Recently, IIT-Kharagpur created the Dynamic Route Planning for Urban Green Mobility (or DRUM) web app.
DRUM - Dynamic Route Planning for Urban Green Mobility web app.
It’s like Google Maps but with the added feature of allowing users pick routes based on air quality and energy efficiency.
DRUM gives users 5 route options
Shortest,
Fastest,
Least exposure to air pollution (leap),
Least energy consumption route (lecr), and
A combination of all four factors called the suggested route.
These options are based on real-time air and traffic data.
When applied to Delhi, the LEAP route reduced exposure by over 50% in Central Delhi while increasing commute time by 40%.
LECR meanwhile helped reduce energy consumption by 28% in South Delhi.
These tradeoffs may not work for everyone, especially given the added fuel costs of longer routes, but DRUM could make a difference for more vulnerable groups.
DRUM determines routes using GraphHopper, a Java-based routing library that generates multiple options, while fetching real-time traffic updates from Mapbox. This setup allows the system to handle different vehicles and adapt to cities beyond Delhi.
The team relied on data from the CPCB and the World Air Quality Index.
Working- DRUM is a rank-based elimination method.
A segment-wise interpolation approach was adopted to assess pollution levels in areas lacking direct sensor coverage.
Routes were divided into segments to facilitate more accurate estimations.
Nearby sensor data was utilized to fill in gaps where coverage was insufficient.
To test the system, the team simulated Delhi’s East, South, North, and Central corridors, accounting for different traffic, road quality, and pollution patterns.
The results showed that shorter or faster routes often passed through polluted zones, offsetting time or distance gains.
Challenge- Integrating real-time air and traffic data.
