10 Unique Ways GPS Is Used Beyond Navigation

When GPS was originally developed for military purposes, the engineers could never have predicted the vast array of applications that civilians would eventually come up with for this technology.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system, a network of approximately 24 satellites that were launched between the late 1970s and mid-1990s by the U.S. Department of Defense [sources: Garmin, GPS.gov]. However, the Pentagon soon allowed civilians to take advantage of the system's precision. Today, GPS-powered devices – from those friendly, voice-guided maps in our cars to the chips in our smartphones that guide us to local eateries – are now embedded in our daily lives.

And those early applications were only the start. The real potential of GPS is demonstrated through the surprising, unconventional uses that people have developed. For example, grocery stores use GPS-equipped carts to track shopper movements and analyze purchasing patterns [source: Lindstrom]. In agriculture, farmers use GPS technology to identify which areas of their land require fertilization [source: Crop Nutrition.com].

Here are 10 surprising ways GPS technology is being used in unconventional ways.

10: Preventing Shark Attacks

Since the release of the film "Jaws," the fear of encountering a great white shark at the beach has been a concern for many, even though shark attacks are actually quite rare [source: Lee]. Fortunately, over 50 large sharks have been tagged with GPS devices, allowing an organization called OCEARCH to track their real-time locations.

When tagged sharks approach the shore, an alarm is triggered, and lifeguards immediately instruct swimmers to leave the water. This tagging initiative is also providing new insights into the sharks' elusive behaviors. For example, researchers have discovered that some sharks travel far beyond the expected cold waters and venture into warmer regions like the Gulf of Mexico during the summer. You can follow the movements of these tagged sharks by visiting the OCEARCH website [sources: Mearian, LiveViewGPS.com].

9: Tracking Stolen Prescription Drugs

Thieves and burglars have been targeting drugstores to steal oxycodone, a highly addictive painkiller that's in demand on the black market, often sold under the brand name OxyContin. To combat this growing problem, the New York City police introduced a high-tech twist on the classic exploding dye packs used in bank robberies. They stocked local pharmacies with fake oxycodone bottles, each containing a GPS tracker to assist detectives in tracking down the criminals.

To make sure the trackers remain undetected, the bottles are weighted and make a rattling sound when shaken, fooling thieves into thinking they are just regular bottles. "We expect that the burglars will take several bottles, and among them will be the decoy bottle," said Paul J. Browne, the police department's chief spokesman, in an interview with the New York Times in 2013.

8: Mobile Performance Art

Michael Wallace, an artist from Baltimore, has developed a way to turn his city into a giant Etch-a-Sketch for his digital artwork. Known by his nickname WallyGPX, he rides a bicycle outfitted with a GPS and mapping software, sketching on the digital map as he pedals. He uses the grid layout of southeast Baltimore’s streets and the large local park to create curved patterns.

Wallace’s creations range from a detailed depiction of the Titanic to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ship’s sinking, to a massive map-portrait of Omar from the Baltimore-based TV show "The Wire." He has also created simpler pieces, like a scene from the game "Angry Birds" [source: Jauregui].

7: Investigating the Secret Lives of House Cats

Have you ever wondered what your cat does when it roams outside? A team of researchers from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University is keen to find out. They plan to equip over 1,000 cats—some located in the Charlotte area, and others in far-off places like Australia and Germany—with GPS-enabled harnesses. This technology will enable them to track the movements of these outdoor cats throughout 2014. Additionally, they are collecting other data, including the analysis of cat feces, which owners are asked to gather. In an effort to avoid privacy issues like those faced by the National Security Agency, the researchers are allowing pet owners to register their cats under aliases [source: Price].

The study could help clarify how much of a danger cats really pose to birds. However, it might also uncover other surprising findings. For example, a British TV program that tracked cats with GPS discovered that many of them spent significant time visiting other cat owners’ homes in search of stolen food [source: Rice].

6: Staging a Treasure Hunt

Since the early 2000s, GPS enthusiasts have been using these devices to organize tech-savvy treasure hunts. Geocaching participants hide small treasures such as souvenir coins or plastic toy animals at various locations, which they then mark on treasure maps. These maps are shared online on websites like Geocaching.com, allowing others to embark on a quest to find the hidden items.

Some Geocaching activities are set in parks, but many participants hide treasures in urban areas as well. While it’s possible to use smartphones or tablets for the search, the most dedicated Geocachers invest in hand-held GPS units, which offer more precise accuracy, costing them several hundred dollars [source: Caldwell].

5: Mapping Your Daily Run On a Cruise Ship

These days, there are countless websites tracking cruise ships as they journey across the seas. But have you ever wondered how your own movements would show on a GPS map while aboard? A blogger and triathlete known as DC Rainmaker shared his experience from a 2011 honeymoon cruise, where he wondered how his daily runs on the ship's 10-lap-per-mile track would look, considering the ship was also in motion.

After completing a 3-mile (5-kilometer) run, DC Rainmaker plotted the data on Google Maps and discovered a strange wavy pattern instead of a simple circle, as if his run deviated in one direction. The ship’s movement added speed to his Garmin wrist tracker’s display. "I guess I set a new 10-mile [16-kilometer] personal record in just 26 minutes and 12 seconds," he quipped [source: DCRainmaker.com].

4: Safeguarding Nativity Scene Figures

Who could forget the comically awkward moment from the 1982 film "Diner," when Kevin Bacon's drunk character stumbles upon a stolen nativity scene, only to find the baby Jesus missing? His solution? To climb into the crib himself, undressed.

Luckily, we may avoid a real-life version of that scene, thanks to Brickhouse Security, a New York-based company that has been providing GPS tracking devices to churches and religious organizations at no charge since 2005. If a figurine like Jesus is stolen, the device immediately sends a text or email to notify the owner and emits a signal that allows police to track down the criminals [source: Schapiro].

3: Guiding Driverless Cars

For decades, innovators have dreamed of driverless robotic cars, but one major challenge was figuring out how these vehicles would safely navigate the roads. Google's self-driving car program, which gained momentum in 2014, relies on a combination of GPS, sensors, and cameras to achieve this goal.

The GPS system tracks the car's position, speed, and direction relative to its destination, while a roof-mounted laser creates a 3-D digital model of nearby objects to identify potential hazards. Cameras monitor traffic lights, road signs, and other visual markers. However, the technology has a significant limitation: it's only operational on roads that have been carefully mapped by Google. Additionally, the cars are restricted to speeds of no more than 25 mph (40 kph) to ensure accurate scanning of the environment [source: Sun].

2: Keeping Watch on People with Dementia

As the U.S. population continues to age, an increasing number of elderly individuals are being affected by Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Fortunately, caregivers may soon find their tasks easier, thanks to a clever use of GPS technology that hides tracking devices within insoles in the patients' shoes.

GPS SmartSoles, a collaboration between footwear brand Aetrex and tech company GTX, are priced between $200 and $300 per pair and were slated for release in the summer of 2014. These devices allow caregivers to track the wearer's location at any time, and they can even set up geo-fences that trigger an alert if the wearer steps outside a designated zone [source: Schiller].

1: Birth Control and STD Prevention

Public health authorities worldwide are eager to encourage young people to use condoms to prevent both unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. They also understand that young people are highly connected to their smartphones, making it logical for them to leverage GPS-enabled apps to reach this demographic.

In 2012, the English county of Kent launched an iPhone app called Kent C Card, designed to help local teenagers find the nearest clinics where they can obtain both condoms and sexual health advice [source: Todd].