This past weekend I traveled from Los Angeles to Ann Arbor, Michigan for a water polo tournament. Along my way I took longitude and latitude readings of my various locations. These locations include airports (LAX and DTM), the hotel, restaurants, pools (UCLA and University of Michigan) and various other points.
I took a total of 55 GPS readings, from my iphone, over a 72-hour period. I then converted the longitude and latitude readings from degrees, minutes, seconds to decimals. Lastly, I used geocoding to plot these 55 locations in ArcGis on a USA state map shape file.
Once I plotted these points into ArcGis I was able to assess their accuracy using street maps. It was mind boggling for me to find out that my iphone could plot my locations with such accuracy. In most cases the coordinates where right on and some varied by just hundreds of feet. This tremendous accuracy exemplifies the extreme value that geocoding and gis has in the tracking of criminals or the monitoring of peoples movements. My GPS location was plotted in mere seconds and have the potential to monitor my movements every time my iphone “pushes” for data.
This is the third time that I have travelled to the University of Michigan for water polo. It would be interesting if I had taken GPS readings the previous two trips or if I took them next year to compare the places I visit and the paths of my travels. Taking these points would allow me to visit my favorite places again and avoid ones that I was not fond of. Geocoding and GPS provide the tools necessary to accomplish such tasks with tremendous ease and accessibility.
| WayPoint | Long(Y)_neg | Latitude (X) |
| 1 | -118.449187 | 34.066241 |
| 2 | -118.447944 | 34.074173 |
| 3 | -118.44797 | 34.071795 |
| 4 | -118.404316 | 33.949311 |
| 5 | -83.341207 | 42.233522 |
| 6 | -83.742473 | 42.238388 |
| 7 | -83.763117 | 42.249438 |
| 8 | -83.732921 | 42.25064 |
| 9 | -83.700931 | 42.351594 |
| 10 | -83.741122 | 42.267953 |
| 11 | -83.763117 | 42.249438 |
| 12 | -83.341352 | 42.23341 |
| 13 | -83.35981 | 42.203381 |
| 14 | -83.356784 | 42.204612 |
| 15 | -83.356784 | 42.204612 |
| 16 | -83.375808 | 42.22177 |
| 17 | -83.370642 | 42.222353 |
| 18 | -118.381138 | 33.932722 |
| 19 | -118.401117 | 33.939771 |
| 20 | -118.445485 | 34.066766 |
| 21 | -118.440018 | 34.07295 |
| 22 | -118.447976 | 34.06631 |
| 23 | -118.448483 | 34.075707 |
| 24 | -118.442577 | 34.079189 |
| 25 | -118.447735 | 34.066971 |
| 26 | -118.44797 | 34.071795 |
| 27 | -118.44517 | 34.060728 |
| 28 | -118.439819 | 34.072789 |
| 29 | -118.440018 | 34.07295 |
| 30 | -118.444273 | 34.067088 |
| 31 | -118.448483 | 34.075707 |
| 32 | -118.44797 | 34.071795 |
| 33 | -118.442745 | 34.071279 |
| 34 | -118.444273 | 34.067088 |
| 35 | -118.446344 | 34.061629 |
| 36 | -118.441783 | 34.071187 |
| 37 | -118.4476639 | 34.07030556 |
| 38 | -118.44805 | 34.06307778 |
| 39 | -118.4474583 | 34.06168056 |
| 40 | -118.4421222 | 34.05566944 |
| 41 | -83.74868056 | 42.26587778 |
| 42 | -83.74312222 | 42.24198333 |
| 43 | -83.74894167 | 42.24280278 |
| 44 | -83.73949444 | 42.25764444 |
| 45 | -83.73831111 | 42.23920278 |
| 46 | -118.4379639 | 34.07369444 |
| 47 | -118.4494444 | 34.06548889 |
| 48 | -118.4499222 | 34.06494722 |
| 49 | -118.4527306 | 34.07407778 |
| 50 | -118.451375 | 34.07418889 |
| 51 | -118.4651667 | 34.063325 |
| 52 | -118.4546111 | 34.07644167 |
| 53 | -118.4555861 | 34.07574722 |
| 54 | -118.4550056 | 34.07031667 |
| 55 | -118.4560056 | 34.06616944 |
