Design and Implementation of an Easy-to-Use Tracking Device for Logistic Applications

Keeping track of one's belongings is a significant concern, especially when it is being handled by someone else. As a result, tracking systems have become an important necessity in today's world. These systems help businesses to operate more efficiently by keeping one informed about the current location of one's resources. With respect to the logistics and transportation industry, tracking systems provide real-time monitoring and location locking of vehicles that they are installed in which enables companies to optimize their fleet operations and reduce costs. These can also be used to increase asset utilization, improve driver safety and minimize unauthorized use and theft. While the current automobile industry is focusing on implementing tracking as a built-in feature in the vehicles that are being manufactured in recent times, most of the vehicles on road at this moment are yet to be upgraded with this feature. Thus, this project aims on developing a plug-n-play vehicle tracking device that helps one to locate the coordinates of their vehicle with the help of simple technologies such as GPS (Global Positioning System) to get the geolocation of the vehicle and GSM (Global System Mobile Communication) to enable a communication path between the device and the user to transmit the recorded coordinates to the user present at a different part of the world. The main aim of this project is to make the device as cost-efficient as possible with a hassle-free method of installation to enable each and every vehicle owner to purchase and install the device in their respective vehicles without much efforts. The use of an extremely flexible microcontroller board enables this complete device to be upgraded at any point of time.