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Scientists from Purdue University developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to aid developers in designing smartphone apps that drain less battery.
Called DiffProf, the tool automatically determines whether an app feature should be improved in terms of energy efficiency. DiffProf was conceived in line with Purdue University’s Giant Leaps celebration, which recognizes the university’s international achievements in innovation. This celebration is part of the university’s upcoming 150th anniversary.
Trial runs on DiffProf have only been done using Android devices. The researchers tested the tool by grouping apps according to function. After running the apps, the researchers then identified the features that caused an app to consume more battery than apps that have a similar function.
For instance, the researchers ran several music streaming apps and found that SoundCloud drained battery faster than Spotify. They also found that messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp were more energy-efficient than Google Hangouts.
After identifying the source of battery drain, DiffProf also teaches developers how to tweak an app’s program to improve energy efficiency. This feature allows the developers to effectively utilize the information on battery drain source. Initially, DiffProf only identified the reasons why an app uses up a device’s battery. This limitation hindered app developers from coming up with solutions to improve an app’s energy efficiency.
Abhilash Jindal, one of DiffProf’s creators, pointed out that DiffProf would only make a significant impact on devices if all developers would make an effort to improve their apps’ energy efficiency.