Browse Resources by Country

Helping the Blind Get Around

A prototype project in Europe uses GPS signals to guide visually impaired individuals to their destinations. Tested in Madrid, this European Space Agency (ESA) project — developed in partnership with the Spanish firm GMV Sistemas and the Spanish National Organization of the Blind — uses a handheld device with headphones to give auditory directions to a visually impaired user.

Searching For Downed Aircraft With Satellite Imagery

In September 2007, a search-and-rescue mission for missing aviator Steve Fossett was aided by volunteers who never left their homes. Instead of combing forests and mountains, these searchers scanned digital satellite images provided by the commercial remote sensing firms GeoEye and DigitalGlobe for signs of Fossett’s downed plane.

Students Get GPS Phones

In response to the tragic events at Virginia Tech in the spring of 2007, several colleges have begun distributing GPS phones with tracking devices to students.