This thesis proposes a platform to help improve elder’s mobility through carpooling, a way for car drivers to share their private vehicle with more elders in order to splitting and reducing costs. Carpooling may be one of the best solutions when there is no other mean of transportation to a specific location but naturally it is not the only one. Mobile applications take more and more part of everyone’s lives, different services for carpooling with different features begin to compete with existing transportation solutions. Some people start to prefer using new carpooling services over the traditional services represented by taxi services. GoRide aims to promote carpooling by targeting elders making it easier for them to adhere and use this system.
In general, people have a hard time conciliating their schedules because of the way they move from one location to another. And elders suffer from this the most especially here in Algeria since transportation between cities is not that great, As students, we think there should exist more suitable transportation solutions to places where transportation networks are short and cheap and helpful for elders.
By targeting elders people will more likely join the service since its users are primarily other people form the same environment. To put the carpooling system in place, we have designed and developed an Android mobile application with backend servers for users to access the carpooling service through their smartphones, additionally the application involves some features that are critical to the service. By using Android Development Tools and Libraries and efficient backend solutions we have managed to make the application simple but powerful as well, which makes this application very useful for the young and the old to use.
Our app GoRide will be a unique carpooling application that would take benefits of the advantages of carpooling and try to improve and eliminate the disadvantages, all while focusing on making it a good carpooling experience for elders.
The realization of our project will go through the conceptual phase and then development phase. Since making a good application requires good planning first.
Table of Contents
I. CHAPTER 01 : GENERAL PROJECT FRAMEWORK
1. INTRODUCTION
2. MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES
2.1. ARCHITECTURE OF A MOBILE SYSTEM
2.2. MOBILE APPLICATION
2.2.1. Definition
2.2.2. History
2.2.3. How a mobile application works (Function)
2.3. MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEMS (OS)
2.3.1. iOS
2.3.2. Windows Phone
2.3.3. Android
2.3.3.1. Architecture
2.3.3.2. Advantages and disadvantages
3. CARPOOLING
3.1. DEFINITION AND GENERAL PRINCIPLE
3.2. CARPOOLING TYPES
3.2.1. Regular
3.2.2. Occasional
3.2.3. Eventual
3.3. EXISTING SYSTEMS FOR CARPOOLING
3.3.1. Websites
3.3.2. Mobile Applications
3.4. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF CARPOOLING APPLICATIONS
4. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
5. APPLICATION FLOWCHART
6. CONCLUSION
II. CHAPTER 02 : PROJECT ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
1. INTRODUCTION
2. SPECIFICATIONS
2.1. IDENTIFICATION OF NEEDS
2.1.1. Functional requirements
2.1.2. Non-functional requirements
2.1.3. Optional requirements
2.2. ACTORS IDENTIFICATION
3. USE CASE DIAGRAM
3.1. TEXTUAL DESCRIPTION OF USE CASES
3.1.1. Identification
3.1.2. Post a ride
3.1.3. View user profile
3.1.4. Search a ride
3.1.5. Request a ride
3.1.6. Accept/Decline a Ride
4. SEQUENCE DIAGRAMS
4.1. IDENTIFICATION CASE
4.2. POST A RIDE CASE
4.3. SEARCH A RIDE CASE
4.4. REQUEST A RIDE CASE
4.5. ACCEPT OR REJECT RIDE REQUEST CASE
4.6. VIEW PROFILE CASE
4.7. DISABLE ACCOUNTS AS ADMIN CASE
4.8. DELETE TRIPS AS ADMIN CASE
4.9. VIEW REPORTS AS ADMIN CASE
5. ACTIVITY DIAGRAM
6. CLASS DIAGRAM
7. CONCLUSION
III. CHAPTER 03 : IMPLEMENTATION OF THE APPLICATION
1. INTRODUCTION
2. WORK ENVIRONMENTS
2.1. HARDWARE PLATFORMS
2.2. SOFTWARE PLATFORMS
2.2.1. Work Tools
2.2.2. Programming languages
2.2.3. Frameworks used
2.3. DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
3. PRESENTATION OF THE APPLICATION'S INTERFACES
3.1. PRESENTATION OF THE APPLICATION'S LOGO
3.2. AUTHENTICATION INTERFACES
3.2.1. Login Interface
3.2.2. Register Interface
3.2.3. Extra Registration Interface
3.3. DRIVER INTERFACES
3.3.1. Main Driver Interface
3.3.2. Post a trip Interface
3.3.3. View Trip Interface
3.3.4. Modify Trip Interface
3.3.5. Cancel Trip Interface
3.3.6. Search And Accept Trip Requests Interfaces
3.3.7. Booking Requests Interface
3.4. PASSENGER INTERFACES
3.4.1. Main Passenger Interfaces
3.4.2. Search a Trip Interfaces
3.4.3. Trip Interface
3.4.4. Driver Ratings and Reviews Interfaces
3.4.5. Trip Request Interfaces
3.5. ADMINISTRATOR INTERFACES
3.5.1. Main Admin Interface
3.5.2. Reports List Interface
3.5.3. Remove Trips Interface
3.5.4. Disable User Accounts Interface
3.6. GLOBAL INTERFACES
3.6.1. User Profile Interface
3.6.2. Notifications and Chat List Interfaces
3.6.3. Messages and Chat
3.6.4. Settings Interface
3.6.5. Modify Profile Interface
3.6.6. Splash Screen Interface
4. CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The primary goal of this thesis is to develop a user-friendly and efficient Android-based carpooling platform specifically tailored for the elderly in Algeria, addressing their unique mobility challenges while promoting cost-effective and sustainable transportation. By leveraging modern mobile technologies and a robust backend, the project aims to simplify ride-sharing processes and enhance the travel experience for older citizens.
- Design and implementation of a custom Android mobile application.
- Integration of efficient backend services using Firebase for real-time data management.
- Development of specialized features for elderly users, including simplified navigation and accessibility options.
- Implementation of secure user identification and rating systems for safety and reliability.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2.2. Occasional
This type of carpooling is mainly used for leisure or last minute departures. The linking is often done through websites or mobile applications, which can significantly reduce travel costs, but usually requires to carpool with one or more unknown.
3.2.3. Eventual
Participants in an event (music festival, sporting event, wedding, associative or institutional meeting ...) can organize to carpool to the venue of the event. This one-time carpool has a special feature: all participants travel to the same place on the same date.
Carpooling is also used for departures on holidays or weekends, savings on a trip being even larger than the trip is long. So carpooling becomes an alternative of affordable and accessible transportation.
There are also "cultural" carpooling platforms to visit a cultural site: castles, museums, exhibitions, artists' studios, religious places, festivals, etc.
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 01 : GENERAL PROJECT FRAMEWORK: This chapter provides an overview of mobile application development architectures, operating systems, and the fundamental principles of carpooling systems.
CHAPTER 02 : PROJECT ANALYSIS AND DESIGN: This section covers the functional and non-functional requirements, actor identification, and the technical modeling using UML diagrams to define the system's structure.
CHAPTER 03 : IMPLEMENTATION OF THE APPLICATION: This chapter details the technical development environment, including hardware and software platforms, and presents the various interfaces created for drivers, passengers, and administrators.
Keywords
GoRide, carpooling, elderly, Android, mobile application, Firebase, transportation, Kotlin, ride-sharing, backend, user interface, geolocation, mobility, sustainable, accessibility
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core purpose of this project?
The project focuses on creating a mobile carpooling application ("GoRide") specifically designed to help the elderly in Algeria travel more easily, cheaply, and safely by sharing rides.
What are the primary target users for the application?
The application is primarily aimed at the elderly population in Algeria, with specialized features to accommodate their needs, alongside drivers who want to share their vehicles.
Which platform was chosen for the application development?
The application was developed for the Android platform using Kotlin as the primary programming language and Android Studio as the development environment.
Which technologies are used for the backend?
The project utilizes the Firebase platform, specifically Firebase Real-time Database for data storage, Firebase Auth for user management, and Firebase Storage for handling images.
How is safety and reliability ensured in the app?
The app includes user verification, a rating system for drivers and passengers, and an administrative interface to monitor activity and handle reported issues.
What are the key technical features of the application?
The application features real-time search, ride posting, request management, notifications, integrated messaging, and a map-based path visualization system.
How does the search algorithm optimize trip results?
The algorithm uses Geolocation and Places API to combine origin and destination data into unique codes, which allows for efficient filtering and faster querying of the NoSQL database.
Why was Firebase selected as the backend solution?
Firebase was chosen because it is powerful, offers a free usage tier, is easy to set up for beginners, and supports real-time data synchronization, which is critical for ride-sharing updates.
How does the application accommodate the elderly?
The interface is designed for simplicity and includes specific registration checks, such as age verification, to ensure a tailored and secure experience for the target elderly demographic.
What role does the Administrator have?
The Administrator manages the platform by viewing reports, disabling user accounts, and removing inappropriate trips to ensure the application remains safe and professional.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Mohamed Lamine Fetni (Autor:in), 2019, Development of a mobile application for carpooling the elderly, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/535687
