For the 2020 HackOhio hackathon I teamed up with some of my other eminence fellows to design a system called ColumBUS over the course of 24 hours (well technically 25 hours because of daylight savings fall back). Together we developed a bus rider check in system that allows for better communication between bus riders and drivers. Seeing in our own Columbus community how we could improve our COTA bus system to make it more safe, reliable, and environmentally friendly we created this system. ColumBUS works by allowing a rider to check in to a specific bus line through an app or physical buttons located at a bus stop. The number of riders checked in for a specific line at a bus stop is then relayed to the bus driver as he/she approaches the bus stop using geofencing and a driver portal side of the system. This solves the problem of buses making unnecessary stops when they don’t need to pick up anybody which overall helps make the buses run more efficiently both in regards to time and the environment. This system also helps riders feel more safe as they are accounted for and cannot be passed over at night (as I once was on a Columbus bus line). It also can provide helpful data to bus systems and allow them to actually track where most of their riders are getting on at. Overall, I primarily helped to code and create the rider ios app side of our design. We used our system to apply for the Honda/Mobikit mobility sponsored category and ended up winning first place. This then opened the door for us as we got to present our idea to the CEO of COTA, executives at Honda, and executives at Mobikit. We still continue to develop our system today with the aid of all of these companies as we aim to continue to help improve the Columbus community and communities across the globe.
