Digital Mapping and GPS Technology Insights
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ScribdTranslationsDigital Mapping and GPS Technology Insights
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ScribdTranslationsLocalization, mapping and mobility
Introduction :
Mapping is essential for many activities: agriculture, urban planning, transportation,
leisure, etc. It was revolutionized by the arrival of digital maps accessible from
computers, tablets, and phones, much more flexible to use than paper maps.
Digital maps bring together all scales and allow for the display of different
aspects of the region displayed on a single map. Search algorithms enable
to find places on the map by simply giving their name, and to calculate
itineraries between points according to various modes of transport.
Unable to access external content such as videos from YouTube
Historical landmarks:
The maps were systematically digitized at the end of the 20th century.
The main positioning instrument, GPS (Global Positioning System), was designed by
the American army in the sixties. The first GPS satellite was launched in 1978. It
currently has about thirty, so that at any given time at least four to six satellites
are visible from any point on Earth. Coupled with digital maps, the GPS system
allows to locate oneself. It is not always effective in the city and can be complemented by others.
localization methods such as detecting nearby Wi-Fi hotspots. Other systems more
précis, including Galileo, are being deployed.
October 4, 1957 Launch of the first artificial satellite Sputnik
1978 Launch of the first GPS satellite
September 24, 1995 Commissioning of Glonass, Russian system
June 11, 2001 Birth of Google Earth
2003 Commissioning of Beidou, Chinese system
2006 Creation of Geoportal
2006 Creation of OpenStreetMap
2006 Creation of Google Maps
2013 Commissioning of INRSS, Indian system
2010 Commissioning of QZSS, Japanese system
2021 Deployment of Galileo
Data and information:
The information from digital maps comes from many sources: services
geographical data of the States, photos taken by satellites, planes or cars, data
provided by users, etc. This information is of various natures: topographical,
geological, photographic, related to transport, industrial or tourist activities, etc.
Collaborative projects like OpenStreetMap allow each user to add
information on a publicly accessible map, which then becomes visible to everyone
users.
A GPS satellite contains an atomic clock that measures time very precisely.
precision and regularly sending messages containing this time. Each message
Propagating at the speed of light, the receiver can calculate its distance to the satellite.
One can deduce its position by following several satellites, which is done automatically by the
GPS receiver.
Algorithms and programs:
Cartographic algorithms mainly concern the selective display of information.
varied and route calculation. The display is configured by the information to be shown,
that can be chosen with simple clicks. A difficulty is related to the mixing of information from
different types when scaling changes: graphics can be very different
and a lot of information must be removed for large scales, but one
The route must be represented with approximately the same width, regardless of the scale.
GPS receivers provide location in a standardized format easily
decodable, for example according to the NMEA 0183 protocol or directly in the EXIF metadata
of a photo. Location and maps combine in the continuous tracking of the position on the
map or on a pre-calculated route.
For two computers to communicate, a set of rules and standards must be followed.
We have seen with the internet and the WEB that it is by adhering to computer protocols that the
Computers and their peripherals are able to exchange data. The same goes for GPS.
They use the NMEA 0183 standard which groups together a set of data allowing for
communication between marine equipment, and thus GPS. This standard is controlled by the
National Marine Electronics Association which is an American association of device manufacturers
maritime electronics based in Severna Park, Maryland (United States of America).
NMEA frame:
$GPGGA,064036.289,4836.5375,N,00740.9373,E,1,04,3.2,200.2,M,,,,0000*0E
$GPGGA Type of frame
064036.289 9 Frame sent at 06:40:36.289 (UTC time)
4836.5375,N 48.608958° North = 48° 36' 32.25" North
00740.9373,E, 7.682288° East = 7° 40' 56.238" East
1 Type of positioning (1 is a GPS positioning)
04 Number of satellites used to calculate the coordinates
3.2 Horizontal precision or HDOP (Horizontal dilution of precision)
200.2,M Altitude 200.2, in meters
,,,,,0000 Other information can be entered in these fields
* checksum separator
0E Parity check sum, a simple XOR on the characters between $ and *
Source: Wikipedia
Exercise 1 - co-pilot
You want to travel from city A to city B. A schematic map is located below.
To get there as quickly as possible, determine the route to take.
2. To do tourism and take your time, determine the route to take without passing
twice through the same city.
3. Specify how to be sure of the result.
Exercise 2 - effective co-pilot
Determine in the map below:
the shortest path between city A and city N.
2. the longest route between city A and city N.
Dijkstra's algorithm is designed to solve the shortest path problem. It allows for
For example, to determine the shortest route to go from one city to another knowing the
road network of a region. It calculates the shortest paths from a source to all the
other vertices in a directed graph weighted by positive real numbers. Wikipedia
The machines :
The machines used for mapping are mainly computers, tablets and
Traditional phones equipped with a dedicated application. Specialized GPS receivers
remain important for maritime or aerial navigation, but those for hiking
Pedestrian are becoming extinct, supplanted by phones.
The time provided by the GPS is also used as a basis for the precise synchronization of clocks.
internets of computers connected to the internet, which is very important for everyone
information exchanges.
When the GPS receiver receives the signal, it notes its arrival time: Tarrivée
The GPS receiver can then calculate its distance to the satellite using the formula:
D = (Tarrivee Tdepart) × c where c is the speed of light and is approximately 300,000 km/s.
An error of one nanosecond (10-9s) on the measurement of travel time results in an error of 30
A microsecond error (one millionth of a second) results in a 300 m error.
To find its position, the GPS receiver needs to know the position of 3 satellites and its
distance to each of these satellites.
Indeed, when the receiver knows the position of a satellite and its distance D1 to that satellite, it knows
that is located on a sphere of radius D around the satellite. When it knows the position of 2
satellites and their distance to these two satellites, then the GPS receiver knows it is at one of the two
intersection points of the two spheres of possible positions. With a third satellite, the
GPS receiver can calculate its position in space: at the intersection of the 3 spheres.
In practice, since the clock of the GPS receiver is much less accurate than that of the satellites,
A fourth satellite is needed to find the position of the GPS receiver.
Impacts on human practices:
Digital maps, accessible from a phone, are gradually replacing the
paper maps. Their interfaces allow convenient access to many
types of information. Coupled with routing calculation algorithms, GPS is used
systematically for transport, agriculture, hiking, sailing, etc.
Keeping digital maps up to date is a challenging problem that requires a lot
of resources on a global scale. Errors in maps, inevitable due to the enormous
The amount of information to be collected can have dramatic consequences.
Furthermore, many applications have access to the location on a phone, which
which allows them to send unwanted advertisements, track your routes, or
locating a person. Finally, GPS is not always reliable, as it can be easily jammed using
of simple devices.
Vocabulary:
Graph: a set of vertices connected by edges (lines connecting two vertices)
Protocol: a set of rules to be followed for two computers and/or their devices
can understand each other and exchange their data.
NMEA frame: computer data from satellites enabling geolocation.
Triangulation: calculation method by triangulation (3 known points) allowing to locate an object.
on earth.