American Journal of Science and Technology 2015; 2(6): 283-297 Published online October 20, 2015 (http://www.aascit.org/journal/ajst) ISSN: 2375-3846 Development of a Software for Car Tracking Device Adekunle Adefemi Adeyemi 1, *, Adejuyigbe Samuel B 1, Olorunfemi B. Julius 2, Adeyemi H. Oluwole 3, Akinruli Folajimi 4 1Mechatronics Department, Federal University Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria 2Mechanical Department, Federal University Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria 3Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering Department, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State Nigeria 4 Mechanical Engineering Department, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria Email address Keywords [email protected] (Adekunle A. A.), Car Alarm, [email protected] (Adejuyigbe S. B.), Software, [email protected] (Olorunfemi B. J.), Tracking, [email protected] (Adeyemi H. O.), [email protected] (Akinruli F.) Tracking Device Citation Adekunle Adefemi Adeyemi, Adejuyigbe Samuel B., Olorunfemi B. Julius, Adeyemi H. Oluwole, Akinruli Folajimi. Development of a Software for Car Tracking Device. American Journal of Science and Technology . Vol. 2, No. 6, 2015, pp. 283-297. Received: August 30, 2015 Revised: September 18, 2015 Abstract Accepted: September 20, 2015 Live has been made more interesting and progressive in the twenty –first century with improved technology. This shows the power of the country (Nigeria) but like double - edged sword this development has given rise to a most jeopardizing crime that is, “car theft”. There has been gradual increase in the incidents of car theft but declining trends in tracking these vehicles. The stolen cars are sometimes sold out by changing their chassis number in another city or neighboring countries. But as the technology is advancing, more and more security systems are also flourishing in the market. Now by the use of satellite or mobile phone it is easy to track the mobile vehicles. This device is known as GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking service. Generally, the tracking of vehicles is done by connecting to the vehicle’s tracker through the use of GPS (Global Positioning System) while mostly, the vehicle is brought to halt or probably by passage of notification message to the current handler. A model is developed using matlab simulink whereby only the vehicle’s current location is being tracked. After checking for the validity of the vehicle’s tracker identification in the previous section, will then proceed into the simulink design to get the vehicle’s current location. In locating the vehicle with the proposed software, there is a need for hardware both in the vehicle (transmitter with a GPS locator) and a receiver which is connected to the computer system. After many simulation trials, the vehicle’s data collected was used to show proper analysis, assessment and evaluation of the entire system at a glance after the simulation. Once the source code is accepted and access is being granted, the car tracker simulator using matlab and a road map was popped - up which gives more details about the ongoing or prevailing conditions of the car. A red indicator showing the location of the vehicle and the various conditions surrounding is seen which in turns gives all necessary details required. This research work is a model in which if all the necessary measures is taken into consideration will give effective result in the apprehension of the car theft and at the same time the car itself. These will also prevent the destruction of the car by the thieves, can also help to track the thief and also assist in improvising adequate solution to car theft in Nigeria. American Journal of Science and Technology 2015; 2(6): 283-297 284 millions of reported stolen vehicles (close to 188 countries 1. Introduction use the data base regularly). In the stolen car cases very few recoveries can be made due to lack of technology used by the Nigerians are now part of the twenty –first century. This is car owners. Many times vehicles are found in the different good in many ways because a lot has been learnt from the forms (damaged). past and lives are being transformed with technological Only 32. 8% were recovered in 2003, whereas it was only advancement. This has made life more interesting and 30. 5% in 2004. In 2005 it further dipped and only 29. 3% of progressive. But the downside of this century is that as the the total recoveries were done (Interpol, 2007). That’s why world grows people are more prone to risk with all their the government is extremely worried about the vehicle crime surroundings and their properties. theft and appeals to owners to utilize the advanced As Nigeria (a very industrious country) is emerging as an techniques of the GPS and other technique available in the economic power country in West Africa, many people can market to reduce the car theft cases. now afford cars. People spend their hard earned money and endure the stress of the daily grind to buy one of the world’s 1.2. Techniques That Could Be Used greatest assets “a Lamborghini” or the latest “SUV”. In the market, there are basically different types of security Everyone aspires to own the coolest, most expensive vehicles systems available such as; that will turn heads whenever it passes by the roads in big Centralized locking systems in which the car is locked cities. This shows the power of the country but like double - or unlocked by its remote controlling system. This is the edged sword this development has given rise to a most most commonly security system. A special types of jeopardizing crime that is “car theft”. sensor is applied in these device that begins beeping There has been gradual increase in the incidents of car loudly if someone tries to forcefully open the car, and theft but declining trends in tracking these vehicles. The the security main unit is hidden somewhere inside the stolen cars are sometimes sold out by changing their chassis car, which a thief cannot find or deactivate easily. number in another city or neighboring countries. Thieves also Another technique is gear lock in which the system find it profitable to sell expensive car parts and accessories locks the gear of the car, so that if the thief manages to such as batteries, brain box, stereos and other decorative get into the car, he cannot drive it away. tools of the car stolen. Steering lock is also available in the form of other Many vehicle owners are worried about the occurrence of security. car theft and are preoccupied with the cost involved in Besides these, some other means includes clutch lock, recovering the stolen car. Without any method of tracking the brake lock, steering wheel lock which helps in the cars, it has been proven from statistics that only 10% of total prevention of steeling the car as these lock the clutch stolen vehicles were recovered in 2009 for instance (Interpol). and brake of the car manually respectively. WSN is an emerging technology, which has revolutionized As technology is advancing, more and more security the data collection in real time from the field (location), systems are flourishing in the market. Now by the use of which will help to improve the decision–making process to a satellite or mobile phone it is easy to track the mobile large extent and help user to draw contingent measures in vehicles. This device is known as GPS (Global Positioning real - time manner. IVTrace consist of XBee (modules series System) tracking service. 2) WSN system (catalinbujdei) for traffic management and GPS is a compact handy device like mobile phone that real - time navigation information in IIT Bombay. (Sudharsan enables combination of the GPS and GPRS that track mobile and Sudheer 2012) vehicles through using four visible satellites. The satellites 1.1. Car Theft Data in Nigeria send the signal to the GPS receiver and it calculate the signals and gives information about the exact position of the According to official sources of Interpol general secretariat, vehicle on the earth. The device provides the complete data a body working to provide up to date useful information on about your vehicle like its status, maximum speed, motion stolen vehicles, an Automated Search Facility - Stolen Motor hours, distance covered and stationary timing and duration Vehicle (ASF - SMV) database was developed to support (Lamar, 2010). police and countries affiliated with it. Countries which Aim And Objectives Of The Research Work include: Belgium, Finland, Japan, Zimbabwe, Nigeria among The sole aim of this research is to assist in improvising others (Interpol, 2001). adequate solution to car theft in Nigeria and the objectives From the database, it was discovered that the rate of car are; hacking/theft is increasing year by year in Nigeria. In the 1) to investigate anti - theft tracking device adopted in year 2003, the total 68, 945 cases of car theft were registered Nigeria. while it became 80, 750 cases in 2004. In 2005 and 2006, the 2) to investigate the effectiveness of GPS tracking device number of cases that came to lime - light were 84, 150 and 89, over all other tracking devices 375 respectively (Interpol, 2007). 3) to develop a software and computer aided car tracking At the end of 2010, the database held more than 7. 15 device that make use of GPS 285 Adekunle Adefemi Adeyemi et al. : Development of a Software for Car Tracking Device The first documented case of car theft was in 1896, only a designing web services. (Adekunle et al, 2014) decade after gas - powered cars were first introduced (Wikipedia, 2011). From that early era till today, cars have 1.3. Car Alarm been a natural target for thieves: They are valuable, One popular method to prevent auto - theft is an Anti - reasonably easy to resell and they have a built - in get - away tampering alarm system.