Traffic status monitoring using smart devices

This paper presents a system to determine the status of traffic of a particular region from real time data accumulated from smartphones. The data collection, interpretation and dissemination of the status to multiple users are performed remotely. We have used embedded sensors available in smartphones to gather data from traffic instead of deploying sensor modules. This method reduces the overall cost since smartphones are equipped with mobile data connection, precise sensors, high processing power and widely adopted by users. The methods of measurement of vehicular speed and distance traversed using the inbuilt GPS sensor, are discussed in detail. We have defined the parameters based on which the status of the traffic can be judged and how these parameters are related to vehicular distance and speed. Along with these, we have proposed a client-server architecture for dissemination of data from the smartphone to the server and vice versa. The client is an application running on the smartphones. We have also proposed advanced methods of data accumulation and dissemination for modern vehicles with improved facilities and infrastructure. The entire system is developed in Android since it is open source in nature, widely used and application development is relatively facilitating.