Public Bus Live Tracking System

TECH 100 Project Overview

This project was developed as part of the TECH 100 course, demonstrating the practical application of IoT technologies in public transportation. The system enables real-time tracking of public buses using ESP8266 microcontroller and GPS module integration.

Features

• Real-time GPS tracking of bus locations
• Web-based interface for location visualization
• Google Maps integration for accurate mapping
• Responsive design for mobile and desktop viewing
• 5-second location update interval
• Modern UI with custom styling

Hardware Requirements

Components

1. NodeMCU ESP8266 Development Board
2. NEO-7M GPS Module
3. Connecting wires
4. USB cable for programming
5. Power source (USB power bank recommended for mobility)

Technical Specifications

• ESP8266 Operating Voltage: 3.3V
• GPS Module Operating Voltage: 3.3V-5V
• Serial Communication: 9600 baud rate for GPS module
• WiFi: 2.4GHz IEEE 802.11 b/g/n

Software Requirements

Required Libraries

1. SoftwareSerial.h - For serial communication with GPS module
2. TinyGPS++.h - For parsing GPS data
3. ESP8266WiFi.h - For WiFi connectivity

Development Environment

• Arduino IDE
• Required Board Manager: ESP8266 Community Board Package

Wiring Instructions

GPS Module to NodeMCU Connections

• GPS VCC → NodeMCU 3.3V
• GPS GND → NodeMCU GND
• GPS TX → NodeMCU D1 (GPIO 4)
• GPS RX → NodeMCU D2 (GPIO 5)

Refer to the wiring diagram in nodemcu-gps-wiring.png for visual guidance.

Setup Instructions

1. Hardware Setup

1. Connect the GPS module to NodeMCU following the wiring instructions above
2. Power up the NodeMCU using a USB cable or power bank

2. Software Setup

1. Install Arduino IDE

2. Add ESP8266 board support:

   • Go to File → Preferences
   • Add http://arduino.esp8266.com/stable/package_esp8266com_index.json to Additional Board URLs
   • Go to Tools → Board → Boards Manager
   • Search for and install "esp8266"

3. Install Required Libraries:

   • Go to Sketch → Include Library → Manage Libraries
   • Install "TinyGPS++" library
   • ESP8266WiFi comes with the ESP8266 board package

3. Configuration

1. Open public_bus_live_tracking_system.ino
2. Update WiFi credentials:

   const char *ssid = "your_wifi_ssid";
   const char *password = "your_wifi_password";

3. Add your Google Maps API key:

   String GMAP_API_KEY = "your_google_maps_api_key";

4. Upload Code

1. Select appropriate board: Tools → Board → NodeMCU 1.0
2. Select correct COM port
3. Upload the code

Usage Guide

1. Power up the device
2. Wait for WiFi connection (Serial monitor will display IP address)
3. Open the displayed IP address in a web browser
4. The map will show the current location with updates every 5 seconds

System Architecture

Hardware Layer

• ESP8266 handles WiFi connectivity and serves the web interface
• NEO-7M GPS module provides location data
• Serial communication between GPS and ESP8266

Software Layer

• Arduino framework for device programming
• TinyGPS++ for GPS data parsing
• ESP8266WebServer for serving web interface
• Google Maps API for location visualization

Web Interface

• Responsive HTML/CSS design
• JavaScript for map handling and updates
• Google Maps integration for location display

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. No GPS Fix

   • Ensure clear view of sky
   • Wait for GPS module to acquire satellites (can take 1-5 minutes)
   • Check GPS module connections

2. WiFi Connection Issues

   • Verify WiFi credentials
   • Ensure WiFi network is in range
   • Check Serial monitor for connection status

3. Map Not Loading

   • Verify Google Maps API key
   • Check browser console for errors
   • Ensure device is connected to internet

Future Enhancements

• Multiple bus tracking support
• Route prediction
• Estimated arrival times
• Historical route data logging
• Mobile app development

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Guidelines

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• TECH 100 course instructors and teaching assistants
• ESP8266 Community
• TinyGPS++ library developers
• Google Maps Platform

Contact

For any queries regarding this project, please open an issue in the repository.

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This project was developed as part of the TECH 100 course curriculum.