- November 15th, 2010
- Jackson Parker
Microsoft T-Drive Uses GPS Tracking Data to Reduce Cab Drive Times
No one knows how to get around a city faster than a cab driver, which is why Microsoft gathered GPS tracking data from 33,000 taxi cab drivers in Beijing for several months. Microsoft engineers sifted through three months of GPS vehicle tracking data transmitted from the GPS devices. They wanted to identify shortcuts cab drivers were using to avoid traffic signals, congested intersections and other slow-downs.
T-Drive, complete with the capability to find real solutions to real street traffic situations. The software can determine what is the best route for a Beijing cab driver at any given time based on the accumulated Beijing cab drivers’’ knowledge of congested areas and shortcuts. According to Microsoft, “on average, the cabbies’ routes shave off 16 percent of a trip, saving 5 minutes for every 30 minutes of driving.”