I-Global Positioning System (GPS) iyimangalisa yezobuchwepheshe eyenziwe yiqembu lama satellites emhlabeni ojikelezayo womhlaba ohambisa izimpawu ezicacile, okuvumela abamukeli be-GPS ukubala futhi babonise ulwazi olunembile, isivinini nesikhathi somsebenzisi kumsebenzisi.
Ngokubamba amasignali kusuka kuma-satellites amathathu noma ngaphezulu (phakathi kwe-constellation yama-satellite angu-31 atholakalayo), abamukeli be-GPS bayakwazi ukunquma idatha futhi bakhombe indawo yakho.
Ngokungeziwe kwamandla wekhompuyutha kanye nedatha egcinwe kwimemori njengamabalazwe omgwaqo, amaphuzu ezithakazelisayo, ulwazi lwezobuchwepheshe nokuningi okuningi, abamukeli be-GPS bayakwazi ukuguqula ulwazi, indawo, isivinini nesikhathi sesikhathi sibe yindlela yokubonisa ewusizo.
I-GPS yasungulwa ekuqaleni uMnyango wezokuVikela waseMelika (DOD) njengesicelo sezempi. Uhlelo luye lwasebenza kusukela ekuqaleni kwawo-1980 kodwa lwaqala ukusiza abomphakathi ngasekupheleni kwawo-1990. I-GPS yabathengi selokhu yaba imboni yezigidigidi zamadola ezinemikhiqizo eminingi, amasevisi, nezinsiza ezixhunywe nge-intanethi.
I-GPS isebenza ngokunembile kuzo zonke izimo zesimo sezulu, imini noma ubusuku, kuzungeze iwashi nasemhlabeni jikelele. Ayikho imali yokubhaliselwe yokusebenzisa izimpawu ze-GPS. Izimpawu ze-GPS zingavinjelwa amahlathi anamanzi, izindonga ze-canyon, noma ama-skatecrapers, futhi angangeni ngaphakathi kwezindawo zangaphakathi kahle, ngakho ezinye izindawo zingase zingavumeli ukuhamba kwe-GPS okunembile.
Abamukeli be-GPS ngokuvamile banembile ngaphakathi kwamamitha angu-15, futhi amamodeli amasha asebenzisa isistimu ye-Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) enembile ngaphakathi kwamamitha amathathu.
Ngenkathi i-US esebenzayo ne-GPS isebenza njengamanje uhlelo olusebenzayo kuphela, ezinye izinhlelo ezinhlanu zokuthuthwa kwe-satellite ezisuselwe ku-satellite zithuthukiswa yizizwe ngezizwe kanye nezinhlangano ezihlukahlukene zezizwe.
Futhi eyaziwa ngokuthi: GPS