Packing Algorithms May Save the Planet

An anonymous reader writes "New Scientist reports on how competitions to devise better packing algorithms could help cut the environmental impact of deliveries and shipping. A new record setter at packing differently-sized discs into the smallest space without overlapping them has potential to be applied to real world 3D problems, researchers claim." Ok the title might be a little ridiculous, but the ridiculous packaging used to ship a few tiny objects by some shippers is pretty shameful.

Support Amazon

[Anonymous Coward]

I know many of you despise Amazon due to the one-click fiasco (and with good reason). But packing/packaging are one area where they're trying to get things right. When possible, order items that are packed using "frustration-free" packaging. [amazon.com]

UPS is a Great Example of How Algorithms Help

[joelsherrill]

UPS has gotten itself a lot of press over the years about how it has saved fuel, time, and money with its routing algorithms. There was recently an article in Information Week about some of their technology. It is amazing how even a small improvement can save big money AND positively impact the environment. Routing improvements save time and money. Better vehicle maintenance plans. Less idling. This is the printable article. It has a session Id so I don't know if it will survive. http://www.informationweek.com/shared [informationweek.com] /printableArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=34SPUBGP0QJA2QSNDLRSKHSCJUNN2JVN?articleID=212900815 This is the link with ads. http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212900815 [informationweek.com]

Re:Wall-E

[Joce640k]

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnUjTHB1lvM [youtube.com]

Re:Not just for shipping, not just in 3D

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm working with 2D stock cutter from astrokettle (http://www.astrokettle.com/pr2dlp.html) and they have some very impressive algo to get the best out of you piece of you sheet. Give it a try.

Re:Are algorithms the issue?

[quanticle]

Its not "practically impossible" to find the best solution. It is quite possible. The issue is that finding the optimal solution takes O(2^n), where n is the number of objects to be packed. So, for any large value of n, the calculation will take a prohibitively long time, but it will terminate.

This is in contrast to undecidable problems [wikipedia.org], which really are "practically impossible" to solve.

Re:Wall-E

[ColdWetDog]

From the Wikipedia article:

Despite Charles Moore's description, the eastern garbage patch cannot be characterised as a continuous visible field of densely floating marine debris. The process of disintegration means that the plastic particulate in much of the affected region may be too small to be seen. Researchers must estimate the overall extent and density of plastic pollution in the EGP by taking samples. In a 2001 study, researchers (including Moore) found that in certain areas of the patch, concentrations of plastic reached one million particles per square mile.[8] The study found concentrations of plastics at 3.34 pieces with a mean mass of 5.1 milligrams per square meter. In many areas of the affected region, the overall concentration of plastics was greater than the concentration of zooplankton by a factor of seven. Samples collected at deeper points in the water column found much lower levels of plastic debris (primarily monofilament fishing line), confirming earlier observations that most plastic waste concentrates in the upper parts of the water column.

So you won't see it on an aerial photo of the area, but you will definitely notice it if you sail through it.

Re:Amazon

[gbjbaanb]

You might be interested in "the box" [bbc.co.uk], a continuing BBC report of the life of a shipping container.