Bus Tracking System

This project is a real-time bus tracking system built using Django, incorporating features like live location updates, schedule management, and user-friendly dashboards.

Key Features

Live Bus Tracking

• Real-time Updates

  Track the precise location of buses on a map as they move along their routes. This feature is powered by GPS data sent from ESP32 IoT device installed on each bus.

• Dynamic Visualizations

  Visualize bus movements on user-friendly dashboards, providing an intuitive understanding of their positions.

Schedule Management

• Comprehensive Scheduling

  Define and manage detailed bus schedules, including:

  • Routes - Specify the paths buses take, including all stops.
  • Timings - Set departure and arrival times for each stop.
  • Stop Information - Store relevant information about each stop on a route.

• Administrative Interface

  A dedicated interface for administrators to easily create, edit, and manage bus schedules.

Enhanced Commuter Experience

• Estimated Arrival Times

  Provide commuters with accurate estimated arrival times for buses at their designated stops.

• Real-time Notifications

  Implement push notifications to alert users about important updates:

  • Bus Delays

    Notify commuters about unexpected delays, providing alternative options if possible.

  • Estimated Arrival Times

    Send timely reminders about bus arrivals at their selected stops.

  • Service Disruptions

    Inform users about any disruptions in service, such as route changes or cancellations.

• Location-Based Services

  • Distance Calculation

    Utilize the Google Maps API to accurately calculate distances between bus stops and user locations.

  • Route Optimization

    Determine the most efficient routes for buses, considering factors like traffic conditions.

  • Directions

    Provide step-by-step directions to users, guiding them to their nearest bus stops or destinations.

5. Robust Backend and Integration

   • Django Framework:

     The backend is built using the Django web framework (Python), providing a scalable and reliable foundation for the system.

   • Webhook Integration

     Seamlessly receive and process real-time data from external sources (ESP32 IoT devices) via webhooks. This ensures that the bus location data is constantly updated.

   • Database Management

     Store bus schedules, location data, user information, and other relevant information in a robust database like PostgreSQL.

Project Structure

The project is structured into two primary Django applications:

1. webhook Application:

• Purpose

  Serves as the entry point for all incoming data from the Arduino IoT devices.

• Key Components

  • iotdevice View
    • This view acts as a webhook endpoint, receiving POST requests from the ESP32 devices.
    • It extracts important data:
      • GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude)
      • Route information
      • Bus ID
      • Connected status
    • It processes the data and updates the database accordingly.

2. dashboard Application:

• Purpose Handles the user interface and logic for displaying bus information, schedules, and providing location-based services.
• Key Components

  • tourdashboard View

    

    Displays real-time information about a specific bus, including its location, status, last/next stops, and estimated arrival times.

  • tourdetails View

    Shows comprehensive details about a particular tour, including its scheduled times, available buses, and relevant information for commuters.

  • gettinglocations View

    

    Allows users to input their starting point and destination. It then processes this information to provide relevant bus schedules and routes.

  • avaialableshedules View

    

    Displays a list of available bus schedules that match the user's selected route and desired time frame.

• Functions:

  • getextractlocation Function

    Processes user input for starting and destination points to determine the appropriate route and relevant locations.

  • finding_nearest_shedule Function

    Calculates and identifies the nearest scheduled bus based on the user's location, destination, and current time.

  • finding_how_many_available_times Function

    Determines and retrieves a list of available bus schedules that meet the user's criteria.

Data Flow

The system's data flow can be illustrated as follows:

1. Data Acquisition:

   • ESP32 IoT device on each bus reads GPS data.
   • The device establishes a connection to the internet via WiFi.
   • At set intervals, it sends a POST request to the /iotdevice webhook endpoint on the Django backend.
   • The request contains:
     • JSON payload with GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude)
     • Headers containing additional information:
       • Route number
       • Bus ID
       • Connection status

2. Webhook Handling:

   • The iotdevice view in the webhook app receives the data.
   • It parses the JSON payload and headers, extracting the necessary information.
   • The extracted data is then used to update the database with:
     • The bus's current location (latitude and longitude)
     • Active/inactive status
     • Last recorded stop
     • Next scheduled stop
     • Timestamp of the update

3. Data Processing and Retrieval:

   • The dashboard app utilizes various functions to process and retrieve relevant bus data:
     • getextractlocation - Determines the route and bus stops based on user input.
     • finding_nearest_shedule - Finds the closest scheduled bus.
     • finding_how_many_available_times - Retrieves a list of available bus times.

4. Data Presentation:

   • The processed data is sent to the appropriate Django templates to render dynamic and informative dashboards:
     • tourdashboard - Visualizes real-time bus location, status, and relevant schedule details.
     • tourdetails - Displays comprehensive tour information.
     • shedules.html : Presents users with a list of available bus schedules based on their search criteria.

Technologies Used

Backend

• Django

  Python web framework for building the backend infrastructure, handling URL routing, views, and data models.

• SQLite3

  A powerful and reliable open-source relational database management system used for storing bus schedules, locations, tracking data, and user information.

Frontend

• HTML, CSS, JavaScript:

  The core technologies for building the user interface of the dashboards, forms, and other interactive elements.

Mapping and Location Services

• Google Maps API:

  Enables the display of maps, calculation of routes and distances, and estimation of travel times.

• Geopy:

  A Python library used to calculate geographical distances between coordinates, enhancing the accuracy of location-based calculations.

IoT and Communication:

• ESP32:

  The microcontroller platform chosen for the IoT devices installed on buses, responsible for reading GPS data and communicating with the server.

• GPS Module:

  NEO-6M GPS Module module connected to the ESP32, enabling it to determine its geographical location (latitude and longitude).

• 

• Arduino Libraries:

  • ArduinoJson:

    Used for encoding and decoding data in JSON format, enabling efficient communication between the Arduino device and the Django server.

Installation and Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yasanthaniroshan/Bus-Tracking-System.git
   cd Bus-Tracking-System/WebApp

2. Create a virtual environment:

   python3 -m venv .
   source bin/activate

3. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Set up the database:

   python manage.py makemigrations
   python manage.py migrate

5. Run the development server:

   python manage.py runserver

Reviews and Feedback

Here are some reviews and feedback from users who have interacted with the Bus Tracking System:

Here is the feedback form that used to collect feedback from users:

Future Enhancements

• User Authentication

  Allow users to create accounts and save their preferred routes and schedules.

• Real-Time Notifications

  Implement push notifications to inform users about bus delays, estimated arrival times, and other updates.

• Improved UI/UX

  Enhance the user interface and experience with more interactive features and visualizations.

• Integration with Payment Gateways

  Allow users to purchase bus tickets directly through the platform.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues, feature requests, or pull requests.

License

This project was originally initiated for Finnc22 Competition and is released under the MIT License.