GPS or Global Positioning System is an incredible technology that can be used by everyday people nowadays. GPS technology can determine your position on the globe with accuracy.
How does GPS work?
GPS works in a very simple way. The satellites can track a GPS receiver (the device which we use to track something). Then it sends the positional information. Then our car stereo can use the information and place the location on a map.
Difference between GPS Navigation and Tracking
The GPS navigation or tracking both have different uses and purpose, but both of them use a GPS system.
Navigation: The navigation is used in transport, it can be a car, ship or even an aeroplane. The navigation is used for locating a destination and reaching that point.
Tracking: The tracking can be used on anything that is needed to be tracked, including transport, humans, animals, products or device etc.
Let’s get to know about the differences between them.
The flow of Information:
In the Navigation System, the GPS locates the position of the transport and sends the information to the driver by decoding it in a map. It also locates the destination point where the transport is willing to go. It is because of the GPS navigation that a driver gets turn by turn directions.
In the Tracking System, just like the navigation system, the GPS locates the position of the transport or anything with a GPS receiver. But unlike the navigation system, the information of the location goes to someone who wants to monitor the entity with the GPS receiver.
Purpose:
The purpose of using GPS navigation is to reach a destination point or identifying one’s own position in the map.
The purpose of tracking is to identify something or someone else’s position on a map.
Use:
The GPS navigation will navigate you to your desired point. No matter where you live on the globe, GPS navigation will work. If you want to reach a destination but you don’t know how to get there then GPS navigation can take you to your destination.
The GPS tracker will simply track your current location or movements. If you are a business owner and want to monitor deliveries for example, then you can track their position and their movement speed using a GPS tracker.
FAQs
GPS navigation systems are very different from GPS tracking. GPS navigation system is used to locate addresses and at the same time provide directions to a destination. GPS tracking provides more data about a specific object.
What is the difference between GPS tracking and navigation? ›
The purpose of using GPS navigation is to reach a destination point or identifying one's own position in the map. The purpose of tracking is to identify something or someone else's position on a map.
What is the difference between radio tracking and GPS tracking? ›
A radio-tracker allows you to track down the exact location of your cat while a GPS tracker will just give you a general area. Radio-trackers are much smaller than GPS trackers and can easily be attached to a break-away cat collar.
Are GPS and tracker the same? ›
GPS means 'Global Positioning System', which uses Satellites. So Satellite and GPS are two names, for the same thing, when used in relation to tracking. A tracking device may use GPS to find out where it is, but then re-transmits this position info onto another system, such as the cellular phone system.
What is the difference between GPS route and GPS track? ›
Routes are pre-defined and created manually using the website or the app. Tracks are breadcrumb trails, made up of GPS points collected by your device while physically following a trail.
What does GPS tracking do? ›
GPS tracking is a method of monitoring the location of an object, person, or vehicle through the Global Positioning System. It involves placing a GPS-enabled device, or tracker, on the object to be monitored. The device communicates with GPS satellites and uses these signals to calculate its exact position.
What does tracking mean in radio? ›
Voice-tracking refers to the process of a disc jockey prerecording their on-air "patter." It is then combined with songs, commercials, and other elements in order to produce a product sounding like a live air shift.
What is tracking in radio receiver? ›
Tracking ensures the difference between the local oscillator frequency and signal frequency is correct. There are two types of tracking - two point using a padder or trimmer capacitor, and three point tracking which combines these. The capacitors are adjusted to minimize errors at specific frequency points.
Can the police put a GPS tracker on your car? ›
Since 2012, law enforcement has been required to obtain orders in order to attach a tracking device to a vehicle, regardless of whether the device is connected to vehicle power. Most states prohibit placing a tracking device on a vehicle unless you own it.
Do all vehicles have GPS tracking? ›
However, not all cars have GPS tracking built in, and the availability of this feature varies depending on the make and model of the vehicle. Some popular car models with built-in GPS tracking include: High-end luxury cars, such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi.
An unknown tracker alert is sent when someone else's tracker device is separated from them and if your Android phone detects the tracker is traveling with you and out of Bluetooth range from the owner. The notification alerts you to the tracker and tells you how to find it and what to do next.
Is GPS and navigation the same thing? ›
GPS is a satellite-based navigation system that uses satellite signals in order to identify a receiver's geographic location. Satellite navigation systems refer to a constellation of satellites that provide worldwide navigation, location, and timing services.
What is the difference between navigation and tracking? ›
Navigation uses GPS technology to locate a destination and travel to that point. Tracking uses the same system but transmits the location of someone or something's position. My whole family has a tracking app on each phone, so if someone went missing, we'd know where to start the search party.
Can you be tracked through GPS? ›
The government's GPS satellites are one-way beacons that cannot track you or anything on the ground. But commercially available GPS devices with communication or recording features can help users keep track of everything from vehicles and cargo to people and animals.
Can you track a vehicle with navigation? ›
Tracking a vehicle with GPS can help provide real-time or historic navigation data no matter the journey. Even if the satellite signals get blocked, the GPS tracker can use cell tower signals to estimate the vehicle's location instead.
What is navigation tracking? ›
GPS tracking is the surveillance of location through use of the Global Positioning System (GPS ) to track the location of an entity or object remotely. The technology can pinpoint longitude, latitude, ground speed, and course direction of the target.
Is satellite navigation system the same as GPS? ›
Satellite Navigation is based on a global network of satellites that transmit radio signals from medium earth orbit. Users of Satellite Navigation are most familiar with the 31 Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites developed and operated by the United States.
What does GPS tracking stand for? ›
Let's begin with the name, GPS, which stands for Global Positioning System. GPS technology has become an integral part of our daily lives, providing us with accurate location information and enabling a wide range of applications, from determining an object's whereabouts to tracking locations.
