Let’s face it: we all love a good a love road trip, but what we don’t love is the gas it takes to get us to our destination of choice. A recent survey found that vehicles consume over 30% of the energy in America. Not cool. Luckily for us, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are working on the creation of a Green GPS system, a trusty gadget that calculates the most fuel-efficient route instead of the shortest route.

How would this work? The Green GPS system is an innovative concept that would run of off already existing technologies: your cell phone and your car’s built-in computer. All it would take is a wireless adapter that can be hooked up to your car’s diagnostic system so that information about how your car’s engine runs and performs, as well as its fuel efficiency, can be sent straight to your phone. The phone would then calculate the greenest route and just like that, send you on your way!

While the concept is still in its initial testing phases, the results so far have been promising. Preliminary tests and calculations have shown that the Green GPS system could save drivers up to 13% more fuel on their routes. After seeing these results, The National Science Foundation has offered the team of researchers a grant to equip 200 University vehicles of all different types, including large vans, with Green GPS units. Additionally, and this is the really cool part, they are looking for interested, green-minded people to help them collect data to further develop their research. Learn more here.

If all of this sounds complicated to you, don’t worry.  According to Tarek Abdelzhar, the Principal Investigator and Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois, “’You do not have to be a member of our service or install any sensors in your car to be able to use Green GPS.’” Hold up, how is this possible? The team is also creating mathematical models so that anybody will be able to upload the model, make, and year of their car as well as well as their destination onto a webpage. The website will then calculate everything for you based on previous users experiences. This would be, in essence, social network of environmentally conscious drivers. Sweet!

It’s great to see that university researchers are working hard to create these new, cool technologies. What are some green technologies that you wish you could invent?