arcPlus

Inspiration

It all began with a simple yet powerful idea: to make the daily commute more convenient, secure, and efficient. The inspiration came from the challenge of integrating technology into something as essential as transportation. In a world that's becoming increasingly reliant on digital solutions, we asked ourselves, "Why not combine the convenience of mobile apps with the security of NFC technology for public transportation?" And thus, the NFC bus card system was born.

What it does

Our system allows commuters to use an NFC-enabled card for seamless access to bus services, making cashless payments possible with a simple tap. But we didn’t stop there—users can also pay via an app or even Apple Wallet, further streamlining the process. With an intuitive web interface and integrated Stripe payments, we’ve created a solution that enables a smooth, modernized transportation experience, bridging the gap between physical and digital access.

How we built it

uilding this system was no small feat. We started with the heart of the project—the Raspberry Pi 4, which acts as the core of the NFC reader. We connected a PN532 NFC module, a camera, a buzzer, and LED lights to create a complete, real-time feedback loop. When users tap their NFC cards, the Raspberry Pi sends a request to the web app, verifying payments via Stripe. A red light and a buzzer sound if the payment fails, while a green light and a beep signal a successful transaction. The cherry on top? We integrated Apple Wallet, allowing users to pay without even needing their physical card—just a tap of their phone. It was a delicate balancing act of hardware, software, and payment gateways, all designed to work flawlessly in real-time.

Challenges we ran into

I faced a few unexpected obstacles during development. Initially, we didn’t realize we needed to configure the buttons for I2C communication, which led to frustrating troubleshooting. Another challenge was the Apple Developer Program—without access, we couldn’t generate passes for Apple Wallet integration, causing a delay. Additionally, the Raspberry Pi camera wasn’t working as expected. After some research, we discovered the drivers weren’t properly installed, and we had to adjust settings to get it functioning. Despite these setbacks, persistence and creativity helped us overcome these issues and deliver a robust solution.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

hat we’re most proud of is the integration of various technologies into one fluid system. The fact that commuters can now tap a card or phone to access bus services, without worrying about fumbling for cash or tickets, represents a huge leap forward in convenience. Beyond that, we’ve created a scalable and flexible solution that can be adapted to other transit systems in the future. We’re also excited about how user-friendly the system is—no complicated setup, just tap and go.

What we learned

Building this system taught us the power of simplicity. It’s easy to get lost in technical details, but the core of any successful project is understanding user needs and designing with them in mind. We also learned the importance of testing and iteration—getting hands-on with the hardware, understanding user behavior, and optimizing every interaction to ensure it’s as smooth as possible.