As I understand the basic arduino gps tutorials, you use a gps module and an arduino. The module gets the gps data and the arduino is postprocessing it.
Since the gps module is interacting with the satellites, I was asking myself following question:
Is there an online service where gps modules get unique IDs. Then instead of getting the gps module position to the gps module, one of the gps satellites stores the position data and pushes it to some online service? This would make it easy as the gps module wouldnt need an additional gsm or equivalent module to send the data to the end user.
GPS modules receive signals from satellites to calculate their position. They do not transmit anything to the satellites so the satellites have no idea where any GPS module is.
So no, there isn't any online service such as you describe.
GPS satellites do not store anything for you and they do not know where you are. GPS satellites send out time from an atomic clock they have onboard and information about themselves. They do not care about users and they do not interact with them in any way other than sending the time blindly towards earth.
Nobody sends information to the GPS satellites except the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC).
GPS modules calculate the position on earth by comparing the time signal from the GPS satellites.
Let’s say all satellites tell you it’s 8:00. But you receive the signal with small delays. The signal that came first is from the satellite that is closest to you. The signal that came last is from a satellite furthest away. With some math you can find out where you are, if you have at least 4 satellite signals.
thanks for the perfect explanations. The basic concept of it is clear. What would you say is the best technology to gather informations about mulitple gps modules (quite high frequent update of position (roughly every 10s))? I mean what should each gps module have as extra hardware to send the position information to the server or similiar center device?
jacko91:
I mean what should each gps module have as extra hardware to send the position information to the server or similiar center device?
It would help if you explain the purpose behind this. What is the project you are trying to create? I assume there will be a considerable distance between the modules as there would seem little point collecting what amounts to the same data from several modules in the same place.
Many smart phones have GPS and they also have the ability to send data to a server somewhere - that may be simplest solution. I believe you can upload your position to Google Maps in such a way that others can share it. And Google can figure out where my phone is very accurately even though my phone does not have GPS.
If that is not an option then you need to tell us more about how you envisage your devices communicating with your server. For example if WiFi is an option then an ESP8266 board (such as the WemosD1) coupled with a GPS module might be a good solution.
go to https://aprs.fi, navigate to a large city near you, set Track Trail Length to 24 hours to see it in operation
the APRS Controller takes data from a GPS receiver and sends it to an amateur radio. you could send it to an Arduino friendly module and set up a digipeater. the infrastructure is all available and open source
There are commercial GPS tracker products that transmit the GPS coordinates to Iridium satellites.
It's a paid subscription. It's essentially a text only satellite phone that happens to have a GPS receiver.
The GPS and Iridium satellites are completely separate systems.
jacko91:
The basic concept of it is clear. What would you say is the best technology to gather informations about mulitple gps modules (quite high frequent update of position (roughly every 10s))?
Depends entirly on the project, which so far is being kept secret ..........................
I would normally provide a more informed answer, but unfortunatly my crystal ball is away for repair.
Hey,
thank you very much for your answers. And sorry for not being more specific.
Idea: My sons kindergarden teacher asked me if there was an available safety system for group trips. So that the kindergarden teacher gives each kids on the trip some kind of armband and that the teacher will be notified on the phone if a kid is out of a specified radius
GPS is questionable for this purpose. It doesn't work indoors and may not work near a tall building. The teacher would be bombarded with alerts that little Timmy and Tommy have disappeared when they're actually in the bathroom or the gift shop .
So you dont, by your own admission, understand much about GPSs, or how you might use them, or the ways in which you might communicate their positions to some unknown central thing.
But you want to develop a safety system for children, that presumably needs to be reliable, accurate and dependable ?
Surely there must be off the shelf stuff and apps that will do this ?
And as an asside, this question is asked fairly often, and it sounds so easy, but if you choose to develop your own system, make sure you are well insured ...................
jacko91:
Idea: My sons kindergarden teacher asked me if there was an available safety system for group trips. So that the kindergarden teacher gives each kids on the trip some kind of armband and that the teacher will be notified on the phone if a kid is out of a specified radius
Under no circumstances should this be implemented by a DIY system. Just think of the consequences for you and your family if it went wrong and a child died or was lost and never found.
To be honest I am not at all impressed by the fact that the teacher is considering offloading a personal responsibility onto a machine. Perhaps it's time to consider a different kindergarten for your child.
I understand the intention of the teacher. It is a huge responsibility to watch over children.
But, even with the best intention and even if the system is built by the best engineers in the world, I believe these systems are bad for children. It gives a comfortable feeling to the teacher, allows them to check Facebook one more time and pay less attention to your kids.
So, if your kindergarten teacher finds out that these systems are available right now, I would question whether it is a good idea to use them. Teaching the kids how to get help when they get lost, is time better spent.
Maybe the teacher's request was just a light-hearted idea. It's not really possible for a monitoring system in that domain to be implemented without oversight and approval.
But it's a great idea to brainstorm. Lots of good solutions have come about by starting with a wild idea that would never work.
In Australia schemes are being developed to monitor herds of cattle and sheep. There's the potential to keep them within virtual boundaries by electrical stimulus. No physical fences needed. A mob could be moved from one area to another by remotely "moving" the virtual fences.
In theory the same could be done with the small people.
NissanCedric:
In Australia schemes are being developed to monitor herds of cattle and sheep. There's the potential to keep them within virtual boundaries by electrical stimulus.
In theory the same could be done with the small people.
So give an 'electrical stimulus' to shock the 'small people' when they stray too far ?
Was there not something like that in an episode of Star Trek, the punisment collar thing;
NissanCedric:
Maybe the teacher's request was just a light-hearted idea.
That only works if everyone understands that it is a joke. Clearly the OP believed it was a serious request.
But it's a great idea to brainstorm. Lots of good solutions have come about by starting with a wild idea that would never work.
Very true - but don't experiment with my kids, thank you.
In Australia schemes are being developed to monitor herds of cattle and sheep. There's the potential to keep them within virtual boundaries by electrical stimulus. No physical fences needed. A mob could be moved from one area to another by remotely "moving" the virtual fences.
In theory the same could be done with the small people.
I don't think it is proper to make a link between the two. The management of cattle and sheep is an economic issue and cattle and sheep have clear monetary values of not very large amounts. A system that works well to constrain 90% of a herd in the huge Australian spaces may make economic sense if the alternative cost of constraining the other 10% is far higher than their worth.
People expect kindergartens to secure 100% of their children 100% of the time, no ifs or buts. Serious questions will be asked over a scratched knee. Where does a lost child fit on that graph?
Alright,
thanks for the input.
It was really just a general question from the teacher. So I talked to her. And she saw it rather as an additional safety feature, not sublimenting her responsibility.
I didnt plan on developing such a system on my own and giving it to the teacher. I just wanted to get some ideas on the way it could been done, as i didnt find anything out of the box.