Cisco Live Connected Buses: More Than Just a Ride

Cisco 819 ISR and HD IP video camera on board one of 34 connected buses at Cisco Live

Last week when Cisco Live attendees hopped on one of 34 connected shuttle buses in Orlando, they saw the Internet of Things (IoT) in action. The buses provided service for a record breaking 20,000 attendees traveling between 17 hotels and the Orange County Convention Center.

Free Wi-Fi kept attendees securely connected from the time they left their hotel until they reached the convention center without losing connectivity. They simply used the same Cisco Live SSID and password on the buses as in the convention center. Greater productivity and an enhanced service for attendees made for a great experience…but, that’s not all.

Video cameras help keep passengers around the world safer and more connected and Cisco Live was no exception.  Each connected bus had an on-board Cisco HD IP video camera which sent a live feed to a monitor in the Cisco IoT Pavilion.

More than 50 touchscreen kiosks helped attendees in the convention center track important event information along with the bus schedule and route information.

Beyond keeping attendees connected, there was a lot going on under the hood…literally.   The Cisco 819 Integrated Services Router (ISR) did more than just provide passenger Wi-Fi. It enabled high speed voice, video and data communication 24/7 …everywhere!  The vibrations of a moving bus, a few spilled beverages, Florida’s high humidity and hot summer temps posed no challenge for the ruggedized 819 ISR that delivers Machine-to-Machine (M2M) applications in even the harshest conditions.

Back in the Cisco Connected Transportation booth, a monitor showed live GPS tracking of every bus in the fleet and visually tracked all buses and their location on a color coded interactive map.  On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) monitoring captured real-time vehicle telematics such as speed, tire pressure, RPM, engine temperature and fuel efficiency. This data was sent to the 819 ISR which transmitted the information to Davra Networks’ RuBan Suite for visual representation.

Wei Zou and Andy Manuel demonstrate Cisco’s Connected Fleet Management solution at Cisco Live.

Cisco Connected Fleet demo with video feed from buses (left screen) and Davra RuBan software showing GPS location of Cisco Live connected buses and telematics data (right screen).

Additionally, areas around schools, playgrounds and other locations with reduced speed limits can be identified as “safety” areas using geofencing to send warnings or alerts or even take automatic action when a warning is triggered. Managers can be notified immediately when accidents occur or speed thresholds are exceeded.  On-board digital signs can display specific messages based on GPS location. The possibilities are nearly endless

The robust solution increases safety and fuel efficiency, reduces operating costs and enhances the passenger experience while helping transit operators comply with industry regulations and government mandates.  Cisco’s Connected Fleet Management solution is bringing the IoT to life!

Wishing all of you in the U.S. a safe and happy 4th of July!

Check out these great videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p793APxqNG4

For more info on Cisco Connected Fleet Management visit: http://cs.co/9002ZHo2