Which technology is commonly used to provide global coordinates for marine robotics and aiding navigation?

• A. Radar
• B. GPS
• C. Sonar
• D. LORAN

Answer: (B)

The essential idea is obtaining a global position for marine robotics using satellite-based navigation. GPS provides precise latitude and longitude anywhere on the globe by receiving signals from a constellation of satellites and calculating position from the time differences of those signals. This real-time global coordinate capability is why it’s the standard for navigation and localization in autonomous marine vehicles, waypoint following, and sensor fusion with other navigation aids. Other options serve different roles: radar detects nearby objects, sonar measures distances underwater, and LORAN is an older ground-based system with much less global coverage and accuracy. Therefore, GPS is the commonly used technology for global coordinates in marine robotics and navigation.