Location Accuracy vs. Location Precision

In location technology, accuracy and precision are two important terms used to describe the quality of location data. Although they are related concepts, they have distinct meanings. So what is the difference between precise versus accurate location?

Location accuracy refers to the degree of closeness between the measured location and the true or correct location of a point of interest.

It measures how well the location data reflects the actual location of the object being tracked. The accuracy is usually measured in meters or feet, and it indicates the maximum error of a location measurement.

On the other hand, location precision refers to the level of detail or granularity in the location data.

It measures the degree of exactness of the measured location in relation to other locations. Precision is typically expressed as the number of digits or decimal places used to represent the location, and it can range from a few meters to a few centimeters.

In other words, accuracy describes how close a single measurement is to the true location, while precision describes how consistent and detailed the measurements are.

For example, imagine you are using a GPS device to track your location while hiking in the mountains. If the device tells you that you are currently located at a specific point, the accuracy describes how close that point is to your true location on the mountain. The precision, on the other hand, would describe how detailed the measurement is, such as whether the device can determine your location within a few meters or within a few centimeters.