Learn About Navigation, GPS and QR Codes

Latitude and longitude is a coordinate system that is used to pinpoint the location of any place on the Earth. The Earth is divided up with imaginary lines that run horizontally and vertically across the globe. Latitude lines circle the earth horizontally and measure the north/south distance from the Equator in degrees. Longitude lines run vertically and measure the east/west distance from the Prime Meridian in degrees. A combination of latitude and longitude provides a coordinate of a location. For more precise coordinate points on Earth, latitude longitude is also divided and expressed into minutes and seconds.

Take our location of the OC Fair & Event Center for example.
OC Fair & Event Center
33°39’56.6″N 117°54’09.8″W (DMS format)
33.66573, -117.90271 (DD format)

The top coordinates are written in the Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds (DMS) format. Below that, the coordinates are written in the Decimal Degrees (DD) format which would take the space between each line of latitude or longitude that represents 1° and divide and express it as decimals. Decimal degrees are expressed with positive and negative numbers instead of north/south or east/west.

Latitude and longitude coordinates are used in the Global Positioning System or GPS. GPS is a satellite-based worldwide navigation and surveying system used everywhere by many professionals. Pilots, surveyors, ship captains, military members, and scientists all use GPS navigation. When you enter a location in your smartphone, your phone instantly sends signals to a network of satellites in space. The satellites then transmit information back to your phone that helps you navigate to where you’d like to go.

INTRO TO QR CODE TECHNOLOGY

This is an image of a QR code. QR stands for “Quick Response” and the image is usually made up of black squares and dots. QR codes are scannable images that can be instantly read and interpreted by your smartphone much like a barcode. All you have to do is open up your camera app on your smartphone and aim the camera over the QR code. These days both iPhones and Android phones have built this technology directly into your camera app. Your smartphone camera will read the QR code and instantly translate the image into information that your phone can process such as opening up a website.