Some of us, impressed that simple little devices in our cars and phones can pinpoint our exact location on the globe, believe that we're already living in the future. GPS devices are undoubtedly space age technology, after all. But barring a meteor crushing the Earth any time soon, we know that the future can only mean better things for this technology, which keeps advancing and advancing. The only question remaining is, where is it advancing to?
First, think "display." As GPSObsessed.com notes, a company in New Jersey is working on expanding the technology of GPS displays, allowing GPS directions to be projected onto the windshield of your car. If that doesn't sound like the space age, nothing will. The idea is that having something project on your field of vision - without blocking your view of the road - will give you plenty of heads up about your next turn without having to look down at the GPS screen. It might just make us more safe as drivers.
Of course, such benefits from the world of GPS don't necessarily mean that everything is hunky-dory. Many great tools have both a positive upside and a negative downside - just as the discovery of fire allows you to both cook food and burn your thumb. With many people, the main concern about the future of GPS is simple: privacy.
GPS devices make it possible to track people without their knowing. Granted, this technology has been around already, but not necessarily with this degree of popularity. Will the government be able to track people without them knowing it, even if they never committed a crime? These can be troubling questions, especially if you're a GPS enthusiast who knows how scarily accurate the Global Positioning System really can be.
The rate at which technology improves seems to be accelerating all the time. Just a decade or so ago, a cell phone was considered a pretty advanced piece of technology. Now you'd be considered a cave man without one.
If you want to know where we're headed, take a quick look at history. What have many of the navigation technologies of the past led to? They have led to new discoveries, but they have also led to advanced weaponry. We can only assume that the future of GPS is headed down the same path. It might mean a higher quality of life for citizens, but that doesn't mean there won't be downsides.