#GPS #technology has had a profound impact on society in general. Despite its many advancements, it’s still not a perfect science. The GPS enabled products available to consumers today work well, but sometimes encounter hiccups. Low resolution viewing, losing line of sight to the sky and other challenges can stop today’s GPS devices from functioning properly, sometimes leaving the user blind and lost.
GPS Accuracy, Down to 1 Centimeter
Tokyo’s Mitsubishi Electric Corp. has been spending a lot of time refining the currently imperfect GPS technology. The company’s engineers have announced that they are on a path that could produce GPS that’s commercially available and accurate down to a centimeter.
The new system, which is called the Quazi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), was created to augment the US operated GPS satellite systems currently utilized by Japan. Today’s GPS receivers use a minimum of four satellites to determine position. Errors in this system can cause the data to be off by as much as 10 meters.
GPS Improved from the Ground Up in Japan
Along with updates to the receivers, this massive improvement project will also encompass $1.2 billion in ground component changes. 1,200 precisely surveyed reference systems are going to be used on the ground. The goal is to produce a GPS system that works flawlessly and accurately in any terrain, from the streets that wind around Tokyo’s many towering skyscrapers to the country’s beautiful mountains.