A new wireless tracking technology (combining GPS, Wi-Fi and RFID) from National Scientific Corporation (NSC) allows school administrators and parents to locate every school bus, and to know where and when each student enters or exits a bus.

     According to the US School Bus Information Council, some 440,000 yellow school buses transport more than 24 million children to and from school every school day. Adding travel to school-related activities, school buses provide some 8.8 billion student trips per year. Consequently, the new system could be seen as a significant step forward in student safety and security. And, according to NSC, it can also aid municipal finances because US schools are required to verify bus ridership in order to obtain Medicaid reimbursement for transportation costs. 116.30.147.133 This article is copyright 2004 UsingRFID.com.

How it works
     NSC''s system, based on the company''s IBUS hardware and iVerified for Schools passenger authentication software, includes smart cards or badges for children, remote readers and global positioning system (GPS) units mounted in buses, Wi-Fi units to wirelessly download the data at schools and maintenance yards, and interactive web sites where administrators and parents can access the data. According to NSC, the system could also be adapted to other school or business applications.

     As students get on or off the bus, they swipe their ID card past the reader, and the date, time and bus location are automatically logged by the system. At the school, or at the bus depot at night, the data is then automatically downloaded to the iVerify for Schools database through the Wi-Fi network, ready for processing and report generation.

Missing children?
     The software can then immediately search for data indicating that a child failed to log off, or failed to make a return trip, and an exception report can be generated to alert the appropriate authorities.

     The data generated by the system is also used for Medicaid reimbursement, reporting, efficient bus routing, and time and attendance record keeping. And, because the entire system operates over the school''s Wi-Fi network, there are no monthly operating charges.

National Scientific Corporation designs and builds wireless platforms for location-sensitive applications, from tracking astronauts to keeping tabs on hospital equipment.

 

 

 

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