The traveling salesman problem has long been a staple of AI research, as we grapple with the best and most efficient way of navigating complex environments.

Whilst such challenges have for large parts been academic endeavors, as the smart cities movement gathers pace it is taking on a more practical bent. Whilst ride sharing schemes such as Uber have grown in popularity, in the short-term at least there remains a role for traditional taxi services.

So it’s interesting to see a recent paper explaining an efficient and effective way of managing taxis in a world where ride-sharing is so popular.

Smarter transport

The researchers utilized real GPS data for a host of taxi journeys to try and find an optimum way of routing vehicles around a city.  The resultant algorithm both reduced travel time but also the costs involved for both passengers and drivers.

By better utilization of information and communication technologies, the team believe that urban transportation can be improved significantly.

“In this way, it is possible to reduce costs, increase efficiency in the use of resources, and allow a more active participation of citizens,” the authors say. “Carpooling has come to the fore as an alternative to public transport and conventional taxi use.”

“Sharing vehicles among people with similar travel needs has both economical and environmental benefits, at individual and collective levels. This practice allows minimising the travel costs for passengers while simultaneously reducing the number of vehicles on the streets and pollution,” they continue.

Such approaches are underpinning a wave of innovations around the world.  For instance, Finland’s Maas Global have recently launched Whim, an app that aims to help provide travelers with the best way to get from A to B, regardless of the mode of transport.  So you might take one part on a shared bike, another on bus and the final part by metro, all of which is booked and arranged via the app.

The interesting combination of public and private transport is live in Helsinki and is due to launch in two more Finnish cities later this year.

With two thirds of the world’s population due to live in cities by 2050, it’s increasingly important that we find optimal ways of getting about.  The answer seems likely to be just such a combination of public mass transit systems with the swelling ranks of private providers.