Oct 7
What is GNSS? We Run and Order with GNSS
- Gülüzar Yiğit
- Oct 7
- 4 min read
As you read this, are you aware that you're leaving a mark on the world? Let me go even further: While you're running, walking, ordering food, looking for a date, or even waiting for your package, someone is watching you from above. And they're notifying you of what you're doing, wherever you are, and what you're doing.
GNSS satellites orbit our planet, sending data every second. And we receive that data not just when we open a map application, but through numerous systems running in the background. We've unknowingly established a symbiotic relationship with satellites. I think we could call this neighborhood relationship, which benefits us humans, digital commensalism.
Contents
What is GNSS?
GNSS (Global Positioning System) allows the location of any point on Earth to be determined using signals emitted by satellites. Initially limited to American GPS satellites, it has now expanded and been strengthened by systems such as Europe's GALILEO, Russia's GLONASS, and China's BeiDou.
But every technology has its limits: While GNSS works wonders in the open sky, it either fails to function at all or experiences significant disruptions in enclosed spaces, tunnels, and thick concrete structures. This is primarily due to the weakness of satellite signals and their reflections among surrounding structures. Multipath effects occur, particularly between tall buildings in cities, causing the signal to be reflected rather than directly reaching the receiver, reducing location accuracy.
GNSS Usage Areas
GNSS While Doing Sports
Going for a run this weekend? While a pair of running shoes used to be enough, running is no longer considered a thing without satellites. How many kilometers did you run, how many calories did you burn, what was your heart rate, what was your pace, and how much progress have you made since last week? All of this is presented to you through data provided by GNSS-enabled apps on your smartwatch or phone.
GNSS When Ordering Food
Let's say you're hungry and want to order food. The app that lists nearby restaurants, the notification that your order is on its way, the "nearing door" notification from the courier tracking system... They all work with GNSS data. If you're eating a hot burrito, it's because you first select the nearby restaurant, and then the courier can find you, thanks to the GNSS system.
GNSS in Dating Apps
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that satellites are even involved in love. GNSS comes into play when you match with someone within 1 km. Apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Happn use location data. But Happn goes a step further and adds a temporal dimension to dating: It even shows who you've crossed paths with and how many times, where you last ran into them, and how many times. In other words, GNSS now records not only where we are but also where and with whom we've bumped into each other.
Someone you pass quietly on the street could, according to the algorithm, be your "one." For example, the app might match you with someone who frequents your favorite chicken and rice restaurant like you but isn't exactly your style, and might even suggest you as a potential soul mate. Who knows who you might bump into? Or maybe you and your ex still have the same hangouts. The app keeps recommending them as your "potential soul mate."
Are you confused while searching for a new one? At least send feedback: "This road is closed, suggest another route." Our ancestors, who said "destiny will find you," probably never imagined things would reach this point.
GNSS in logistics
"Your shipment has been loaded onto the delivery vehicle." This sentence sounds ordinary, but it's backed by coordinate information from GNSS. It shouldn't be limited to Turkey. You can also see whether the tablet case you ordered from China has been dispatched, whether a jacket you ordered for cold weather from Europe is still waiting in the cargo warehouse, or which transit city it's in. So, even if it takes months to reach you, you never lose track of it. Every step of your order is recorded. You can even find out how long it's been waiting at customs, which vehicle's license plate it will be loaded onto, and which courier's surname it will be delivered to. This real-time system receives all the information from satellites and uses this information for optimization.
It's practically impossible for a courier to deliver to 15 locations in just one neighborhood without optimizing their routes. Satellite navigation systems allow even details like heavy traffic, accidents, road closures, and which street to enter will help deliver to the next delivery location faster. This is also why the system, recently dubbed "localized logistics," operates at such high performance. Satellite data allows you to identify and plan your nearest delivery locations.
GNSS in Air Travel
Yes! Let's say you're traveling on a connecting flight and miss your connection because the first flight is delayed. Missing the next flight can affect not only your vacation plans but even your visa process. This is where apps like Flightradar24 come in handy, providing helpful evidence, even if they're not considered primary documentation. They can provide a supporting record of your situation by showing which flight landed where, when, and by how much. Thanks to real-time satellite data, the sky track of every aircraft in the air is now in our pockets.
In short, we can say that GNSS has slowly become a part of our lives. The technology we initially incorporated to help us find our way is now ubiquitous. Selvi and Buğdaycı (2019) told us that not only phones but everything from watches to sunglasses can locate you. So, what's next?
Are these satellites really just a mess for us, or do we just want to be visible at all times?
Source:
Ma, Xiao. (2017). What Happens in Happn: The Warranting Powers of Location History in Online Dating. Proceedings of the 2017 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW '17), pp. 41–50.https://doi.org/10.1145/2998181.2998241
Selvi, HZ, & Buğdaycı, İ. (2019). Location Based Services Technology and New Developments. 17th Turkish Mapping Scientific and Technical Congress, TMMOB HKMO, Ankara.
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