Department of Civil and Transport Engineering, Geomatics	Experts in Teamwork English-speaking Semester-based Village No. 51 TBA4852 GPS "GPS Official Page"
Main Page	Topics + Applications

Ethics of GPS: GPS is increasingly being adopted by private and public enterprise to track and monitor humans for location-based services (LBS). Some of these applications include personal locators for children, the elderly or those suffering from Alzheimer’s or memory loss, and the monitoring of parolees for law enforcement, security or personal protection purposes. The emerging ethical concerns facing current human centric GPS applications are enormous. This means that an ethical framework for considering the viability of GPS location-based services emphasizing privacy, accuracy, property and accessibility should be considered.

GPS Navigation: The first and most obvious application of GPS is the simple determination of a "position" or location. But sometimes it is important to know how to get somewhere else. GPS is navigating the world. It's a big world out there, and using GPS to survey and map it precisely saves time and money in this most stringent of all applications. GPS can pinpoint a position, a route, and a fleet of vehicles. GPS is mapping the world.

Geographical Information System (GIS): GPS technology has complimented Geographic Information System (GIS) for a number of years. The primary focus of GPS within the GIS arena has traditionally been based around GPS systems that collect, store and transfer data from a field system to an office-based GIS. With current developments in field computers there is a strong desire to take GIS directly into the field. This increased interest in field-GIS has a corresponding interest in the application of GPS within GIS. There are numerous ways that GIS and GPS technology can (and already do) work well together. From complete off-the-shelf data collection and data maintenance systems, to help with the management of spatial features and attribute data, through to very flexible software development kits, to assist in the creation of unique and sophisticated field applications.

Tracking and Warning System: A global positioning system GPS, and wireless communication system could help to avoid dangerous situations from getting out of control. For example a small GPS receiver attached to your dog’s collar that alerts you when he goes missing or leaves a defined area and notifies you via text message or e-mail. You can then instantly pinpoint your dog’s whereabouts. The sevice could provide unlimited on-demand reports of your pet’s current location 24 hours a day via phone, web maps, e-mail, or cell phone text alerts. You can also create safety zones once your dog crosses the boundary.

Safety and Rescue: Making the correct decisions can minimize the loss of life and injury, reduce damage and operational costs. GPS can pinpoint the locations of oil spills, fires, crime scenes and accident victims, and routine emergency crews to the scene. In a search and rescue operation, workers on the ground can communicate with the aircraft and navigate to the location coordinates where the pilot has spotted the victim. Helicopters equipped with GPS can fly the perimeter of a fire and create a map of the burning forest. Fire managers can use the fire map, along with other layers in a GIS, to assign fire crews, develop evacuation plans and identify fire breaks.

GPS Tsunami Warning Device: When tsunamis occur, the results tend to be fatal. If people in danger can be alerted and evacuated, the results can be reduced to only material damage. The GPS tsunami buoy helps make this possible. It has successfully detected tsunamis,

showing that it works. The GPS tsunami buoy is a new technology that uses real time kinematic GPS signals to detect tsunamis. The GPS buoys limitations in sea depths is today’s biggest disadvantage of the system. This is where the most important future work lies. Making the system work further off shore will increase the warning time, i.e. the time available for evacuation. In this case we have to ensure communication with the buoy far off shore.

GPS in Oceanography: Information about sea level and its variations are important for various purposes, such as navigation, bathymetric survey, marine construction works, fishing industry, military operations, oceanography, and climatic study. Due to its important and strategic values, there are several techniques that have been used to monitor the sea level and its variations, such as tide gauge and satellite altimetry. Nowadays, GPS Buoy based technique is also being implemented.

Village Leader: Professor Hossein Nahavandchi. Village Assistants: Nora Marie Lundevall Arnet and Victoria Værnø .