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Cooperative Bicycle Localization System via Ad Hoc Bluetooth Networks
Ref: CISTER-TR-201107       Publication Date: 16 to 18, Dec, 2020

Abstract:
Bicycles are becoming increasingly more equipped with embedded connected devices, by design or through after-market products, to support applications such as fitness monitoring and tracking. Bluetooth (BT) and BT Low Energy (BLE) technology is often embedded in such devices to support connectivity to a personal mobile device or a dock, when parked. BT/BLE transmit periodic beacons for node discovery that can be explored for V2X applications, such as safety and fleet management. We present a distributed system that explores the periodic BT beacons sent by a module embedded in a bicycle to opportunistically locate nodes of interest (NOI). We address the particular application of stolen bicycle detection. In a scenario in which a bicycle is stolen and has its communication system tampered with but BLE remains functional, a service provider (e.g., fleet operator, authorities) is informed of this new NOI and shares an updated NOI list with the NOI detection-enabled bicycles. In turn, the bicycles flag contacts with stolen bicycles to the provider backoffice, at the earliest convenience (depending on available communications interfaces: immediately if cellular is available, or opportunistically when passing by a dock). We describe the operation and software architecture of the system, and an actual implementation in COTS equipment. Experimental measurements of the communication range and a demonstration of the system for proof-of-concept are also reported.

Pedro Miguel Santos

,

Vera Rosa

,

Luis Pinto

,

Ana Aguiar

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