Getting under the bonnet...
Published: 5 January 2007 17:35 GMT
Yesterday silicon.com reported on developments by Swedish academics to build a greener sat-nav system that works out the most fuel-efficient routes.
It might be a long way off hitting shop shelves or being bundled with vehicles but here's how the tech-savvy traveller of the future might use this green gadget:
silicon.com Retail & Leisure
Get the latest retail and leisure news straight to your inbox. Sign up for the R&L newsletter today!
Step One
Jump into your car, destination in mind, then programme it with your start and end points.
Step Two
The green sat-nav works out the most fuel-efficient route, as opposed to the fastest or shortest route.
Step Three
The sat-nav works from a collection of special routes it has stored. Every route, made of various roads, has a pre-assigned value for fuel efficiency. For example, a straight, wide, downhill road where you can drive continuously at 60mph gets a better fuel-efficiency rating than a windy, uphill road with twists, pot-holes and a speed limit of 30mph.
Step Four
The sat-nav considers the time of day, works out whether the roads are likely to be congested and checks real-time information on traffic.
Step Five
The device uses car and fuel type to work out what sort of roads the specific vehicle is suited to. A smart car - for example - could happily drive along narrower roads without stopping compared to a large 4x4.
Step Six
With all this information processed the green gadget comes up with the most fuel efficient route for a journey.
Step Seven
On arrival, there is even a calculation on the proportion of fuel that has been saved versus traditional fastest or shortest routes.
How to squeeze the last drops of savings from an outsourcing contract
Revealed: The apps you'll have on your phone in 2012
Clouds clear as Microsoft gives Azure a January launch date
UK ID cards rollout hit by delay as launch date revealed
The software that can save you big bucks? You've already got it
FOLLOWING -Software sales experience -Live within 45 minutes of Maidenhead -Degree educated -Some previous field sales experience ROLE INFORMATION ...
My client offers good salary, car allowance, fuel card, benefits, pension and relocation allowance. Please be aware you should be prepared to undergo ...
This Navision / Dynamics NAV role offers a fantastic salary, a substantial car allowance and fuel card as well as excellent bonuses with an ...
Agenda Setters 2009
Welcome to the ninth annual Agenda Setters poll – silicon.com's list of the top 50 most influential individuals in the technology and IT industries, from techies and CIOs to entrepreneurs and business leaders. Find out more in our latest special report.
Stories from the web...
Copyright © 2008 CBS Interactive Limited. All rights reserved. Top of page
Petra Papinniemi
Legal Eye: Ecommerce held back by outdated laws
No wonder no one's buying...
Matthew Cushen
E-tailers: Be choosy overseas
Markets are not always what they seem
Tim Ferguson
'If you look at iPlayer from a distance, it's still very web 1.0'
Q&A: Erik Huggers, director, BBC's Future, Media and Technology
Kit Burden
Legal Eye: Tech could brighten retailers' gloom
Regulation and recession loom
Matthew Cushen
Retailers: Look to emerging markets
Comment: Massive opportunities if you get the IT right
Julian Goldsmith
How Zavvi lost its Virginity
IT director Tony Johnson on the retailer's changing web strategy