DuTrack

2010-02-03

I leveraged the OpenGTS project to create a low-cost bus-tracking system to Duke University when I was a senior. For about $150 per year, you can buy an unlimited data plan on some really cheap GPS-enabled cell phones. The OpenGTS project uses a small client app running on the phones to transmit position data back to the OpenGTS server, which I initially ran on a small desktop in my dorm.

I installed ~30 trackers to cover the whole fleet. A mechanic was nice enough to connect the trackers to each bus's electrical system so they could stay on. I then modified the OpenGTS backend source to greatly increase the update rate so it would send coordinates about every 5s.