Inkqubo Yokukhangela Indlela

MHLAWUMBI uyayazi indlela ekunzima ngayo ukuhamba kwidolophu ongayiqhelanga. Ngoko umatiloshe unokuyazi njani indlela kwiilwandlekazi ezingenamiqondiso? Ukuba nekhampasi kukodwa akunakumnceda nganto xa engazazi apho akhoyo, nokuba iphi indawo aya kuyo. Kuthe ke kwakwenziwa isixhobo sokubala umgama ekuthiwa yisextant neso sokubala ixesha elwandle ekuthiwa yichronometer ngeminyaka yee-1730, baqala oomatiloshe bazazi apho bakhoyo baza bakwazi nokuyibona emaphini indawo abaya kuyo—yonke loo nto ifuna ukuba bachithe iiyure bebala umgama ngaphambi kokuba bakufumanise oko.

Namhlanje abaqhubi beemoto kumazwe amaninzi bakhangela indlela besebenzisa isixhobo esingabizi mali kangako esixokonyezelwe kwinkqubo eyiGlobal Positioning System (GPS). Kwesi sixhobo ufaka nje iadresi yalapho uya khona. Sinokukubonisa ngqo indawo okuyo. Sithi ke sikwalathise apho ufuna ukuya khona. Sisebenza njani?

Izixhobo zokukhangela indlela zixhomekeke kwiisatellite ezingama-30, nganye kwezi ikhupha imitha ebonisa indawo nganye yazo ekuyo nexesha elichanileyo. Sithi esi sixhobo sakho sakuthungelana nezimbalwa kwezi satellite, sibale ngokuchanileyo ixesha elithatyathwa yimitha ukusuka kwisatellite ukuya kutsho kuso. Xa sinale nkcazelo, siyakwazi ukuqikelela eyona ndawo ukuyo. Unokuyicinga indlela ekunzima ngayo ukudibanisa obu bucukubhede bezibalo. Kwimizuzwana nje embalwa, sibala imigama esuka kwiisatellite ezintathu ezikwisithuba samawakawaka eekhilomitha, zisiya kumacala ahlukileyo ngesantya esiphezulu ngomzuzwana ngamnye.

IGPS le yenziwa ngooNjingalwazi uBradford Parkinson noIvan Getting emva phayaa ebutsheni beminyaka yee-1960. Nakuba ekuqaleni yayenzelwe umkhosi, kamva yathengiselwa nabantu bonke, yaye yayisele isetyenziswa ngabaninzi ngowe-1996. Isixhobo esilawulwa yiGPS senziwe ngobugcisa obumangalisayo bekhompyutha, kodwa ke ngaba siyinkqubo yokuqala yokukhangela indlela?

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 8]

Globe: Based on NASA photo