TrackMyVan

TrackMyVan is a mobile application to provide real-time tracking, notifications, and safety updates for school van transport services in Sri Lanka. It consists of two client applications (Driver and Parent apps) connected to a cloud-based Firebase backend for real-time data synchronization.

Table of Contents

1. System Architecture
2. Tech Stack
3. Features & Design
4. Database Schema
5. Mobile Challenges Addressed

System Architecture

Overview

The architecture follows a client-server model with two React Native applications:

• Driver Mobile App: For van drivers to manage trips and share location.
• Parent Mobile App: For parents to track their child's location and attendance.
• Backend Layer: Firebase Authentication, Realtime Database, Firestore, Storage.

External Services

• Google Maps Platform: Mapping and geocoding services.
• Open Routing Service: Route Optimization.
• Device GPS: Hardware-level location services.

High level Architecture

Route Optimization Flow

Authentication Flow

Real-Time Location Tracking Flow

Tech Stack

Frontend

• Framework: React Native 0.81.5 (Expo SDK 54.0.0)
• Language: TypeScript
• Navigation: Expo Router
• Maps: React Native Maps
• Styling: NativeWind + TailwindCSS

Backend

• Database: Firebase Realtime Database (Location/Trip Data) & Firestore (User/Student Data)
• Authentication: Firebase Authentication
• Logic: Node.js runtime (Cloud Functions/Client SDK)
• API Communication: Axios (Driver-App), Firebase SDK 10.7.0

Development Tools

• Visual Studio Code
• Expo CLI
• Git

Features & Design

Key Modules

• Real-Time Tracking: Drivers update location every 5 seconds; Parents view live updates.
• Route Optimization: Uses OpenRouteService for optimized paths.
• Authentication: Secure login for Parents and Drivers.
• Trip Management: Start/End trips, mark attendance (Picked Up/Dropped Off).
• Notifications: Automated status updates for parents.

Driver App UI

• Dashboard for trip summary.
• Map view for navigation.
• Student list for attendance.
• Settings & Messages.

Parent App UI

• Real-time map view of the child.
• Attendance logs.
• Driver communication (Messages).
• Child profile management.

Database Schema

Firestore Collections

students

"student_uid": {
  "age": "string",
  "grade": "string",
  "name": "string",
  "status": "string",
  "driverId": "string", // Foreign Key to Driver
  "parentId": "string", // Foreign Key to Parent
  "homeLocation": { "latitude": "number", "longitude": "number" },
  "schoolLocation": { "latitude": "number", "longitude": "number" }
}

users (split into drivers and parents)

• drivers/{driver_id}: Name, Email, Phone, Role.
• parents/{parent_id}: Name, Email, Phone, Role.

trips

"trip_id": {
  "date": "string",
  "driverId": "string",
  "status": "string",
  "startTime": "Timestamp",
  "endTime": "Timestamp",
  "children": [{ "childId": "string", "status": "string" }]
}

routes

Stores optimized route geometry and waypoints for navigation.

messages

Stores chat messages between drivers and parents.

Realtime Database Structure

locations/{driver_uid}

{
  "bearing": "number",
  "lat": "number",
  "lng": "number",
  "speed": "number",
  "timestamp": "number (Epoch)"
}

Mobile Challenges Addressed

1. Real-Time Synchronization:

   • Used Firebase Realtime Database with onValue listeners for instant location updates (5s interval).
   • Subscription management to prevent memory leaks.

2. Network Reliability:

   • Implemented exponential backoff for API calls (3 attempts, 1s -> 5s delay).
   • Graceful UI fallbacks for offline states.
   • Rate limiting via custom RateLimiter class for OpenRouteService (40req/min).

3. Battery Optimization:

   • Location updates configured with time (5s) and distance (10m) thresholds to balance accuracy and power consumption.