As part of its smart city initiatives, a government development authority in a major urban area sought to optimize its solid waste management operations through a Garbage Van Tracking Solution (VTS). Renderbit Technologies was tasked with developing a comprehensive solution that would allow real-time tracking of garbage collection vans, ensure efficient pickups, and provide transparency to both citizens and administrators. The solution included mobile apps for drivers and citizens, as well as a robust admin portal for centralized management. This initiative aimed to enhance efficiency in solid waste collection and contribute to the city's overall cleanliness.
The development authority faced several key challenges in managing its solid waste collection system:
- Inefficient Collection Routes: The lack of real-time tracking and route management resulted in inefficient garbage collection operations, often leading to missed pickups and longer routes.
- Lack of Accountability: Without a robust system to track pickups and collection routes, it was difficult for administrators to hold contractors accountable for missed collections.
- Manual Record-Keeping: The absence of a digitized system for tracking garbage pickups meant that data related to collections was maintained manually, leading to errors and delays.
- Lack of Transparency for Citizens: Residents had no way to view or manage garbage collection schedules, causing confusion and dissatisfaction when pickups were delayed or missed.
Renderbit Technologies developed a comprehensive Garbage Van Tracking Solution (VTS) to address the client’s challenges. The solution included the following key components:
- Pickup Routes Display: The app used Google Maps to show drivers their assigned pickup locations and routes, based on previously booked collections.
- NFC Tag Scanning: Drivers could scan NFC Ntag213 tags placed at designated premises to log pickups. The app was designed to read the premises number in a specified format (e.g., "01-1111") and cross-check it against a master table.
- Real-Time Data Logging: The app logged the timestamp and GPS coordinates (lat/long) of each scanned NFC tag, storing the information in a Usage table. This data was transmitted in real-time to the admin portal.
- Platform: The driver app was developed exclusively for Android to meet the client’s hardware specifications and deployment needs.
- Login and Authentication: Users could securely log into the app using unique tokens for identification, enhancing security.
- Pickup Slot Booking: The app allowed users to view available garbage pickup slots and book their preferred time for collection.
- Track Pickup Status: Users could track their scheduled garbage pickup in real-time and view the history of previous pickups.
- Premises Registration via NFC: A dedicated section allowed for registering new premises, where the NFC tag would be scanned, and the GPS coordinates recorded.
- Platform: This app was custom-installed on user devices, with APKs provided via secure channels, ensuring a controlled rollout.
- Master Bin Management: A centralized master table maintained details of all premises, including premises numbers, GPS coordinates (lat/long), and installation date for NFC tags.
- Real-Time Pickup Tracking: The admin portal displayed live updates of all bin scans, including premises numbers, timestamps, and locations, enabling real-time tracking of the collection process.
- Live Map View: The portal featured a live map showing the current locations of all garbage collection vans and bins. Vans and bins were color-coded to indicate their collection status (e.g., green if scanned that day, red if not).
- Vehicle & Contractor Management: Different types of vehicles (sweeper and normal garbage collection) were represented by distinct icons. Contractors were easily identifiable by different colors and names displayed in a collapsible sidebar.
- Custom Reports: The portal supported detailed reports, such as a "Premises Waste Collection" report with customizable filters by premises number and day. Additional reports tracked each vehicle's total kilometers traveled, dead runs vs. actual runs, and stop coverage.
- Historical Path Playback: A slideshow feature allowed administrators to view the historical path of any vehicle, with adjustable time gaps for better analysis.
- Google Maps API Integration: The integration enabled the calculation of total kilometers traveled by each vehicle, helping track performance metrics like fuel consumption and efficiency.
- Secure Data Transmission: The entire solution was protected with end-to-end SSL encryption to ensure data security and privacy.
- Live View & Reports: A mobile web app or cross-platform app was developed for administrators, enabling them to view real-time vehicle locations, download reports, and access historical playback with total kilometers calculation.
- Restricted Access: The admin app provided restricted access to ensure that only authorized personnel could view sensitive data, contributing to secure and efficient management.
- NFC Integration: Developed NFC-enabled features to scan and log garbage pickups, with timestamp and location tracking.
- Real-Time Tracking and GPS Integration: Implemented real-time vehicle tracking and turn-by-turn navigation for drivers using Google Maps.
- Custom Reporting Engine: Built a robust reporting system for real-time monitoring and historical data analysis, offering insights into operational efficiency.
- Secure Authentication and Data Encryption: Integrated OTP, token-based authentication for enhanced security, and SSL encryption for all data transmission.
- Cross-Platform Admin Mobile App: Provided administrators with real-time access to data and reports via a mobile web or cross-platform application, ensuring operational efficiency even on the go.
- Android SDK: For developing the driver and user mobile apps with NFC scanning and real-time tracking features.
- Node.js/Express: For building the backend services, managing real-time data, and handling communication between the mobile apps and admin portal.
- MongoDB: For managing data storage, ensuring scalability and flexibility in handling large datasets, such as bin locations and garbage collection logs.
- Google Maps API: For integrating GPS-based routing and mapping features, providing accurate turn-by-turn navigation and distance calculation.
- NFC Ntag213: For seamless premises registration and tracking through NFC-enabled tags.
- Google AdWords & Firebase: For ad-supported features in the mobile app and secure user authentication through Firebase.
- SSL Encryption: For securing all data transmission between the mobile apps, backend servers, and admin portal.
The Garbage Van Tracking Solution (VTS) had a significant impact on the efficiency of the city’s solid waste management system. Key outcomes included:
- Improved Route Efficiency: Real-time tracking and dynamic routing reduced the time spent on garbage collection and improved route optimization.
- Increased Accountability: The ability to log every pickup using NFC tags and track timestamps allowed the development authority to hold contractors accountable for missed pickups and delays.
- Enhanced User Satisfaction: Citizens could now easily book and track garbage pickups, improving satisfaction with the waste management service.
- Data-Driven Insights: The admin portal's custom reporting features allowed administrators to analyze vehicle usage, track dead runs, and monitor stop coverage, leading to more data-driven decisions in managing operations.
Renderbit Technologies successfully implemented a robust Garbage Van Tracking Solution (VTS) for the development authority, addressing the challenges of route optimization, contractor accountability, and citizen engagement. By leveraging real-time tracking, NFC technology, and advanced reporting, the solution significantly improved the city’s solid waste management operations, contributing to its broader smart city goals. With its scalable, secure, and feature-rich design, the VTS solution is poised to support the city’s ongoing efforts to enhance cleanliness and operational efficiency.