Forget apps like Spotify, Dropbox or the one that makes the farty noises on demand. Researchers at MIT have just developed what is surely the greatest smartphone app of all time.


Reuters reports that the new app, SignalGuru, "predicts when a traffic signal is about to change, and the speed that should be driven when approaching an intersection in order to cruise through without stopping."

MIT, I want to thank you for solving one of the biggest problems in my life: red lights that prevent me from getting places really, really quickly. My commute to work is mostly stop-and-go city driving in heavy traffic and it's marred by a constant stream of red lights.


Here's how it works: when you approach an intersection, the app activates your smartphone camera, which detects how the signal changes and then tells you how fast you need to drive to beat the red light.

I think I'm going to have a LOT of fun with this app.

But expedient driving isn't the reasoning behind the app, apparently. Scientist Emmanouil Koukoumidis told Reuters the real reason his team created the app was to improve fuel economy. "The stop-and-go pattern that traffic signals create increases fuel consumption significantly," he said.

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Right, scientists. Fuel economy. Whatever you have to say to get this approved. I know you hate catching reds as much as I do. The app isn't available to the public yet, but it could be soon.

Tell us — what app would make your commute better?

Photo credit Getty Images.