Mobile web application with shortest path finder

Abstract

The location tracking functionality of modern mobile devices provides an unprecedented opportunity to the individual's mobility in daily life. With the fast growing popularity of the smart phone, individuals have easy access to the handy GPS navigation system through various GPS mobile apps. The Traveler's Sidekick is a mobile GPS application with a built-in Shortest Path Finder for travelers visiting multiple locations. The application was initially targeted on realtors. A significant portion of a realtor's expense is the gas cost that accumulates while visiting various real estate locations. Most realtors manually pick a route to visit multiple locations and a wrong route may increase the travel time and eventually gas expense. Any app that provides a better route with even 10% gas saving will be of great financial benefit to the realtors. To resolve this problem, Traveler's Sidekick, a mobile GPS application with shortest path finder, was developed as a mobile web application using HTML5, CSS, and jQuery in .NET environment integrated with SQL database and Google Map service. A newly developed Two Stage Divide and Conquer (TSDC) algorithm was utilized to determine the shortest path. Experimental results are presented and future enhancement is discussed.