MERCURY DATA SYSTEMS, INC. — Department of Transportation SBIR Phase I: 121FT1

Description

We propose to develop an advanced navigation solution for public transportation passengers that will guide them from their origin to single or multiple destination points and across multiple modes of transportation. Passengers will simply need to enter their destination (and optionally a starting point) and the system will select optimal and alternative routes. The navigation software will run on the passenger's mobile device and use GPS to continuously locate the passenger's position. To support the passenger’s navigation through a public transport network, a host server will disseminate information to passengers in real time, including map data, routes, interchanges, schedules and alerts. To ensure the protection of privacy, all user information will be stored on the mobile phone. The most innovative part of this project will be passengers’ unrestricted freedom while using the public transportation network, since the system will dynamically adapt to any circumstances or detours that a passenger may want to take. Whether the passenger decides to get off the bus and have a cup of coffee, or opts to take different vehicles, or misses a transfer – the system will automatically detect the deviation from the original route and immediately calculate a new route to their destination(s).