GPS with Motion Sensors

[Guest Geoffrey]

ABOUT MOTION SENSORS:

There needs to be a GPS with built-in Motion sensors, to improve the accuracy in the positioning of the unit. Like going through short tunnels, or heavy tree cover. Also hiking in rugged terrain, it would help to have a motion sensor in the GPS. The Motion sensor would help the GPS to regain a lock on the satellites. Also the Position Averaging Feature of the GPS would benifit from a motion sensor. Also a more accurate tracklog could be had. If you lost a lock on the satellites for 30 seconds for instance, but got it back, The GPS would go back to those 30 lost seconds to recalcutate your tracklog, and fix it. Also you would not end up with a max hiking speed of 832mph after a Lock was re-obtained. A motion sensor in the GPS would greatly benifit hikers, runners, etc. They would get very accurate GPS Trip Computer information.

 

Would be a great improvement for Geocachers too. We could use our GPS in heavy tree cover, or get a better Averaged Position fix when placing a Geocache container.

 

With the built-in motion sensor turned on for a few minutes, the GPS would become almost as accurate as a professional grade gps, but at a price many consumers can afford to pay for.

 

Lets get the GPS manufactures to look at this technology.

 

[This message has been edited by Geoffrey (edited 14 August 2001).]

[Guest BKDotCom]

The technology or whatever you speak of doesn't exist. Well it does, it's called GPS. Unless you attach the GPS to wheels and a digital compass or something crazy.

[Guest Gliderguy]

Before the days of GPS, international airline flights used something called INS which is Inertial Navigation System. you would set in your cooridates when you fired it up and from there it could keep pretty good track of your position on its own without any other outside navigation signals.

 

After 8-10 hours of flying over water, the error could be a few miles though. I havent seen the actual electronics for one of these things, but I think they were huge, with spinning gyroscopes and all that.

 

When near land they would re-calibrate their position with the normal navaids (VORs and such)

 

I suppose they could eventually be adapted to a handheld device, but the smooth acceleration and turns of an airliner isnt the same kind of problem as a GPS banging around on a lanyard, or even worse, being dropped a time or two by a rock crawling, staggering/stumbling Geocacher. heck, you would probably have to keep the screen perfectly level or something so it didnt get its axis messed up.

 

I bet its not impossible, but I bet it is price prohibitive.

[Guest Geoffrey]

I got the idea from my Gyropoint mouse, which has 2 axis movement. My GPS idea would be 3 axis version of this> http://www.gyration.com/kore/catalog/products/gyro-presenter/content.html , but in a GPS.

 

[This message has been edited by Geoffrey (edited 14 August 2001).]

[Guest mcb]

I read a reveiw on http://joe.mehaffey.com/ of a vehical navigation system that could do just what you asked. I am not sure of which model it was but I know that it used a new solid state 2 axis gyro developed by NASA to do dead reckon navigation if it lost satellite lock. It used measured acceleration to adjust the heading and velocity of the vehical while in a parking garage or tunnel. Pretty accurate as long as you don't make to many high acceleration turn or speed changes.

 

mcb

[Guest Kerry]

That technology exists in the way of micro gyro's. These miniture gyro's are about 1/2" square and have been implemented in some of the navigation systems in vehicles to counter obstruction effects especially in high rise traffic areas.

 

Also beleive that are used on trains to counter tunnel situations?

 

Cost not sure? but no doubt not cheap.

 

Cheers, Kerry.

[Guest Uplink]

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[Guest Jorgy!]

The Honda Odyssey Minivan comes with the Alpine navigation system as an option - WAY COOL! BUT, it is SO user friendly that you can't use it like a handheld GPS. You can not enter latitude and longitude, you are limited to address, cross street, business name or telephone number, or manually marking a place on the map. It also doesn't mark your trail if you should drive in a non-mapped area (unless you buy the MDX). All in all a GREAT system that we don't regret spending the extra $2000 for. What other car on the road for $28K comes with power doors, 210hp, CD player, DVD Navigation, seats 7, Fold-a-way third seat . . . . . Got to LOVE what Honda does with Minivans!

 

God Bless - Jorgy!

 

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