GPS...more than a real world digitizer

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has been with us now for over a decade, providing positioning information across a broad range of applications. In the geographical information systems (GIS) area, the potential of GPS technology is really only just starting to be realised. The major areas of use have been for mapping the locations of features, particularly for asset management. This paper describes a few of the issues involved in using the Global Positioning System to acquire data for GIS. This paper also describes one of the technology integration projects currently being undertaken at the School of Surveying, that explores the potential of integrated technologies for space-time monitoring of any phenomena. A prototype DGPS/GIS system was developed using lightweight, inexpensive, off-the shelf parts. The development of this type of technology promises to revolutionise the way one can acquire space-time data, providing us with an expanded vision of how to monitor the environment and manage all types of assets