Design of a Real-Time System for Remotely Monitoring Occupancy and Tracking Location of Public Service Vehicles

Abstract

A major cause of accidents in developing countries is overloading of vehicles especially within the public transportation industry. Remotely detecting the overloading incidents would significantly aid in the mitigation of such accidents. Automatic systems are currently employed for detecting entry and exit of people through doors. These systems rely on varying technologies such as Active Infrared (AIR), Thermal Imaging, Treadle Mat Sensors, Cameras with Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities, etc. Mobile vehicle tracking using the Global Positioning System (GPS) is also on the rise among vehicle owners in an effort to enhance security and ease supervision. This paper proposes a solution for remotely monitoring the number of passengers in a vehicle using AIR while simultaneously tracking the location of the vehicle. Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) technology is relied on for mobile communication between a Raspberry Pi 3 microcontroller within the vehicle and an Internet of Things (IoT) database. This system provides relevant regulatory authorities with a remote means to detect overloads hence allowing for enforcement of relevant traffic regulations. Additionally, Public Service Vehicles (PSV) managers can provide potential passengers with information on occupancy and location of PSVs plying various routes on their smartphones through a mobile application connecting with the IoT database. Keywords—GPS, GSM, Infra-red, IoT, Mobile Application, PSV, Vehicle Tracking