Design and Development of shuttlefy: A smart shuttle system for University of Ghana campus

Abstract

A smart shuttle system incorporates several technologies such as real-time tracking of vehicles and other services like providing the estimated arrival time and payment system. This paper designed and implemented a smart shuttle system to help the University of Ghana students locate the shuttle’s position and estimate the arrival time via web and mobile applications. The system integrates an electronic payment system via mobile money, credit or debit card, and web tokens to allow students to pay for their rides without physical cash. This system comprises an integration of hardware and software modules. A real-time Google map and Arduino-based vehicle tracking system is implemented with the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM). An Arduino UNO controls the GPS module to get the geographic coordinates at regular time intervals. The GSM module transmits the shuttle’s location (latitude and longitude) to the web and mobile applications. Finally, the web and mobile application use Google Maps to show the shuttle’s location in real-time, making it possible for students to monitor a moving shuttle using their smartphones or laptops. The integrated payment system within the mobile app allows students to pay for a ride in the shuttle using credit cards, mobile money, and electronic tokens. The developed system was extensively tested for the various functionalities to ensure that the system was fully operational.