15 #GREATEST #Navigation #Inventions
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00:00So, we all take it for granted now, with modern technology, that it's easy to go from place
00:04to place, no matter the distance we're traveling, but it's taken a long time for us to get to
00:09this point.
00:10Over the centuries, various devices have been created to make our navigation much easier,
00:16and in today's video, we're exploring the top 15 greatest navigational inventions.
00:20Let's start with number 15, the compass.
00:24Probably the most recognizable and widely used navigation aid of all is the compass,
00:29which is believed to have first originated in China during the Han Dynasty, between 202
00:33BC and 220 AD.
00:35The earliest ones were made using lodestones, which are naturally magnetized pieces of mineral
00:40magnetite, and while Chinese fortune-tellers began using these lodestones in divination
00:45practice, their potential for navigation was soon realized.
00:49By the Song Dynasty around a thousand years later, the Chinese had developed a more advanced
00:53version using a magnetized needle floating in water, which pointed north to south.
01:00Exactly how the compass made it to the west was not entirely clear, but it's widely believed
01:03that Arab traders through the Silk Road and maritime routes brought knowledge of the device
01:07to Europe.
01:08By the 12th century, European sailors were using compasses, significantly improving their
01:12seafaring ability, reducing reliance on landmarks and celestial objects, which were often obscured
01:18by weather conditions.
01:19Now, the magnetic compass is based on a simple principle, the fact that the Earth itself
01:23is a giant magnet with a magnetic field extending from the core to outer space.
01:29A magnetized needle will, therefore, align itself with the Earth's magnetic field, pointing
01:33towards the magnetic poles, and with very few exceptions, will be able to do this anywhere
01:38on the planet.
01:39Knowing the precise direction you're facing completely transformed our navigation, particularly
01:44for mariners who could now venture further into the open seas, and it brought in the
01:48Age of Discovery.
01:50Travelers like Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, they relied heavily on compasses,
01:54and without them, they'd never been able to discover new lands and establish trade routes.
02:00Number 14.
02:01Autopilot Autopilot is now a vital technology that's
02:05used to help guide aircraft, ships, vehicles, and even spacecraft, and its introduction
02:10made navigation, particularly across long distances, far simpler, easier, and safer.
02:16It's a term that refers to various systems that are designed to perform complex navigational
02:20tasks with very little human intervention, and the first can be traced as far back as
02:251912.
02:26It was then that Lawrence Sperry demonstrated the first gyroscopic autopilot system for
02:31airplanes, which used gyroscopes to maintain an aircraft's heading and altitude, allowing
02:35pilots to focus on other tasks or even rest.
02:39It significantly reduced a pilot's workload, and as a result, it dramatically improved
02:43safety.
02:44Modern aircraft use sophisticated autopilots capable of handling nearly all phases of flight,
02:49and they use a combination of gyroscopes, accelerometers, and other sensors to monitor
02:53and control an aircraft's position, speed, and altitude.
02:56They can follow predefined flight paths, adjust for wind and weather, and even execute emergency
03:01maneuvers if necessary.
03:04Commercial airliners now rely heavily on autopilot systems to ensure a smooth, efficient, and
03:08safe flight.
03:10Pilots use this technology to manage routine operations while maintaining manual control
03:14for critical phases such as takeoff and landing.
03:16Where autopilot truly is interesting, though, is how it's about to completely change the
03:21idea of personalized transport with its incorporation into self-driving cars.
03:26With most automotive manufacturers now developing their own versions, every vehicle could soon
03:31be running by itself.
03:3413.
03:35The Sextant The Sextant is one of the most famous devices
03:39in navigation history, and after being invented in the 18th century, it gave sailors an incredibly
03:44precise way of determining their longitude and latitude.
03:48Its name comes from the arc shape, which precisely is one-sixth of a circle, or 60 degrees.
03:54The instrument is used to measure the angle between two visible objects, such as the horizon
03:59and a celestial body, such as the sun, moon, or a star.
04:02To do this, the Sextant is designed in a way that allows it to reflect light using mirrors,
04:07and allows the observer to bring the image of the celestial body they're measuring against
04:11down to the horizon line.
04:13The invention of this device is credited to two people who were working independently
04:16of one another, John Hadley, an English mathematician, and Thomas Godfrey, an American inventor.
04:22Both developed their versions of the instrument around the 1730s, with Hadley's design becoming
04:26more widely used, and featuring an adjustable index arm, a series of mirrors, and a graduated arc.
04:33This allowed navigators to measure angles with extremely high precision, and allowed
04:36them to calculate their exact position at sea.
04:39By measuring the angle between the horizon and the sun at noon, they could determine
04:43their latitude, and for longitude, they would compare the local time of a celestial event
04:48with the time they knew it was happening somewhere else.
04:51The Sextant was another device that was crucial during the Age of Exploration, with explorers
04:55like Captain James Cook relying on it heavily.
04:58Cook's expeditions, which mapped much of the Pacific Ocean, used Sextants to create
05:02detailed charts that were still relied upon until surprisingly recently.
05:06Even today, with far more advanced alternatives, the Sextant does remain a trusted tool for
05:11those at sea.
05:12It is a reliable backup in case of electronic failures, and it continues to be part of nautical
05:17training.
05:1912.
05:20Stick Charts Stick Charts were a form of navigational tool
05:24that were used by the Marshallese people of the Marshall Islands and the Pacific Ocean,
05:28and unlike anything anyone else had ever developed.
05:32They were charts that were made from sticks, shells, and fibers, and were so accurate that
05:36they allowed them to travel across the vast expanses of the ocean with great accuracy
05:41long before Western navigational technologies reached the region.
05:45The Marshall Islands, made up of about 29 atolls and 5 islands spread over a huge area,
05:50posed a significant navigational challenge.
05:52The Marshallese people developed this stick chart to help their voyages between islands.
05:57The charts weren't conventional maps, but were instead mnemonic devices representing
06:01the wave patterns, currents, and other maritime phenomena that could be found in their waters.
06:07There were several types of these stick charts, each serving a specific purpose.
06:10The Matang was used for training and teaching the principles of wave navigation.
06:15It was made up of a simple geometric design that showed the interaction of ocean swells.
06:20The Rebelib covered large sections of the Marshall Islands and depicted major ocean
06:24swell patterns and island positions.
06:27The Medo, or more detailed chart, showed the wave patterns around individual islands
06:31and atolls, providing critical information for approaching the land.
06:36The construction of these charts was both an art and a science.
06:39The sticks were made from coconut fronds or other flexible materials.
06:43They represented the prevailing ocean swell patterns, which are influenced by the wind
06:46and currents.
06:47Shells, or small pieces of coral, were tied to the sticks to show the locations of the
06:51islands and atolls.
06:53The intersections of the sticks represented the understanding of how waves interact with
06:57the islands, creating a pattern that were memorized rather than visually interpreted
07:02during a voyage.
07:03They weren't actually taken on voyages and were instead memorized.
07:07The Marshallese navigators, known as relic rat, could recognize the subtle changes in
07:12the wave patterns, the feel of swells against their canoes, and the sight of distant wave
07:17reflections, knowledge that was passed down through the generations, often in oral traditions
07:21and hands-on training.
07:2311.
07:25The Echo Sounder One of the biggest causes of shipwrecks around
07:29the world was, for centuries, the danger of running aground.
07:33Especially in stormy weather, it was virtually impossible to know how deep the water you
07:37are sailing in is, and with the ability for the seafloor to change over time, you couldn't
07:41fully rely on charts.
07:43The only way mariners could take regular readings was with lead lines, which involved dropping
07:48a weighted line marked with a depth measurement and noting the depth where the weight touched
07:52the seabed.
07:53This process was time-consuming and slowed progress, especially in deep waters or when
07:58frequent depth readings were necessary.
08:00Today, there are echo sounders, which use sound waves to measure water depth and detect
08:04underwater obstacles, and have significantly enhanced our safety and efficiency in maritime
08:09travel.
08:10The principle of how an echo sounder works is pretty straightforward.
08:13A transducer emits a sound pulse that travels through the water, reflects off the seabed
08:17or an object, and returns to the transducer.
08:20By measuring the time it takes for the echo to return and knowing the speed of sound in
08:24water, which is around 4,900 feet or about 1,500 meters per second, the device calculates
08:29the distance to the object or seafloor.
08:31This information is displayed in real time, allowing navigators to monitor the water depth.
08:35The first versions were introduced in the early 20th century, following their development
08:39by German scientist Alexander Beam and American engineer Reginald Fassenden.
08:43These early devices provided a more efficient and accurate means of determining the water
08:47depth.
08:48It's the real-time depth information that they provide that's so valuable, and it's
08:52crucial when navigating in shallow or unfamiliar water.
08:56Echo sounders alert the navigators to sudden changes in depth, allowing them to adjust
09:00their course or to avoid hazards.
09:0310.
09:04The Traverse Board The Traverse Board is a simple yet clever device
09:08that used to be used by sailors to record the ship's speed and direction during their
09:12watch and helped with much more accurate navigation over long voyages.
09:17It is essentially a wooden board with a series of holes and pegs.
09:20The upper part of the board has a circular pattern representing the compass points, divided
09:25into 32 sections that correspond to the directions of the compass.
09:28Below this are two rows of holes that are used to record the ship's speed.
09:32The top row is usually divided into half-hour increments, while the bottom row records the
09:36speed in knots.
09:38Navigating a Traverse Board was pretty straightforward, and every half-hour, the ship's helmsman
09:42or navigator would note the ship's heading and speed.
09:45A peg would be placed in the hole on the compass to show the direction, and another peg would
09:49be placed in the hole corresponding to the ship's speed.
09:52Over the course of the watch, these pegs created a record of the ship's course and speed,
09:57which could then be used to plot the vessel's position on a chart.
10:00One of the biggest benefits of the Traverse Board was its ability to provide continuous,
10:04interpretable records of a ship journey.
10:07This was really important during long sea voyages, where maintaining an accurate record
10:11of the ship's course was vital for safe and effective navigation.
10:14The board also allowed for quick visual reference, making it much easier for navigators to calculate
10:19their position.
10:20Another benefit was that it required no complex mechanisms or advanced knowledge to use it.
10:25This practically ensured its widespread use on ships throughout the 17th and 18th century.
10:30It also helped sailors develop a better understanding of navigation and seamanship simply by using
10:35it, as it required them to learn how to estimate speed, understand wind patterns, and maintain
10:41accurate courses.
10:42This was crucial in a time when formal training was limited and much of a sailor's knowledge
10:47came from hands-on experience.
10:509.
10:52Chronometer The chronometer was a groundbreaking invention
10:55for sailors.
10:56It gave them a reliable way to calculate their longitude when at sea.
11:00This had become a significant issue for early seafarers, as while latitude could easily
11:04be calculated using the position of the sun or the stars, longitude required knowing the
11:09precise time at a known location, usually Greenwich Mean Time, while also knowing the
11:14local time at the ship's current position.
11:17Before the chronometer, methods such as dead reckoning and celestial navigation were imprecise
11:22and often led to significant navigational error.
11:25The first marine chronometers were designed by John Harrison, an English carpenter and
11:30self-taught clockmaker.
11:31He dedicated his life to solving the longitude problem, and after several versions, he succeeded
11:36with his fourth model, known as H4 in 1761.
11:41Unlike previous timekeeping devices, Harrison's chronometer maintained exceptional accuracy
11:46despite the motion of the ship and variations in temperature and humidity, which would interfere
11:50with the operation of other clock designs.
11:53The H4 chronometer looked like a large pocket watch and had a number of innovative features.
11:58Harrison used a temperature-compensated balance wheel and an advanced escapement mechanism
12:03to ensure the device kept accurate time.
12:06This meant that sailors could work out their longitude within a few nautical miles, which
12:10was a major improvement over previous methods that made the difference between a voyage
12:14success or failure.
12:16It soon became the essential tool for explorers and naval officers, and it was Captain James
12:21Cook's successful use of one on his second voyage to map the South Pacific, which was
12:25done with unprecedented accuracy, that led to it being used across the British Royal
12:29Navy.
12:30The earliest ones weren't perfect, though, and the development and refinement of marine
12:34chronometers continued through the 19th century, with manufacturers such as Thomas Earnshaw
12:39and John Arnold contributing further improvements.
12:42By the mid-19th, chronometers had become even more reliable and were standard equipment
12:46on every vessel used for long-distance voyages.
12:508.
12:53Radar, which stands for radio detection and ranging, is more commonly thought of as being
12:58a way to detect aircraft because of its importance in warfare, but it also had a major impact
13:03in the way that ships are able to navigate.
13:06Developed in the early 20th century, it changed the way that navigators could detect, identify,
13:11and avoid obstacles by providing real-time data.
13:14The basic way radar works is by transmitting radio waves and then analyzing the echoes
13:19that return after bouncing off objects.
13:21A radar system is made up of a transmitter, which sends out the radio waves, and a receiver,
13:26which picks up the reflected signals.
13:28By calculating the time it takes for the radio waves to return and the strength of the returned
13:33signal, radar systems can determine the distance, speed, and sometimes the shape of objects.
13:38In maritime navigation, radar is indispensable.
13:41It provides sailors with a real-time, all-weather means of detecting other vessels, landmasses,
13:47and hazards.
13:48It is crucial in poor visibility conditions such as fog, heavy rain, or during the nighttime
13:53and allows ships to navigate safely through congested water.
13:56These systems can calculate the closest point of approach and help navigators make informed
14:00decisions.
14:01In aviation, radar is just as important.
14:03It enables air traffic controllers to monitor and manage the movement of aircraft in a controlled
14:08airspace, ensuring safety.
14:10Primary radar detects aircraft by reflecting radio waves off their surfaces, while secondary
14:14radar surveillance interacts with transponders on planes to provide additional information,
14:20such as altitude and identification codes.
14:23Its role in weather detection is also pretty critical for safety on sea and in the air.
14:27Weather radar systems help identify and avoid hazards, weather conditions such as thunderstorms,
14:32turbulence, and wind shear, which can pose significant risks to safety.
14:377.
14:40NAVIGATIONAL LIGHTS When you see a ship or a plane, particularly
14:44at night, you'll see colored lights on them.
14:46Known as navigation lights or running lights, they are critical features that provide visual
14:51cues to help identify the position, heading, and status of vessels and aircraft, especially
14:55during low visibility conditions like fog or heavy weather.
14:59The use of navigation lights is governed by international regulations to prevent collisions
15:04and ensure the safe flow of traffic in busy waterways and airspace.
15:08On the seas, navigational lights are essential for communicating a vessel's presence and
15:12intentions to other mariners.
15:14These include a red light on the port side or left side, a green light on the starboard
15:19or right side, a white stern light at the back, and a white masthead light at the front.
15:25These then help others work out a direction a vessel is heading in and its relative position.
15:29For example, if you see a red light, you'll know the other ship is approaching from the
15:32starboard side and should give way.
15:35Similarly, seeing a green light tells you that the approaching vessel is on the port
15:39side and it should hold its course.
15:41In aviation, navigation lights work in a similar way, helping pilots maintain situational awareness
15:47and avoid mid-air collisions.
15:49Aircraft are equipped with a red light on the left wing tip, a green light on the right
15:53wing tip, and a white light on the tail.
15:55These lights make it easier to determine an aircraft's orientation and direction of travel
15:59at night or in low visibility conditions.
16:02And in addition to those position lights, aircraft also use anti-collision lights such
16:06as strobes and rotating beacons to enhance visibility and alertness.
16:11Of course, nowadays these lights are reliable and often incorporate LEDs to be bright and
16:15energy efficient, but this wasn't always the way.
16:18The earliest ships used lanterns with oil or candles, but these were prone to being
16:22extinguished by wind or waves.
16:24It was the introduction of electric lights in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
16:28that brought significant improvements in reliability.
16:326.
16:33The Astrolabe The Astrolabe is an ancient astronomical instrument
16:37that originated from the classical Greek world, and it was further refined by Islamic
16:42scholars to become what's generally seen as one of the most sophisticated pre-modern scientific
16:47instruments.
16:48The name comes from the Greek words astron, which means star, and lambanon, which means
16:53to take.
16:54This device essentially is a portable model of the universe, and it's made up of several
16:59key components.
17:00There's the mater, or base plate, the tempen, or the climate plates, the rita, or the star
17:06map, and the aldade, or sighting rule.
17:09The mater is the main part of the Astrolabe, into which the tempens fit, each engraved
17:14with a projection of the sky for a particular latitude.
17:18The rita is a rotating framework that represents the ecliptic and several prominent stars,
17:23and by rotating it, users can simulate the motion of the stars and the sun.
17:27After being improved by Islamic scholars during the medieval time, it reached Europe through
17:31Islamic Spain, where it became an essential tool during the Renaissance.
17:35By measuring the altitude of a celestial object, such as the sun or a star above the horizon,
17:40you could calculate your position north or south of the equator.
17:43By comparing measurements alongside tables of celestial coordinates, you could know your
17:48latitude.
17:49The Astrolabe became important far beyond just navigation, though.
17:52It became a much relied on timekeeping device.
17:54It could help determine the time of day by measuring the sun's altitude or by aligning
17:58the rita to match the star's position.
18:01It was really important in the Islamic world for keeping track of prayer times.
18:055.
18:07The AIS
18:09The Automatic Identification System, which is known as AIS for short, was developed mainly
18:14to prevent collisions and improve maritime traffic management.
18:18It was first introduced in the late 1990s and became mandatory for certain classes of
18:22vessels under the International Maritime Organization's Safety of Life at Sea Regulations by 2004.
18:29The system uses VHF radio frequencies to transmit and receive information between ships
18:34and shore-based stations.
18:36Each vessel equipped with an AIS sends out regular broadcasts containing its unique identification,
18:41position, speed, course, and other relevant data.
18:44These broadcasts can then be received by other AIS-equipped vessels and shore stations within
18:49range, usually up to 40 nautical miles, although satellite AIS can extend this coverage significantly.
18:56The main intent behind AIS is to avoid collisions.
18:59By providing real-time data on nearby vessels, it allows mariners to maintain situational
19:04awareness.
19:05This capability is crucial in reducing the risks of accidents, particularly in poor visibility
19:09conditions, or at night when the visual detection is limited.
19:13Ships and rescue coordination centers can pinpoint quickly the location of a troubled
19:17ship and coordinate a response.
19:19For port authorities and maritime traffic control centers, it's a powerful tool.
19:23It allows them to monitor ship movements within harbors, along coastlines, and through critical
19:28waterways.
19:29This capability helps in optimizing traffic flow, reducing congestion, and ensuring a
19:33safe passage.
19:34In recent years, the satellite AIS has expanded the reach of this data collection to uncover
19:39the entire world.
19:41This involves satellites equipped with AIS receivers that capture data from vessels beyond
19:45the range of terrestrial VHF signals, and it's improved awareness, enabling the tracking
19:50of ships even in remote and open-ocean areas.
19:54Something that's really valuable for monitoring the movements of large fleets, tracking illegal
19:58fishing activities, and ensuring security of maritime trade routes.
20:04Number 4.
20:05Chip Log The chip log, also known as the common log
20:08or ship log, is a simple instrument that was historically used by sailors to measure the
20:13speed of their vessel.
20:14This device played a critical role in navigation before the introduction of modern technology,
20:19enabling mariners to estimate their ship's speed, and therefore, the distance they've
20:23traveled.
20:24The common log is made up of a wooden board, or the chip, that's attached to a line that
20:28has knots at regular intervals, along with a method of measuring time.
20:32When being used, the chip is thrown overboard at the stern of the ship, and as the ship
20:36moves forward, the line unravels.
20:39The speed of the ship is calculated by counting the number of knots that pass through the
20:43sailor's hands over a fixed period of time, with the length of the line that's released
20:47giving the ship's speed in nautical miles per hour, or knots.
20:51The first chip logs were used in the early 16th century, and they became pretty common
20:55place in the 17th and 18th.
20:57The development of the tool was a significant advancement in maritime navigation, as it
21:01provided a relatively accurate and consistent method for measuring a ship's speed.
21:06Using the chip log, though, did require skill and coordination to get a reliable reading,
21:11with the sailor needing to throw the chip overboard at the correct moment, ensure the
21:15line unraveled without tangling, and being able to accurately count the knots while watching
21:19the timer.
21:21This method also did have some major limitations, with factors such as the state of the sea,
21:25currents, and wind potentially affecting the accuracy of the speed measurement.
21:29Still, it was much better than any alternative at the time, and it would be hundreds of years
21:33before something more reliable was introduced.
21:363.
21:38LORAN LORAN, which stands for Long Range Navigation,
21:42is a terrestrial radio navigation system that was developed during the Second World War.
21:47It would go on to play an important role in maritime and aerial navigation, giving reliable
21:51means of calculating a position over long distances, especially in regions where other
21:55navigational aids were unavailable.
21:57The development of this system began in the U.S. in 1940 because of the need for precise
22:02navigation systems to support military operations.
22:05The project, which was initially top secret, was led by the Radiation Laboratory at the
22:09Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, with the first operational LORAN system
22:14becoming operational in 1943, and being extensively used during the latter part of the war and
22:20providing Allied forces with a significant strategic advantage.
22:25Stations are organized into chains, normally made up of one master station and several
22:28secondary stations.
22:30Each station in a chain transmits synchronized pulses of low-frequency radio waves, and a
22:35receiver on a ship or aircraft picks up those signals and calculates the difference in arrival
22:40times, known as time differences, from pairs of stations.
22:43By plotting these TDs on a specially designed chart, navigators can determine their precise
22:48location.
22:49The initial version of it had a range of about 600 to 1,200 nautical miles, depending on
22:53the transmitter power and the atmospheric conditions.
22:56It became the preferred navigational aid for commercial shipping, aviation, and even personal
23:00navigation for recreational boaters and pilots for a time.
23:04Despite significant improvements LORAN offered, it's rarely used at all anymore.
23:09It came at a time when satellites were beginning to be launched into orbit, and with just in
23:13a few decades, far more precise and reliable systems would become available.
23:182.
23:20Cross-Staff-Back-Staff The cross-staff and back-staff are two historical
23:24devices that were used in navigation to measure the angle between a celestial body, such as
23:29the sun or a star, and the horizon.
23:32These tools were used to determine the latitude and allowed early explorers to navigate across
23:36vast oceans.
23:38The cross-staff, also known as the Jacob's Staff, was one of the earliest instruments
23:42used for this purpose.
23:44It's made up of a long wooden rod with a perpendicular cross-piece that can slide along the length
23:48of the rod.
23:49The navigator would hold the staff at one end and move the cross-piece until the top
23:53of the cross-piece aligned with the celestial body, and the bottom aligned with the horizon.
23:58The angle between the two points could then be read off a scale on the rod, giving the
24:02altitude of the celestial body.
24:04This instrument was relatively simple to construct and use, making it accessible to
24:08sailors of various skill levels, but it had one major problem.
24:12The user had to look directly at the sun to take a measurement, which could lead to eye
24:16damage and inaccurate readings.
24:18To overcome this problem, the back-staff was developed in the early 17th century by the
24:22English navigator John Davis.
24:25The back-staff allowed navigators to measure the altitude of the sun without looking directly
24:29at it, reducing risks and improving accuracy.
24:32The navigator would stand with their back to the sun and then use the instrument's shadow
24:36to measure the sun's altitude.
24:39The back-staff was a significant improvement over the cross-staff, providing more accurate
24:43and safer measurements.
24:44It soon became a standard navigational instrument for most sailors, particularly those on ships
24:49exploring new trade routes and land.
24:511.
24:52GPS I mean, could it be anything else?
24:56The Global Positioning System, GPS, is a satellite-based navigation system that has completely
25:02changed the way we navigate and understand our world.
25:06It is the most advanced navigational technology that's available to most of us and rendered
25:10most other devices obsolete.
25:14Originally developed by the United States Department of Defense, the system provides
25:17precise location and time information to users anywhere on Earth, regardless of weather conditions
25:23or time of day.
25:25The concept of GPS can be traced back to the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in
25:301957, which showed that satellite signals could be used to determine a precise location
25:35on Earth.
25:36Building on this idea, the United States Department of Defense initiated the development of the
25:40GPS system in the 1970s.
25:43The first satellite was launched in 1978, and the system became fully operational in
25:471995.
25:48GPS operates through a network of at least 24 satellites orbiting the Earth at an altitude
25:54of around 12,500 miles, or about 20,200 kilometers.
25:59These satellites are continuously transmitting signals that contain their current time and
26:03position.
26:04A GPS receiver on the ground picks up signals from multiple satellites and uses the time
26:09it takes for each signal to reach each receiver to calculate its distance from each satellite.
26:14By triangulating these distances, the receiver can determine its precise location, often
26:19within a few feet.
26:21Unlike other methods, like LORAN, the fact that the signals are being transmitted from
26:25space makes all the difference.
26:27Other systems don't interfere with the signal as much, and unlike land-based alternatives,
26:32they aren't blocked by mountains or other large objects.
26:35Every place in the world can receive these signals, too, meaning that no matter how remote
26:39a place you're in, you can, in theory, use GPS.
26:43There are some limitations, though, with the accuracy being affected by factors like certain
26:47atmospheric conditions, signal blockage by buildings, and multi-path errors that are
26:52caused by signals being reflected.
26:55To address those issues, systems such as the Wide Area Augmentation System and Differential
26:59GPS have been developed to enhance accuracy and reliability.
27:03The success of GPS has also led to the development of other global navigational satellite systems,
27:09such as Russia's GLONASS, the EU's GALILEO, and China's BEIDOU.
27:14Each of these systems operates independently, but it's designed to be compatible with GPS,
27:20providing users with even greater accuracy and coverage.