How AI That Mimics Flocking Birds Could Help Hybrid Cars Run Greener

Hybrid cars have long been hailed as a more eco-friendly vehicle option, and researchers are trying to make future hybrids even greener. The answer potentially lies in helping cars learn their own habits and letting them adjust fuel sources on their own. Engineers from the University of California, Riverside have developed an algorithm they believe can be used in the computers of plug-in hybrid electric cars to reduce their fuel consumption by one-third, according to a study published this week in IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems. The researchers used evolutionary algorithms based on flocking birds and swarming bees to help plug-in hybrid cars learn about the complexities of zipping around roads and highways. The idea is that the algorithm would allow the car to learn how to optimize energy efficiency based on individual driving history, as well as allow it to share that data with other cars online in its network.