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.

Comments

Are algorithms the issue?

[Anonymous Coward]

I find the development of new algorithms interesting in itself, and I suspect that superior packing algorithms will have a number of interesting applications; but I wonder if they'll actually have much effect on shippers in the nearish term.

A great deal of heterogenous object packing is done by humans, since the scale required to make packing assorted objects by machine is quite large(even places with automated warehouses often have a human do the packing at the end; because humans are really quite versatile object manipulators), and humans are actually pretty good at object packing. Not perfect; but quite good.

I'd suspect that inefficient packing has less to do with packing being hard, and more to do with the desire to standardize on a limited number of box sizes, to ease inventory management, which is a quite different problem.

Re:Are algorithms the issue?

[Chris Mattern]

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.

So they're not practical to solve--in other words, practically impossible.

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

That would be a case of *literally* impossible to solve. Which means that they're practically impossible as well, of course.

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.

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 /printableArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=34SPUBGP0QJA2QSNDLRSKHSCJUNN2JVN?articleID=212900815 This is the link with ads. http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212900815

Re:Wall-E

[Joce640k]

We're getting there... search for "great pacific garbage patch": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch

Re:Packing algorithms don't just apply to shipping

[swahebrumaf]

Something the summariser seems to have missed.. This kind of problem comes up in a lot of different places.

Another thing that is forgotten... When a process can be optimized, it normally results in price-cuts which result in heavier use of the process. In the end more resources are used than before the optimization, opposite to the original intent.

Shipping Pillows

[RManning]

I got married last year and we registered for a lot of stuff from Crate & Barrel. Everything came packed in a ridiculous amount of packaging, but my favorite was the pillows. Each of the four pillows we got came double-wrapped in bubble paper! I guess they weren't broken when we got them, so it must have worked. ;)

Re:post apocolypitca romantica

[Dallas Caley]

Sad or not, i hope it happens fast because as soon as there is enough garbage that i can stand on it, i'm claiming it as my own nation. "I claim this floating island of crap in the name of Garbageland! All hail for i am the king of Garbageland!"

Re:Or course we should pack things tightly...

[larpon]

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