| What are GPS, GIS and RS? | ||
Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) are all part of the rapidly growing field of spatial technologies. A global positioning system is a network of satellites, communicating with receivers, that allows the user to accurately determine positions on the earth's surface. This technology is used for navigation and to precisely locate objects. Data collected using a GPS receiver is typically stored for use in a GIS. A geographic information system is a powerful, flexible computer-based tool. It allows users to collect, manage, analyze and display geographic information. For example, the information stored for a road segment would include the x, y coordinates that make up the road segment and descriptive data such as E911 name, length, classification, former road name, and starting and ending range of street numbers. Remote sensing involves the use of sensors to capture the relations of objects on the earth’s surface observable at a distance. This includes the creation of aerial photography and satellite imagery, referenced to known coordinates on the earth’s surface. These images are then used as data layers in a GIS, to provide visual orientation and land cover information. Together, these technologies can help you explore data, look for patterns and trends, answer questions and perform modeling. And they can help you do your job better. |
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