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CarTracker Used AI
Using a Raspberry Pi Zero W 2, some accessories, and free public Xfinity hotspots to create a cheap car tracker. No additional hardware required.
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Timeline
I have made significant progress on my project. So far, I created a simple backend and a C++ daemon that runs on the raspberry pi. The daemon communicates with wpa_supplicant to scan for networks, connect to public Xfinity hotspots when possible, and sends a list of nearby networks to the backend whenever possible.
The backend itself uses Google's Geolocation API to resolve a location from a list of nearby networks. So far, this has been pretty accurate but may not work well in rural areas.
A problem I faced is that the Pi Zero 2 W does not support 5Ghz out of the box, so I'll need to purchase a 5Ghz-capable Wi-Fi adapter and a microUSB to USB-A adapter and temporarily put a hold on the project.
I'm not sure how well this is going to fare in terms of power consumption and power bank battery life. I'm hoping I can have the power consumption below 500 mA which gives 20 hours of charge on a 10,000 mAh power bank. I'm thinking I may be able to power on and off the Wi-Fi adapter in intervals to reduce the average power consumption to 250 mA for around 40 hours of battery life.
Currently, I'm slightly unhappy with the costs but I can try and compile a cheaper list of components later. Other than these issues, development has been going great!
