The History of GPS Tracking

Global Positioning System also referred to as GPS, first began in 1957 when the Soviet Union launched their Sputnik 1 satellite. In years to follow, GPS has grown significantly, and the United States began implementing tracking for their submarines and military. From 1970 – 1989, the U.S tracked commercial airlines as a way to advance airline navigation as plane crashes were on the rise. In 1999, the mobile phone manufacturer, Benefon was the first to produce a commercial GPS phone. Continuous advancements have been made for the use of GPS in multiple industries.

Commercial Vehicles

Initially GPS devices for commercial vehicles were heavy, costly, and provided limited information on your fleet. But as advancements were made, multiple industries were beginning to recognize the advantages of implementing a GPS solution in their fleet. Today, we are able to see the many benefits of GPS usage at a more affordable, compact, and advanced level through multiple devices like cameras, phones, etc.

Who Invented GPS

Although GPS took many years to get to where it is now, the ultimate credit for who invented GPS cannot be given to one person. It was a collective teamwork between Roger L. Easton, a Cold War scientist who worked on the technology that tracked satellites, like the Sputnik mentioned before. Ivan Getting, who developed the concept of using satellites to locate the positioning of data in vehicles. Bradford Parkinson, also referred to as the “Father of GPS”, as he was the chief architect. And lastly, Dr. Gladys West, a mathematician who contributed to programming computers with calculations to get extremely accurate geodetic Earth Model, which is now referred to as Global Positioning System (GPS).