Development of a Real-Time Asset Tracking and Inventory Management Mobile Application for Emergency Vehicle Operations

Emergency response organizations face difficulties in real-time tracking and management of assets within response vehicles. Manual inventory processes are inefficient, prone to delays, and hinder operational readiness. There is a need for a streamlined, automated solution that provides instant visibility of asset status, location, and history to improve response times and resource allocation.

A mid-sized manufacturer specializing in emergency vehicle lighting and equipment seeking to enhance inventory control and asset management through innovative digital solutions.

• Develop a mobile application incorporating IoT technologies to enable real-time asset tracking inside emergency response vehicles.
• Implement Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon integration for precise asset detection and status updates.
• Allow users to manage vehicle and asset inventories efficiently, including adding, editing, and viewing details.
• Provide real-time signal strength monitoring, status categorization (Inside, Outside, Indeterminate), and history tracking with visual graphs.
• Ensure the app is user-friendly, accessible on Android smartphones, and supports seamless Bluetooth device scanning and pairing.
• Deliver a testing-ready version via app stores to facilitate user evaluation before wider deployment.

• Vehicle Management: manage a list of emergency vehicles with unique identifiers, allowing addition, editing, and deletion.
• Asset Management per Vehicle: view and manage assets associated with each vehicle.
• Asset Detail View: access detailed information such as asset name, description, signal strength, and last update time.
• Real-time Asset Status: categorize assets by signal strength and location (Inside, Outside, Indeterminate).
• Asset History Tracking: display signal strength over time with zoomable graphs, ranging from 30 seconds to 10 minutes.
• Bluetooth Device Scanning: scan for nearby BLE devices, connect, and assign devices to assets using MAC addresses.

• Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device scanning and pairing
• Potential integration with existing vehicle inventory databases if available

• Support real-time data updates with minimal latency to ensure accurate asset status.
• Ensure high reliability and stability in Bluetooth device scanning and connection processes.
• Design for scalability to accommodate additional vehicles and assets over time.
• Implement security measures to protect asset data and prevent unauthorized access.
• Optimize for Android devices with responsive UI and efficient resource management.

The implementation of this IoT-powered asset tracking mobile app aims to significantly enhance the efficiency of inventory management within emergency vehicles. Expected outcomes include faster asset location, improved asset status accuracy, and reduced manual effort, leading to quicker response times and better resource utilization. The solution supports proactive decision-making and operational readiness for emergency response teams.