Everything and Anything

It’s extremely common nowadays to see GPS products in stores and retail outlets. While they were an untapped resource just a few years back, the ease and convenience offered by using them in your car has caused the product to explode in popularity. But how did portable GPS navigation systems get their start? What was the original use for these devices that have come to be known as little else than that handy thing that gets you to a new location. Rather than getting you to the mall when you missed your exit, GPS were originally intended for the military forces.

Making their debut in 1994, they helped US forces navigate through Operation Desert Storm through what appeared to be an endless expanse of sand and dunes. To that end, they were attached to everything from road vehicles to helicopters. Once introduced into the mainstream public, its uses were still generally held to firefighters, police officers, and other emergency response teams. But before long, they became a staple in just about every car driving down the highway.