Year: 2000
Publication Date: 2000-06-01
Language: en
Type: article
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