Cell link: Real-time data tracking of automobiles via cell phones

This paper explores the suitability and effectiveness of employing cell phones for real-time data collection and tracking on-board automobiles. We present a novel application that runs in a commercially available GPS-enabled cell phone to continuously log a vehicle's driving and engine performance and geocode the collected data at regular intervals. Data are reported to a central server in real-time, stored in a database and displayed on map available on the Internet. This information is valuable for the estimation of the congestion status on the road as well as other travel information to provide appropriate timely warning in support of a green and safe dynamic transportation environment.