Intelligence Bus System

Preliminary Design

One of the objectives of the project is to provide an inclusive bus system that helps people with special needs to board bus easily. CanAssist has developed a Smartphone app to help a blind person getting to the bus stop, but at the bus stop it is very challenging for the person to know when and which bus is arriving. To resolve this issue, the first solution is to enable communication between a bus and a user's Smartphone so that the user can request the bus driver for pick-up at a certain bus stop. However, this option is abandoned because BC Transit does not allow direct communication between a user and a bus for security reasons. This leads to the second alternative - to use the bus stop to connect a bus and a user via class 3 bluetooth that can discover devices within 5 meters. This will require all buses and bus stops to have bluetooth beacon installed. The Bluetooth at the bus stop will be able to detect the Bluetooth on buses that are approaching, and then inform the user's Bluetooth-enabled cellphone of which buses are arriving. However, the downside is that when multiple buses arrive at the same bus stop around the same time, not all buses will stop at the bus stop. Without bus driver knowing that a person wishes to board, the person will have to figure out where the bus is at. This is difficult for people who have visual impairment. This leads to the third solution. In this case, a transit web service is established as a hub to connect buses, bus stops, and smartphones. Buses sends GPS coordinates to the web service in real-time to update bus schedules, and the web service makes this information available at bus stops and Smartphones via 3G networks. To request a pick-up, a user standing at a bus stop sends a request to the web service, web service configures which bus to forward the request to using the real-time transit database, forwards the request to this bus, and finally, bus responds to user via the web service. When the bus arrives, the driver will stop the bus at the bus stop, and announce the bus number using a microphone or some other voice system so that the blind person know if it is the right bus to board.

To achieve the goal and objectives, a preliminary design of the Smart Bus System was proposed featuring functions of three categories:

a. On-board

b. Bus stop

c. Portable user interface.

On-Board

Figure 2 illustrates a preliminary design of a smart bus with on-board advancements. Firstly, with the "Next-stop" display and voice announcing system, passengers will know where they are and when to get off the bus. People unfamiliar with the route or area will be more likely to take buses as the announcing system provides a navigation guide. Secondly, the passenger data collected from the Automatic Passenger Counter (APC) will be translated into statuses for people to know the seat availability on a bus. The transit dispatch center can use this information to determine the need to dispatch extra buses during peak-passenger hours. Thirdly, sensors on bike racks will report the number of bike racks available. Cyclers will be more willing to take buses by knowing beforehand if bike racks are full. Lastly, through the on-board GPS device and the RF link, the transit center will be able to gather transit data collected from buses in real-time. A set of desired functionalities and proposed infrastructures are summarized in Table 4.

Figure 2: Smart bus

Table 4: On-board technology

Bus Stop

Figure 3 illustrates a preliminary design of a smart bus stop. Real-time passenger information will be displayed at bus stops. Bus stops will be equipped with an RF link to receive data from the transit center, LCD to display real-time transit data, and a Bluetooth beacon to communicate with Bluetooth-enabled cell phones at the bus stop. As well, to increase safety, camera surveillance will be added and remote bus stops will have LED lights. Finally, all the real-time information will be available via website and a Smartphone app. Specifically, the app will feature real-time schedule, trip planner, bus stop locator and bus arriving alarm. The alarm will assist special needs people by alerting their phone when and which bus arrives. In more details, a bus stop will detect a Bluetooth-enabled Smartphone within a range and allow the app to transfer information displayed at the bus stop to the Smartphone. When the bus arrives, the bus stop will alert the person(s) at the bus stop using voice or vibration function of the cell phone and at the same time send a signal to let the bus know someone with special needs wishes to board. A set of desired functionalities and proposed infrastructures are summarized in Table 5.

Figure 3: Smart bus stop

Table 5: Bus stop technology

User Interface

Figure 4 illustrates three ways a user can access transit data: a. Website, b. Phone, and c. Smartphone. Transit data gathered by the trdansit center will be made available on the internet and to the phone service provider. Users can check schedules and other information via the transit website, hotline / text messages, and Smartphone apps. Users can also download real-time transit data from a bus stop through Bluetooth. This provides an alternative way of perceiving information displayed at the bus stop. By translating the text to voice on their Smartphone, visually impaired people will be able to "see" the display at a bus stop and get notified when and which bus is arriving. A set of desired functionalities and proposed infrastructures are summarized in Table 6.

Figure 4: User interface

Table 6: Portable user interface