February 2002–August 2003
Many MIT students who work late into the night rely on SafeRide vans to get back to their dorm or residence. Like any public transportation, however, the shuttles are subject to traffic and weather conditions, which can delay their arrival. Using GPS technology to track the shuttles online, students could access accurate, up-to-the-minute arrival times.
“ShuttleTrack provides real-time Webbased tracking of MIT shuttles. We created ShuttleTrack as a novel combination of GPS-GIS, the cell-phone network, and Web services technologies. Now it is used campus-wide as a useful service for a more reliable and safer commute.”
—Sriram Krishnan
With the shuttles’ position transmitted over radio to a network server, software used forecasting algorithms to accurately estimate arrival times at various stops along the route. This information was displayed via different methods to students, including schematic maps, telephone interfaces, and public LCD displays. Being able to accurately forecast arrival times of their transportation gave students extra time for their studies while ensuring a safe arrival back home.
Student Participants: Sriram Krishnan, Salil Soman, Sam Korb, Ilia Mirkin, Andrew Chen, Genevieve Cuevas