RouteFinder : real-time optimum vehicle routing using mobile phone network
Abstract
Road traffic congestion is a major issue in most
mega cities. The traffic jams are often exacerbated by drivers
habitually following the same routes. A real-time, optimum
vehicle routing system that takes traffic density into account
can be a possible solution to this problem. This paper presents
RouteFinder, a system of providing real-time traffic density
mapping on the driver’s smartphone using an in-vehicle module
built using inexpensive components that communicates with the
existing mobile telephone network, to enable the driver to choose
the least congested route to a desired destination. The hardware
module contains the essential elements of a cellular handset
such as a SIM card. The location of the vehicle is determined
through a standard triangulation algorithm performed using
signals from the three nearest cellular base stations, and the
location information is constantly updated at relevant Home
Location Registers (HLRs) / Visitor Location Register (VLRs)
at the telecom service provider using an intermediate MySQL
database. An Android application developed for the driver’s
smartphone shows the present locations of all vehicles in all
routes from the origin to the selected destination, with colour
codes distinguishing between moving and stationary vehicles. We
have implemented our device in 10 vehicles in Dhaka city. Our
sample calculations have shown significant savings not only in
terms of time, but also in fuel consumption.