NIJ School Safety Technologies
Topic 2. School Bus Safety Technologies
Abstract
We propose to develop an affordable, integrated bus monitoring system that will provide increased
security by providing remote tracking and monitoring capability. The system will transmit data via cell
modem1 to allow busses to be tracked from a command center at fleet headquarters, as well as by law
enforcement. The command center interface will be an interactive, user friendly and secure website that
can be updated in real time or near real time depending on customer requirements. The command center
will provide a map showing locations of all busses in the fleet. Selecting a specific bus will allow the user
to bring up more detailed information on the bus including current and historical information on location,
stops along the bus route, speed, sensor data (stop arm activation, …), assigned driver, and individual
students as well as the time and place where those students boarded the bus and the time and place
where they exited the bus. Voice contact with the driver can also be initiated from the interface.
As an option, a push button emergency alarm can be installed that will send an alert to the
monitoring station that the bus is in trouble. Another option that will provide increased situational
awareness is the addition of video cameras. Video data would be stored locally and image data sent
periodically or on request from the command center. Our proposed system will leverage commercial
technology developed by TSi for ship tracking and monitoring.
a. Research Question or Problem
In January 2002, a Berks County Pennsylvania school bus disappeared with 13 students on board.
Once the bus was determined missing, police helicopters and cruisers made a futile search for the
missing bus in rainy, foggy weather. Finally the driver surrendered to an off-duty police officer six hours
later in Washington, DC. While this incident is fortunately an anomaly, it raises the question, “Why can’t
we know exactly where the each school bus is, who is on it, and whether it is being driven safely?” If the
school bus had a tracking system on board, once the bus veered significantly from its regular route
alarms could be immediately sounded at the command center and the police station.
Tracking and monitoring systems are used regularly in commercial trucking and shipping. These
users have found that drivers become safer and more efficient when their route is tracked. In addition,
1
Satellite modem is also a possibility if cell coverage is poor over the bus routes; however, satellite data
transmissions can become expensive with frequent period data transmissions. With the idea of cutting the total cost
of ownership, we will also consider other radio systems.
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the costs of the technology have decrease significantly over the last few years making such a system
very affordable.
TSi has significant experience in developing and supporting tracking systems. TSi is one of two
companies in the world that supply the search and rescue ground stations for the international COSPASSARSAT program. Our SARSAT systems are in 15 countries and have helped save thousands of lives
over the past 15 years. We have also developed maritime monitoring and tracking products that have
been installed on both commercial and military vessels. Typical vessel tracking system implementation
include GPS, radar interface, surveillance cameras, weather instruments and a variety of vessel status
and machinery health sensors. The data is presented through a fleet operations center console and
remotely through an interactive, user friendly and secure website that can be updated in real time or near
real time depending on customer requirements. TSi has experience developing data communications
systems using satellite modem, GSM modems and HF radios.
b. Research Goals and Objectives
The objective of this project is to develop an affordable integrated monitoring system to ensure bus
fleet security. Our goal is to develop a modular system to maximize system flexibility to best meet the
needs of each school district. The basic system will enable law enforcement to track vehicles using GPS
and a wireless data transfer mechanism that sends data to headquarters and allows access to law
enforcement. A module will be developed that will provide cooperative system for identification and
tracking of individual students and driver, including where and when they board and exit the bus. A
module for additional onboard monitoring will developed including sensor and camera data
As an option, a push button emergency alarm can be installed that will send an alert to the
monitoring station that the bus is in trouble. Another option that will provide increased situational
awareness is the addition of video cameras. Video data would be stored locally and image data sent
periodically or on request from the command center.
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Topic 2. School Bus Safety Technologies
c. Research Design and Methods
Figure 1. Tracking System Components
The bus tracking system will be built in several modules as shown in Figure 1 above. The system will
have the capability of storing data locally as well as transmitting selected data to the command center.
Task 1. System Design/Requirements – 1. Design wireless data communication system.
Assess
available technologies including cell, satellite and other radio based communications channels for
coverage, bandwidth, and total cost of ownership; 2. Design student tracking component.
Assess
available technologies including RFID, Barcode and Biometric systems, and manual computer data entry
for ease of use, total cost of ownership and policy and practice issues; 3. Determine what sensor data is
of value in addition to GPS. For example, stop arm activation, breaking, engine health data; 4. Design
camera surveillance system and assess bandwidth needs and feasibility with respect to each data
communications channel under consideration; 5. Design emergency alarm push button system; 6. Design
command center interface and create mock up; and 7. Develop backup power system requirements.
Milestone 1. Preliminary Design Review (PDR) – 1. Select best communications and student tracking
methodology; 2. Obtain comments on usability of interface.
Task 2.
Complete System Design – 1. Address issues raised in PDR; 2. Develop detailed hardware
and software designs for each component system; 3. Final component selection. Develop full Bill of
Materials and purchase parts for two complete systems; 4. Develop design/purchase suitable enclosures
based on hardware requirements.
Milestone 2. Critical Design Review (CDR)
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Task 3. Develop Basic Tracking Prototype System – 1. Assemble and test hardware functionality; 2.
Develop software for autonomous collection of GPS data, local storage, and data transmission; 3.
Develop basic tracking command center software. Include software for route assignment and detection
and alarming when route is deviated from; 4. Develop software for remote system maintenance; and 5.
Test hardware and software functionality.
Milestone 3. Demonstrate Basic Tracking Prototype System
Task 4.
Develop Student Tracking Prototype System – 1. Add necessary hardware for student
tracking system, assemble and test hardware functionality; 2. Develop database of student information
and mechanism for adding new students and modifying existing entries; 3. Develop software system
setup for collection of student information local storage, and data transmission; 4. Add bus passenger log
display capability to command center software; and 5. Test hardware and software functionality.
Milestone 4. Demonstrate Student Tracking Prototype System
Task 5. Develop Additional Monitoring and Remote Incident Awareness Capabilities – 1. Add
hardware for video monitoring, additional sensors and emergency push button.
Assemble and test
hardware functionality; 2. Develop software for autonomous collection of data, local storage, and data
transmission; 3. Add display of new data to command center software; 4. Develop software for accepting
limited number of remote queries; 5. Develop software for establishing voice communications with bus
driver; and 6. Test hardware and software.
Milestone 5. Demonstrate of Complete Alpha Prototype System
Task 6. Install System at Beta Test Site – 1. Manufacture units for Beta Test installation, 2. Develop
training materials, 3. Install system and train users, and 4. Collect feedback from users.
Milestone 6. Assess and Present Beta Test Data
d. Implications for Policy and Practice
Setting up a system to track bus location and monitor sensor data should be essentially transparent
to the bus driver and students, however, in order for the system to effectively identify occupants while
minimizing process time, both drivers and students must be able to be quickly identified and automatically
logged.
This is possible using an RF ID card or Bar-coded ID. Using an RFID or bar code reader
system, individuals would be logged into and out of the system on entry and exit from the bus. If the
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Topic 2. School Bus Safety Technologies
student or driver forgets or looses their ID card, the driver must have a mechanism for manually entering
the student information. This manual entry could slow the route considerably; but, the additional time
could be minimized somewhat by providing an interface that gives the driver the option of selecting from a
list of regular students. Another possibility is a biometric system, where for example a thumb print could
be used to verify student identity as they enter and exit. While this system will alleviate the issue of
forgetting ones ID, such systems have encountered significant resistance to school implementations in
the past.
Both the ID card and biometric systems have a set up overhead that requires students to be
registered into the system.
e. Dissemination Strategy
Once a prototype system is developed, the system should be beta tested in several urban and rural
school districts across the country to determine the systems effectiveness and to obtain user feedback.
g. Staffing Plan
The project will be staffed with TSi employees with experience in managing and developing tracking
systems. The staff will include a project manager, a full time engineer and a full time programmer.
h. Description of Estimated Costs and Timeline
Task/Milestone
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
Q6
Q7
Q8
Labor Cost
1. System Requirements & Prelim Design/PDR
$136,000
2. Complete System Design / CDR
$136,000
3. Develop Basic Tracking Prototype / Demo
$272,000
4. Develop Student Tracking Prototype / Demo
$272,000
5. Add Additional Sensor Monitoring / Demo
$190,000
6. Beta Test/ Present Results & User Feedback
$136,000
The estimated total labor cost is $1,142,000. The costs are itemized above by task. The material
costs of $75,000 would cover a command station computer, two prototype units and units for a beta test
tracking 20 busses.
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