Design and Implementation of an IoT-Based Real-Time Bus Passenger Monitoring System Using ESP32 and Directional Infrared Sensing

Abstract

The efficient functioning of public transport requires effective means of measuring its occupancy to eliminate issues like overcrowding, improve fleet efficiency or ensure the safety of passengers. Existing approaches to manual counting of passengers have many disadvantages, including being time-consuming and error-prone as well as the use of cameras which leads to high costs and privacy problems. This work proposes an innovative solution based on the IoT that suggests the use of the ESP32 microcontroller, two ultrasonic sensors, and an IR sensor for monitoring bus passengers. The approach is based on using two ultrasonic sensors to detect the presence of passengers and their movement direction, while the IR sensor is used to verify the previous detection. The edge computing feature of the ESP32 enables it to process the information in an effective way and send the occupancy information for further monitoring through Wi-Fi connection. In addition, passengers' information is locally displayed on the LCD monitor. The architecture of the system is modular and expandable, which means that it can be extended for using predictive passenger analysis, smart fleet management and smart city transportation systems in the future.