MBTA Real-Time Transit Map

Fusing my passions for both transportation and electrical hardware design, I created a physical version of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (better known as the T, Boston’s subway system) Rapid Transit Map that displays train & bus positions in real time based on data provided by the MBTA. This project was completed independently under the the Olin College of Engineering Passionate Pursuit program.

This project was particularly exciting for me since it combined a wide variety of skills I learned in my first year at Olin College of Engineering. I designed all of the electronics for the map and assembled my own printed circuit boards using many of the skills from my Intro to Circuits class and experience on the Baja team. I wrote all of the software using CircuitPython, combining skills from Olin’s Software Design course with experience again from the Baja team. Finally, I fabricated the physical map using a laser cutter and skills I had learned in the Olin Machine Shop.

Beyond this project, one of my main goals was creating a design that could be easily replicated and adapted to different transit system by anyone interested in the concept. To this end, more information on the project and documentation can be found on my GitHub repository.