We’ve been working with Tufts University on a GPS campus bus tracking project. Before I get into details I’d like to say thanks to Dan Gross and Matt Shapanka for making this happen. The history of the Tufts bus tracking project has not gone without criticism. It first started with an implementation using a mobile phone, but I could go on and on while there are so many points of failure with this type of device. I’ve developed a few mobile GPS applications and can’t tell you the number of emails I’ve received because “it just stopped working”.

Students at Tufts have grown impatient with the project, and reasonably so, since it has been in the works for nearly two years. If you don’t believe me then read the following posts:

http://www.collegeotr.com/tufts_university/joey_gps_nope_it_will_never_happen_240
http://www.collegeotr.com/tufts_university/matt_shapanka_and_joey_gps_you_have_to_be_shiting_me_5427
http://www.collegeotr.com/tufts_university/joeygps_finally_a_reality_still_a_waste_of_money_5800

I’ve found the posts highly entertaining and a few of the students bring up a really good point: it really doesn’t have to be that hard. So when we first talked with Matt we let him know the process would be pretty simple:

1. Buy the device
2. Install it when it arrives (see basic installation here)
3. Log in to the Ublip tracking application and use it

The company that runs the buses on the Tufts campus was able to get the device installed and running in no time at all. Now that “The Joey”, as they call it, is being tracked we believe there are a quite a few benefits for this type of application:

- Increases efficiency as students aren’t waiting around to catch a bus
- Increases safety at night by allowing students to wait inside their dorm or building before the bus arrives
- Increases bus usage since students know where the bus is at all times
- Students can stay indoors and keep warm (Tufts is in Boston, you know) while waiting for the bus

I can guarantee a few Tufts students will disagree with these statements, but only time will tell whether or not the use of our technology on the Tufts campus will prove beneficial. In all reality it was less than a $400 annual investment to validate this.

Matt and his team at Tufts have quite a few interesting uses of this technology in store for campus students. If you’re interested in seeing it live then click here or on the image below. Please note that the Tufts engineering team developed this application using our GeoRSS feed.