WaitLess Bus Tracking Display

1. WaitLess Bus TrackingDisplay Matthew Brooks Christopher Chidi Daniel Nadeau Josh Mauldin Georgia Institute of Technology ECE 4007 Senior Design Final Project Presentation April 24th, 2009

2. Project Overview • What: A display showing GPS locations of Georgia Tech campus buses using LEDs arranged along a map placed at campus bus stops. • Why: 96% of surveyed students are dissatisfied with current text based bus prediction systems which are limited to only a few bus stops. • Who: Assists campus pedestrians in deciding whether to wait for the bus or just walk. • Cost: Estimated prototype development cost of $6700. Per unit cost production will be ~ $600.

3. Design Objectives • Low Power • Solar panel with battery • Low power micro-processor • Internet Access • Wi-Fi module • Use existing GPS data available via NextBus.com (XML feed)‏ • Self-Sustaining/Easy to Deploy • No wires/low maintenance • No energy cost • Weather proof case • Low Cost • Per unit cost ~ $600

4. Design Overview

5. Obstacles and Modifications

6. Obstacles and Modifications

7. PCB Board Design Verification • PCB board testing and verification • Corrected LED lead assignments • Performed diagnostics testing by lighting all LEDs using I2C commands from the Arduino processor

8. Troubleshooting Visual Display and Aesthetics • Tested LED visibility after assembly of display box • Decided to use heat shrink wrap to funnel LED illumination

9. Serial to Wi-Fi Module Configuration • Wi-Fi module network connectivity and XML data collecting • Utilized RealTerm Serial / Telnet software for module configuration and AT+i serial code debugging

10. Arduino Processor Programming / Debugging • Microprocessor programming and debugging • Utilized Arduino C programming platform to code and debug data communications and parsing algorithms.

11. Power Supply Testing • Tested solar panel power supply and battery supply • Found that the solar panel provides ~450 mA of current in daylight conditions • Original battery supply was faulty, obtained a new battery

12. Acceptance Testing • Compared WaitLess display with the NextBus Live Map • Performed final testing with system as standalone • Assembled final product with battery and solar panel attached and positioned system at an actual bus stop

13. Results • Product is capable of tracking all buses on all four routes of the Georgia Tech transportation service • Current draw of the device at peak operating conditions is ~200 mA which is well below the 450 mA provided by solar panel • Connecting to GTwireless requires external device authentication through PC • New WPA security features of GT LAWN network will ease module connectivity • Wi-Fi module sometimes becomes unresponsive after 5-10 minutes of operation • Needs a firmware update

14. Project Demonstration Requirements • Display the tracking of all buses on at least two routes of the campus bus service • Demonstrate the sustainability of the product i.e. solar powered • Demonstrate low current draw / power • Demonstrate standalone operation running solely on battery and solar power • Exhibit wireless connectivity and weather resistance

15. Market / Cost Analysis

16. Market / Cost Analysis

17. Future Enhancements and Modifications • Reduce the depth of the display box • Implement a smaller, more efficient battery • Solder all electronic components to one PCB design • Investigate surface mount LED technology • Place the vinyl map decal inside of transparent casing to protect it • Implement WPA security login for easier module connectivity • Expand the design to be used for other transportation services • Add an LED array panel below the map display to output text-based arrival time estimations for each stop

18. Questions?