UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

KNS 1073
ENGINEERING SURVEY
ALTERNATIVE
ASSESSMENT ( GPS )
2019/2020

Group Members Lutfil Hadi Bin Suhaili (61342 ),

Mohd Nik Harith Fawwaz Bin Jasli
(64890)
Lecturer Dr. Zamri Bujang
Date of Submission 14/7/2020

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

No. Contents Page

1 Introduction 3-4
2 Applications of GPS 5-10
3 Conclusion 11
4 References 11

2
INTRODUCTION

GPS is the short name for Global Positioning System. It is consider a worldwide
navigational system that are formed from 24 satellites that are orbiting around the
earth. Meanwhile, according to Abulude ( 2015 ), the Global Positioning System
(GPS) is part of satellites orbiting round the universe. The satellites will make 2
complete orbits every 24 hours. The GPS satellites continuously transmit digital radio
signals that contain data on the satellites location and the exact time to the earth-bound
receivers. Satellites are equipped with atomic clocks that are accurate to within a
billionth of a second. Based on that information, the receivers know how long it takes
for the signal to reach the receiver on Earth.

Figure 1 : The orbital of satellites

As each signal travels at the speed of light, the longer the signal is received by the
receiver, the farther away the satellite is. Knowing how far away a satellite is, the
receiver knows that it is located somewhere on the surface of an imaginary satellite-
centric sphere. By using three satellites, GPS can calculate the length and latitude of
the receiver based on where the three spheres intersect. GPS can also determine
altitude by using four satellites.

In addition, GPS was originally operated by the U.S . Before it is known as GPS,
it was know as NAVSTAR which is the short form of Navigation System with Timing
and Raging. Before the installation of civilian applications which is consider as GPS
now, it helps to provide all weather round the clock navigation capabilities for the
military air forces, ground and sea.

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 Last but not least, nowadays GPS can be use as navigation, tracking, mapping,
timing and location. It also has an application which is consider beyond location
determination and navigation. The applications of GPS are public safety, business,
aviation, military, surveying and many more. These applications of GPS are very
helpful especially in communities nowadays.

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APPLICATIONS of GPS

1. Public safety
2. Business
3. Aviation
4. Military
5. Surveying

5
  Public Safety

Figure 2 : Public safety

Public safety is one of applications that is provided by the GPS. This application of GPS is very helpful for
the safety of the citizen around the world. GPS tracking devices had been used for many years for the
public safety. This tracker can enable the user of smart phones to track where the location of the caller if
there is an emergency. Besides, the GPS tracking service also had been developed into fire trucks,
ambulance and police car so that it is easy for them to do their duties in helping the people around the
public. It can help them to quickly navigate to the source of emergency. Therefore it can help reduce the
emergency response time. Maintaining a presence on the streets can be difficult to do effectively if you
don't have accurate information about where your patrol vehicles are. With GPS tracking for public safety
vehicles, you can keep track of where your assets are in the field at all times, enabling you to optimize
patrol routes in real time. With the right map software, you can even create color codes for the routes to
show how long it has been since the route was patrolled. In addition, when an emergency call comes in,
dispatch can identify which vehicle is closest, further helping to minimize emergency response times. In a
nutshell, public safety of GPS tracking equipment can play an integral role in optimizing vehicle
maintenance. Through fleet management tools, GPS monitoring can allow you to see how many miles a
vehicle has driven, as well as critical engine efficiency data that may suggest a need for maintenance. In
short, GPS tracking for public safety vehicles is necessary because it helps improve response times, protect
emergency assets, and improve emergency service coverage, ( Dziuk, 2016 ).

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  Business

Figure 3 : Planning of business with the application of GPS

The Global Positioning System ( GPS) offers satellite tracking capabilities that are useful for a wide
variety of commercial and personal uses. With the use GPS in business can offer distinct benefits leading to
strategic advantages, but not every form of company can gain in the same way. Knowing how GPS can
boost your product or business model is the secret to deciding how this innovative technology can drive
your small company to the next level. The efficiency is one of the benefits of GPS in business. Missing
sales meetings and other important appointments can make or break a small business courting its first
customers. Using GPS will keep you from getting stuck on new streets, showing you the fastest way to get
to your destination.  This can be a life saver for business owners traveling to unfamiliar cities or meeting
with potential strategic partners, suppliers or customers in foreign countries. ( Ingram, n.d ). GPS is helpful
for planning routes before you make a journey. Remote or moving workers and businessmen may reach a
route and study the different paths and distances involved before they make a journey. It will make you feel
more at ease when you're on the road, knowing what to expect right before your GPS system detects an
upcoming turn. Last but not least, Industries in a wide variety of sectors may use GPS to expand their
existing portfolio of services or create new and creative technologies to satisfy the demands of their
customers. Web-based coupon-distribution firms may use GPS to supply consumers with discounts for
businesses in close proximity to their locations at any moment.

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  Aviation

The global positioning system has become the most valuable method of navigation in the modern
aviation world. GPS has proven to be tremendously reliable and accurate. GPS is probably the most
common Navigation aid (NAVAID)in use today because it offers seamless satellite navigation services that
satisfy many of the requirements in aviation field. The global positioning system uses 24 U.S. Department
of Defense satellites to provide precise location data, such as aircraft position, track, and speed to pilots.
The GPS system uses triangulation to determine the aircraft's exact position over the earth. To be accurate,
a GPS system must have the ability to gather data from at least three satellites for 2-D positioning, and four
satellites for 3-D positioning. With a tremendously reliable and precise system, GPS help to increase the
safety and efficiency of a flight. GPS make the aviation company to run the flight smoothly. With help of
space-based position and navigation it allowed the air traffic control to have three-dimensional position
determination for all phases of flight from departure, en route and arrival of a flight. Other than that, due to
the advance system in today GPS new and more efficient air routes made possible by GPS. In many cases,
aircraft flying over data-sparse areas such as oceans have been able to safely reduce their separation
between one another, allowing more aircraft to fly more favorable and efficient routes, saving time, fuel,
and increasing cargo revenue.

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  Military

GPS provide many uses in different field, that including in military. In military field, GPS is used to aid
land, sea and airborne navigation. As mention earlier GPS able to use space-based position to determine the
surrounding of any place in the world for the purpose of military missions for navigation in enemy
territories and are especially important in absence of light in night missions. The military forces rely on
GPS over conventional compasses, in order to obtain an accurate positioning of their own units, as well as
the enemy's forces positions and the locations of enemy's facilities or installations. These positions
coordinates can be acquired and distributed to other units, in order to enhance the ground awareness
picture. Besides, search and rescue operations will be easy as the GPS were able to show any place in the
world accurately especially the one that involved at the open sea.The military capabilities of GPS were
demonstrated in the Gulf conflict, cited by US defence officials as a key factor in the successes of
operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

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  Surveying

The surveying and mapping community was one of the first to take advantage of GPS because it
dramatically increased productivity and resulted in more accurate and reliable data. Today, GPS is a
foremost part of surveying and mapping activities around the world. GPS provides surveying and mapping
data of the highest accuracy. GPS-based data collection is much faster than conventional surveying and
mapping techniques, reducing the amount of equipment and labor required. Unlike conventional
techniques, GPS surveying is not bound by constraints such as line-of-sight visibility between survey
stations. The stations can be deployed at greater distances from each other and can operate anywhere with a
good view of the sky, rather than being confined to remote hilltops as previously required. A single
surveyor can now accomplish in one day what once took an entire team weeks to do. GPS supports the
accurate mapping and modeling of the physical world including mountains and rivers to streets and
buildings to utility lines and other resources. Features measured with GPS can be displayed on maps and in
geographic information systems (GIS) that store, manipulate, and display geographically referenced data.
GPS is especially useful in surveying coasts and waterways, where there are few land-based reference
points. Survey vessels combine GPS positions with sonar depth soundings to make the nautical charts that
alert mariners to changing water depths and underwater hazards. Bridge builders and offshore oil rigs also
depend on GPS for accurate hydrographic surveys.

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Conclusion
GPS is a very powerful tools that can provide information on so many things on
each different aspect. With GPS we can find a sinking ship in the middle of the ocean
to finding a specific shop in the city. In conclusion, GPS provide benefits many field
if used properly.

References:

Abulude, F. O. ( 2015 ). GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM AND IT'S WIDE

APPLICATIONS. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305619832_GLOBAL_POSITIONING
_SYSTEM_AND_IT'S_WIDE_APPLICATIONS

Dziuk, B. ( 2016 ). 4 Reasons why GPS tracking for Public Safety is Needed.
Retrieved from https://info.rastrac.com/blog/gps-tracking-for-public-safety

Ingram, D. ( n.d. ). What Are the Benefits of Using GPS in Business?. Retrieved from
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/benefits-using-gps-business-25324.html

Anonymous ( 3rd October 2018). Surveying and mapping. Retrieved from

https://www.gps.gov/applications/survey/

Anonymous. ( 14th June 2019). Aviation. Retrieved from

https://www.gps.gov/applications/aviation/

Anonymous. (n.d). US military GPS. Retrieved from

https://www.army-technology.com/projects/gps-block-iif-satellites/