The Boys Behind ShuttleGirl

ShuttleGirl.com was originally just a good excuse to post another picture of Britney Spears on the Internet.

But now, site creators Anthony Delvecchio ’01 and Jason R.P. Karamchandani ’02, roommates in Pforzheimer House, have realized the full potential of their creation.

A twist on Shuttleboy, a UNIX-based program set up by David Malan ’99 to help students navigate the notoriously confusing Harvard shuttle schedule, ShuttleGirl offers similar assistance.

But Delveccio and Karamchandani’s program meant more than a sex change—and a lot more curves. Their improved shuttle savior had tons of techno-savvy.

Shuttleboy still lives on (at ~mbehar/pub/bin/shuttleboy and ~malan/pub/bin/shuttleboy) but ShuttleGirl has stolen the hearts of most quadlings—and maybe even seven North American cities.

Since her birth Sept. 24, the campus has watched ShuttleGirl develop from a simple website into a complex, integrated system that may soon revolutionize the world of mass transit schedules.

Super Woman

Beyond her most basic website function—listing the next three shuttles on a selected route—ShuttleGirl has perfected a number of other skills.

"We think ShuttleGirl is an incredibly elegant solution," Delvecchio says of her ability to multitask. "One algorithm does everything."

A cell phone accessible ShuttleGirl was ready instantly. Palm contacted Delvecchio and Karamchandani about a handheld version, and by the end of November, 300 students had ShuttleGirl version 2.0 in their pockets. A version designed for Windows CE, Microsoft’s handheld device, is currently in the works.

As new wireless technologies have emerged, ShuttleGirl has been there, eager to adapt to new systems.

In conjunction with the Harvard Computer Society (HCS) and Tellme Networks, Delvecchio and Karamchandani even created a voice for ShuttleGirl on the 4-TELL system.

"We told them we would contribute if they got the girl of our choice," Delvecchio said. When HCS said Colleen M. Gargan ’02 agreed to provide the vocals, the ShuttleGirl team busily put together a voice portal.

Starting March 23, users have been able to dial 4-TELL and make contact by saying "ShuttleGirl." Gargan’s voice then leads them through prompts to get their shuttle information.

Always looking for ways to "waste the Internet," Delvecchio and Karamchandani have her deliver more than just shuttle information. For example, saying "When Harry Met Sally" calls up Meg Ryan’s most famous orgasm.

The next innovation in store for ShuttleGirl will probably involve real time technology, in which chips installed on the shuttle buses would be able to give users more accurate arrival information.

Next Stop: World Domination

After watching Harvard fall head over heels for ShuttleGirl, Delvecchio and Karamchandani realized the outside world might like her too.

They brought in some lawyers, officially became Second Kiss Wireless, Inc. and started marketing the “ShuttleGirl Platform.”

In Boston, the MBTA is already using ShuttleGirl technologies for its commuter rail schedule and is considering adding buses, boats and other forms of transportation.

Philadelphia, Tacoma, Washington, D.C., Toronto, Calgary and St. Louis have also shown interest in the project.

So has Yale.

The secret of their success, according to Delvecchio, has been the Harvard community.

In addition to easy access to a variety of technologies, Harvard has provided the “perfect” consumers.

“They have no attention span, so it has to be infinitely useful,” Delvecchio said.

A platform that is already adapted to so many technologies is particularly attractive to transportation agencies, which rely on government funds. Thus, they rarely have the resources to create an original working system like ShuttleGirl, according to Delvecchio.

“It’s not top secret stuff, but it’s relatively new technology,” Delvecchio added. “And people already like it.”

Another selling point is their price. The entire platform goes for six figures, which Delvecchio classifies as fairly cheap.

Delvecchio said the MBTA-ShuttleGirl relationship has helped Second Kiss Wireless, Inc. get other markets interested—and Boston never would have gotten on board if it had not been for ShuttleGirl’s Harvard success.

The Sexy Stuff

All work and no play makes ShuttleGirl a dull transportation service. So Delvecchio and Karamchandani have made sure ShuttleGirl gets her fun time.

The identity of the original ShuttleGirl silhouette, with her hips thrust to the side and her fingers running through her hair, was kept under wraps to generate excitement about the site.

When Delvecchio and Karamchandani decided they wanted ShuttleGirl to be a Harvard student (instead of an internationally renowned pop star) they solicited suggestions from the student body for the next ShuttleGirl.

About 200 nominations later, they selected the lucky winner. And in early March, the campus met the new ShuttleGirl—or rather, her legs.

The identity of the mystery Harvard student wearing a kilt of shuttle schedules was the subject of much debate around campus until her upper body and name (Emily V.W. Galvin ’04) were revealed during exam period.

Galvin will remain the icon for now, but ShuttleGirl will find other ways to keep the Harvard community guessing.

And the Matthew Perry tracking device, another feature of the site, will continue to monitor his progress as he slides between “I’m Okay” and “Help Me.”

Kiss, Kiss

With Karamchandani still at Harvard and Delvecchio set to start work at McKinsey in Houston this November, neither of them can devote themselves full time to ShuttleGirl.

Harvard Transportation Services has shown interest in possibly purchasing the site, a move that would allow ShuttleGirl to live on for years to come.

But Delvecchio and Karamchandani are not giving up on the ShuttleGirl Project so easily.

Second Kiss is expanding its staff—Bryan T. Kim ’02 is now on board, as is one of Delvecchio’s friends from high school—and they are seeing how far ShuttleGirl can go.

Based on her extraordinary progress over the last nine months, it is safe to say that ShuttleGirl is enjoying the ride.