Smart GPS Tracking System Development Using IoT & Embedded

BlueLion Lifestyle is a technology company specializing in developing and providing lifestyle products, consumer electronics, and GPS tracking devices. Launched in 2022, BlueLion has quickly positioned itself as one of the leading companies in the GPS tracker industry.

AdequateInfoSoft has successfully designed and developed all components of a smart GPS tracking device for BlueLion. The project's scope included building hardware, software applications, and cloud-based infrastructures (for the server and database hosting).

BlueLion is now India’s largest manufacturer of GPS tracking devices and fleet management software, having deployed more than 100k devices and serving more than 5k businesses.

This case study will demonstrate how we completely changed BlueLion’s direction through technology, specifically by utilizing IoT, AI, and cloud computing services. The project took five months and cost $10k to complete, resulting in over 400% ROI.

BlueLion is a company that primarily focuses on the sale of consumer electronic devices which includes smartwatches, trackers and various lifestyles gadgets.

For them this was particularly challenging given that they were entering a competitive space, with competitors such as FeTaca and FleetTrack where there is no existing integrated system of tracking devices available.

The objective of the client was to launch smart trackers specifically designed to track cars, bicycles, children and pets along with a fleet management application and a cloud platform which tracked the status of the devices in real time.

AdequateInfoSoft was selected because of our experience in building IoT products using Azure Hub and Arduino as well as developing mobile apps using Flutter.

Web | Play Store | App Store

BlueLion faced numerous challenges:

Hardware Limitations:

Older GPS chips such as MTK had less than 5-meter accuracy and high power consumption.

Software Fragmentation

There was no single app for tracking and alerts; they were provided through multiple applications.

Cloud Scalability

Real-time data processing was not suitable, resulting in service interruptions when managing over 1,000 devices.

Feature Deficiency

The system did not include AI analysis, geo-fencing, or battery optimization; additionally, there were obstacles related to messaging that did not comply with RTO regulations and support for electric vehicles in India.

Security

Data privacy and the potential for fraudulent activity affected users' confidence in using the application.

AdequateInfoSoft delivered a turn-key solution by embracing a holistic design build approach that encompassed hardware prototyping, software development, and cloud-based deployment. Our agile development methodology enabled us to have a minimum viable product released within six weeks!

Key components to the project consisted of:

1) Hardware Design (Smart GPS Tracker):

• Chipset

  Quectel EC25 4G LTE and u-blox NEO-M8 GPS provide less than 2 meters accuracy and GLONASS support.

• IoT Module

  ESP32 Microcontroller (via MQTT Protocol) connected to the cloud.

• Sensors

  Accelerometer (to monitor driving behaviour), Fuel Sensor (OBD II), and Temperature Sensor.

• Battery

  10,000 mAh Li-Po battery in a magnetic casing that fits securely in automobile, bicycles and bags.

• Features

  Waterproof (IP67 Rating), SOS Button, Voice Monitoring Capability

• Prototyping

  PCB Design created using KiCad. 3D printed 100 testing units.

2) Software Development (Mobile & Web App)

• Mobile Application

  Cross-platform(Android/iOS) built with Flutter with live tracking, history playback, geo-fencing alerts.

• Driver Application

  Includes speed limiting & braking alerts.

• Admin Dashboard

  React.js created heatmaps, report generation and AI Insights.

• AI Features

  Fuel prediction and accident detection using Tensor Flow Lite.

3. Cloud Infrastructure

If you are looking to create a “Cloud Infrastructure” for your business that is scalable and easy to use, you may want to take advantage of AWS’s capabilities.

• Cloud

  AWS IoT Core and EC2 were used for backend services (including the collection and processing of data), along with Kubernetes for orchestration.

• Database

  InfluxDB was used for storing time-series GPS data, while PostgreSQL was used to store user-related information.

• Streaming

  Real-time data processing has been implemented using Kafka.

• API

  The app provides users with the ability to integrate with the app using either a RESTful or GraphQL API, as well as WebSockets, to allow for live updates of data. Security provisions have been implemented to protect your personal and business data, such as AWS IAM, encryption, and GDPR/RTO compliance.

• Monitoring

  Monitoring is enabled by use of a Prometheus and Grafana dashboard.

The entire cloud infrastructure was designed and built to handle over 10,000 devices with an average latency of 1 second.

POC Phase (1 Month)

In this first phase, we tested 50 trackers in the Delhi area with a 99% uptime.

Manufacturing of Hardware

5,000 units were manufactured for $10 each at a factory located in Shenzhen, China.

Beta Testing of Application

200 people tested the application with an average rating of 4.9.

Go-Live on Cloud

The application is now live on the AWS cloud, using autoscaling for the best possible performance.

Train the BlueLion Team

Trained the BlueLion team on using the application during a one-week workshop.

Launch

The application has been released on the Play Store as BlueLion Shopping & GPS.

During the 18 months following the launch:

• Over 100,000 devices have been deployed: Cars (60%), bicycles (25%), and Assets (15%).
• In addition to 5,000 clients, including Fulfilment Companies like Blue Lion Parcel, Fleet & Rental Companies, and Private Users
• 500% revenue growth year on year
• User fuel savings, up to 25%, and downtime reduced by 40%
• User App Metrics are at 4.8 out of 5 stars (Net Promoter Score of 80) with a retention rate of 95%
• The top GPS provider in India (competing with FeTaca and FleetTrack)
• Identified expansion opportunities, which include Electric Vehicles (EV) Fleets and Pet Tracking

Hardware

Features a 30-day battery and magnetic design for easy installation in two minutes.

Cloud

Achieved 99.99% uptime, with AI alerts for overspeeding and theft.

ROI

Clients can recover their payment within three months.

Future-Proof

Plans for Web3 integration and readiness for 5G. Cost savings include subscription fees that are 40% lower than competitors.

"AdequateInfoSoft built the entire ecosystem, from hardware to the cloud. Today, BlueLion is India's GPS leader; their IoT magic transformed us!" — CEO, BlueLion Lifestyle

BlueLion's success shows that the right partner can take a startup and turn it into a leader. AdequateInfoSoft can create a custom GPS system for you. Contact: [email protected].