The School Van Tracker is an Internet of Things (IoT) project that combines Route logging and GPS tracking, built with MQTT. The project follows a clean, modular pipeline where sensor data acquisition, connectivity, and presentation stay separated, making it easy to test, extend, and present. It showcases practical IoT techniques while producing a working, demo-ready system.
Manual monitoring and control for this task is slow, inconvenient, and cannot be done from anywhere. Without an IoT approach built on GPS tracking and MQTT, users cannot connect real-world devices to the internet and manage them efficiently in real time.
This project applies IoT techniques through Route logging, orchestrated with MQTT and GPS tracking. The system is designed for connectivity and reliability, with sensing, networking, and clear evaluation. It produces consistent, reusable results and can be adapted to related connected applications with minimal changes.
MQTT
Cloud API
ESP32 / Arduino / Raspberry Pi
MQTT / HTTP
Cloud dashboard
Sensors and actuators
ESP32
GPS module
Arduino
Modular IoT pipeline around Route logging and GPS tracking
Configurable sensor and control settings
Real-time data collection and monitoring
Clear alerts, logging, and error handling
Reusable components for related connected systems
Remote access and control
The project is layered: the sensing layer acquires data through Route logging; the connectivity layer publishes and processes it with MQTT and GPS tracking; and the output layer monitors and controls via Geofencing. Shared connectivity, alerting, and dashboard modules support all layers, keeping the system robust and easy to extend.
Set up the hardware, sensors, and development environment.
Build the sensor data acquisition layer with Route logging.
Implement connectivity and processing using MQTT and GPS tracking.
Add the dashboard and control layer via Geofencing.
Wire up end-to-end flows and add error handling and retries.
Test with real data, tune settings, and refine the system.
Package the project, document it, and prepare the demo and viva report.
Build production-style IoT applications
Apply Route analytics and Transport dashboards
Connect and control IoT hardware
Publish and consume sensor data
Present and defend a complete IoT project in viva
Add edge analytics for faster decisions
Add more sensors and cloud services
Add mobile app control
Deploy on scalable cloud infrastructure
The School Van Tracker delivers a complete Internet of Things workflow — from sensor data acquisition and connectivity to monitoring and control. It is practical, modern, and easy to explain, making it an excellent final year project that demonstrates in-demand IoT skills.
