GIS in Tracking System

This article discuses the importance of GIS in the Vehicle tracking System (GIS Tracking System).

Introduction to GIS

GIS is a combination of different instruments, which are used to store, modify, and display spatial data after collection. It mainly represents earth’s geographic features and analyses the data given by geographic or spatial coordinates.

What makes it superior to other information systems is its combination of common database operations with unique visualization and geographic analysis. By this integration it becomes more useful for various fields and will help in explaining event, prediction of outcomes and planning strategies.

GIS not only collects data but also displays and analyses the same connected to relational database. This connection gives GIS an edge over other information systems. From the database maps can be drawn or vice versa, that is data can be referenced from the maps and when a database is updated the map automatically changes accordingly

There are various uses of this technology. For example this can be utilized for scientific investigation, management of resources, asset, in the field of environment, road planning cartography, etc. In case of natural disaster this technology is very valuable for assessing the exact time of emergency response.

History of GIS

World’s first operational GIS developed in 1964 in Ottawa, Ontario by the federal Department of Energy, Mines, and Resources. It was developed to know the land’s capability by collecting data about soils, agriculture, recreation, wildlife, forestry, and land use.

Various ways can be used to represent data, today digital information is used but most common is digitization. In this method a survey plan or a hard copy map is converted to digital form through the use of a drafting with the help of computer

There are several ways to understand GIS. One is called database view. In this GIS is based on a database structure by which world is described in geographic terms. In this method certain features of earth are represented with the help of symbols. For example streets are symbolized as centerlines, wells as points etc.

Another method is geo-visualization that is mapping. This represents a combination of maps, which visualizes not only features but also a relation between different features

Third and the last method is the model view in which a set of tools take the data from already existing datasets and modify them and present those data in a new form.

Various applications of GIS based tracking are:

Vehicle Tracking System
Vehicle tracking systems are used to manage the fleet of vehicles. The vehicles are fitted with GPS receiver and radio based transmitter device to transfer the vehicle location data on the server for further analysis. On the server GIS maps are used to plot the location.

Vehicle navigation systems
The vehicle navigation systems are used to help the vehicle in navigating to its destination. The GPS based navigation system uses GIS based maps to guide the vehicle.