EXPLORE
Station #4 Task: Navigating by GPS Global Positioning System, or GPS, is a satellite system owned by the US. Ground-based receivers (such as car SatNavs or smartphones) can exactly work out their position on Earth by receiving signals from four of the GPS satellites in orbit – like an upside-down pyramid, these four signals together precisely pinpoint the location of the receiver. GPS was once only used by the military and now anyone with a smartphone has access to the technology. The Digital Farmhand uses GPS among its tools in order to navigate its way through crops. You can read more on GPS here: bit.ly/GPSExplained. You can also read a brief history of GPS here: bit.ly/GPSHistory 1. Using a handheld GPS or smartphone with Google Maps, find your exact location:
2. Make an observation about how the GPS found your location:
3. Use the GPS to find the nearest sports oval and make notes about how to get there:
4. Use the printed street map or street directory to find the same oval:
5. Compare the process you went through to find the location through the two different tools. (Make notes about what was easy and what was challenging about each one). Was there any location where you had difficulty getting a signal? Why do you think this would happen?
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