ACM

Communications of the ACM

Home/Magazine Archive/January 2024 (Vol. 67, No. 1)/Wayfinding Without GPS/Abstract

News

Wayfinding Without GPS

By Samuel Greengard
Communications of the ACM, January 2024, Vol. 67 No. 1, Pages 17-19
10.1145/3627104
Comments

View as: Print Mobile App ACM Digital Library In the Digital Edition Share:

planets orbit around two compasses, illustration — Credit: CyberMagician

It is incredibly easy to overlook how Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites have revolutionized the way people navigate using airplanes, trains, boats, and automobiles. Widespread satellite coverage has rendered paper maps mostly obsolete and has completely automated the task of getting from Point A to Point B.

Yet GPS systems at times suffer from a fatal flaw: They don't work in some places and in certain situations, including in caves, under thick canopies of trees, underground, underwater, and in other places where signals cannot reach, such as outer space. It also is possible to jam or hack GPS. The result is a user experience that can range from mildly frustrating to outright dangerous.

No entries found

Log in to Read the Full Article

Sign In

Sign in using your ACM Web Account username and password to access premium content if you are an ACM member, Communications subscriber or Digital Library subscriber.

Need Access?

Please select one of the options below for access to premium content and features.

Create a Web Account

If you are already an ACM member, Communications subscriber, or Digital Library subscriber, please set up a web account to access premium content on this site.

Join the ACM

Become a member to take full advantage of ACM's outstanding computing information resources, networking opportunities, and other benefits.

Subscribe to Communications of the ACM Magazine

Get full access to 50+ years of CACM content and receive the print version of the magazine monthly.

Purchase the Article

Non-members can purchase this article or a copy of the magazine in which it appears.