Cell phones pinpoint locations_美文_趣味英语-查字典英语网

Cell phones pinpoint locations

"Most pointing devices can pinpoint positions within 10 meters. But if we can improve the accuracy to less than a meter, it means we can accomplish many tasks that were not possible without a high-accuracy system," Shi said.

On Oct 9, China's National Remote Sensing Center said a new navigation system, Xihe, had been successfully tested to pinpoint positions within 0.1 meters outdoors and 3 meters indoors.

The system benefits business owners like Cao Hongjie, vice-president of Beijing UniStrong Science and Technology, a maker of navigation products.

"In the past, we designed different circuit boards for clients having different demands for the precision, but with Xihe, the precision difference can be controlled in operation centers, and we can use a device that applies to Xihe to provide services with different accuracy," Cao said.

For example, during China's last land survey, UniStrong designed several devices because accuracy requirements in eastern and western parts of the country vary by up to 50 times.

Cao said the device that sold best and cost 15,000 yuan ($2,400) had an error factor of less than 5 cm. "But now I have developed a new version of the land survey device using the Xihe system, which is as good as the former and I'm planning to sell it for up to 8,000 yuan," he said. "The new technology lowers the price, but gives me even more room for profit."