Communications of the ACM
Researchers Hope to Make Phone Batteries Last Longer
Researchers at the University of Delaware are investigating how certain programming techniques can impact the energy efficiency of smartphone batteries.
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A team of researchers at the University of Delaware (UD) is investigating how common techniques used by programmers might be inadvertently contributing to the battery drain of smartphones.
Most software developers tend to focus on performance and user experience, instead of how to make their apps more energy efficient. The Delaware researchers want to develop software that can scour a developer's code for potential energy leaks and then recommend fixes. The team also wants to develop a list of best practices so coders do not make those mistakes in the first place.
Developers will obfuscate their code to make it harder for people to determine how it works, says UD professor James Clause. "Those kinds of changes might take 15 minutes of battery life, while an app that turns on [the global-positioning system] and maybe forgets to turn it off will drain a battery in a few hours," he notes.
Clause says the research could potentially save power at data centers and help future household items with network connectivity last longer.
The U.S. National Science Foundation is supporting the Delaware team with a three-year, $516,000 grant.
From Delaware Online
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