Proceedings on Engineering Sciences | 2026
Authors: Cabrera A.D.A.; Segarra-Morales S.; Cuenca S.Q.
DOI: 10.24874/PES08.01B.011
Journal: Proceedings on Engineering Sciences
Year: 2026
Publisher: Faculty of Engineering, University of Kragujevac
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access
Cited by: 0
This study evaluates the effectiveness of mobile applications for measuring operating speed on rural mountainous roads, specifically on the Loja-Catamayo route in Ecuador. This road presents topographic characteristics that affect visibility and operating speed, a key indicator for assessing road design consistency. Traditionally, this measurement is conducted using specialized equipment such as the VBOX, whose high cost limits its use in resource-constrained environments. The research proposes the use of mobile applications as more accessible and cost-effective alternatives, comparing their results with those obtained using the VBOX. Two applications were selected: Simple Speedometer (iOS) and GPS Speed (Android). The results showed that both applications provide reliable measurements, with variations of less than 1% compared to specialized equipment. However, altitude was identified as a factor influencing GPS accuracy, especially in mountainous environments. To improve the applications' performance, adjustment equations were developed to reduce the discrepancies detected, achieving acceptable accuracy levels for road safety studies. The study concludes that mobile applications are a valid and cost-effective tool for measuring operating speed, contributing to the design of safe and consistent road infrastructure, particularly in resource-limited contexts. It is recommended to use mid-to high-end devices with high-quality GPS receivers to obtain more precise results. © 2026 Published by Faculty of Engineeringg.
GPS; Mobile Applications; Mountain Roads; Operating Speed; Road Safety