Can you Ask the House Where my Shoes Are?

“Honey, where are my shoes?”

This simple question, that can be asked of countless items, both large and small, and yield countless answers, both factual and wild guesses, may soon be a question of the past. Modern technology is advancing to the point that we’re not too far from using GPS technology to pinpoint and locate anything from our car to our car’s keys to within a few centimeters. In a recent lecture, Todd Humphreys, the director of the University of Texas at Austin’s Radionavigation Laboratory, discussed the growing influence and capabilities of GPS technology. He believes that GPS technology is not that far removed from the realm of science fiction capabilities. In other words, the outlandish world of movie gadgets is not that far from being the truth.

Humphreys gave many clues into what some of the next big things will be with GPS technology, as well as how to avoid the intrusion of “big neighbor,” who might be able to use GPS tracking devices to locate where you are, which while being entirely creepy, is not entirely illegal. Many uses stem from the old standbys of finding directions, such as devices to track your own children, ways to track convicted criminals, or ways to fish.

GPS Timeline

·         1978: First Block-I GPS satellite launched

·         1983: President Ronald Reagan declared that the new GPS system would be available for civilian use, following news of a civilian airliner being shot down over Soviet airspace, killing 269 people

·         1985: Ten more Block-I satellites launched into orbit

·         1989: First modern Block-II satellite launched

·         1991: Oldest satellite currently in use launched

·         1992: 50^th Space Wing takes over management of GPS system after 2^nd Space Wing is deactivated

·         1994: Last of 24 satellites into orbit

·         1996: President Bill Clinton issues a policy directive to establish GPS as a dual purpose (military and civilian) national asset

·         1998: Vice president Al Gore announces plan to upgrade GPS

·         2000: “Selective availability” discontinued and civilians now allowed to receive full quality signal

·         2004: President George W. Bush updates the national policy

GPS Dots

When President Clinton discontinued “selective availability,” GPS technology took off as a commercial business. The number of GPS mapping systems and driving guides would expand exponentially during the decade of the 2000s. The error rating of devices for public use went from about the size of a football field to mere meters overnight. The next big thing in GPS technology is actually small. GPS dots, small in size, but powerful in design, might soon be available to use for the public to make sure you can locate whatever might have misplaced at the touch of a button. These small chips can make it possible to find and inventory whatever you have by using the GPS technology. By using these GPS dots, it might someday be possible to ask your own house if it knows where your slippers might be.

Wave Bubble and Spoofer

As GPS technology continues to expand and push new envelopes, the possibility exists that someone might use this as a tracking device for public use. Apparently, the laws that prevent people from tracking other people are rather lax, despite the fact that police need to go through several hoops to do the same. What can you do when someone is tracking you? There are some possibilities that vary in their legality to protect your position. A wave bubble is a device that can be used to hide or jam your GPS signals to make you disappear. This kind of device is actually illegal in the US because this kind of activity is indiscriminate towards your device and any other device in your vicinity, which means that any vehicle that relies on GPS tracking can be affected. A spoofer is a device that does not jam GPS signals, but rather hijacks the signal and moves it to other locations. This method is actually also very questionable and can lead to serious accidents.

The future of GPS technology is bright with new ideas and potential. GPS technology has come a long way from the original satellites and even from the devices that help you find your way while you are driving. They are the hidden asset in our nation, which increasingly depends upon the use of GPS technology, so much so that many people would have a hard time getting around without GPS. Finding people or things from the sky is just the beginning.

Can you Ask the House Where my Shoes Are?