Solving the AGV Problem via a Self-Organizing Neural Network

Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV)-based material handling systems (MHS) are used widely in Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS). The problem of AGV consists of the decisions and the operational control strategies of dispatching, routeing and scheduling of a set of AGVs under given system environments and operational objectives. One remaining challenge is to develop effective methods of AGV decisions for improved system productivity. This paper describes a prototype neural network approach for the AGV problem in an FMS environment. A group of neural network models are proposed to perform dispatching and routeing tasks for the AGV under conditions of single or multiple vehicles, and with or without time windows. The goal is to satisfy the transport requests in the shortest time and in a non-conflicting manner, subject to the global manufacturing objectives. Based on Kohonen's self-organizing feature maps, we have developed efficient algorithms for the AGVs decisions, and simulation results have been very encouraging.     

考虑路径冲突的AGV配置与调度优化

合理调度有限的码头资源以满足船舶的装卸时间要求是自动化集装箱码头的重要目标之一。针对自动化集装箱码头自动导引车(automated guided vehicle,AGV)配置与调度问题,考虑船舶装卸时间要求和AGV运输过程中的路径冲突,提出分阶段调度策略。将船舶装卸作业分为卸船阶段、装卸同步阶段、装船阶段三个阶段,在每个阶段中,建立以最小化最大完工时间和最小化AGV空载和等待时间为双目标的调度优化模型,并设计基于NSGA-Ⅱ的启发式算法求解。根据本阶段的实际完工时间,从最优解集中选择下一阶段AGV的配置与调度方案。最后对比其他调度方案表明本文调度方案能够满足集装箱船的装卸时间要求,且提高了AGV的利用率,更符合码头实际作业要求。     

Dynamic programming based metaheuristics for the dial-a-ride problem

The organization of a specialized transportation system to perform transports for elderly and handicapped people is usually modeled as dial-a-ride problem. Users place transportation requests with specified pickup and delivery locations and times. The requests have to be completed under user inconvenience considerations by a specified fleet of vehicles. In the dial-a-ride problem, the aim is to minimize the total travel times respecting the given time windows, the maximum user ride times, and the vehicle restrictions. This paper introduces a dynamic programming algorithm for the dial-a-ride problem and demonstrates its effective application in (hybrid) metaheuristic approaches. Compared to most of the works presented in literature, this approach does not make use of any (commercial) solver. We present an exact dynamic programming algorithm and a dynamic programming based metaheuristic, which restricts the considered solution space. Then, we propose a hybrid metaheuristic algorithm which integrates the dynamic programming based algorithms into a large neighborhood framework. The algorithms are tested on a given set of benchmark instances from the literature and compared to a state-of-the-art hybrid large neighborhood search approach.     

Digital idle speed control of automotive engines: A safety problem for hybrid systems

We address the idle speed control problem in automotive electronics using hybrid methods to derive a digital control law with guaranteed properties. Associating a switching system with the hybrid system that describes the engine operation is crucial to developing a computationally feasible approach. For switching systems with minimum and maximum dwell times and controlled resets, we are able to derive digital control strategies with guaranteed properties that ensure safety. The proposed methodology, while motivated by the idle control problem, is of general interest for hybrid systems for which minimum and maximum dwell times can be established. In our modeling approach, we do not assume synchronization between sampling time and switching time. This is an important technical aspect in general, and in particular for our application, where there is no reason why sampling and switching should be synchronized. Some simulation results are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.     

应急救援物资紧缺的配送车辆路径选择研究

针对应急救援物资总量紧缺不能全部满足各点需求量的实际情形,以单个需求点最大缺货量最小为目标,建立基于单个配送中心、车辆数目有限和带时间窗的应急救援物资配送车辆路径选择模型,并讨论了三种不同缺货情形下模型的求解。对于车辆按最短路径行驶也无法在救援时间内到达导致需求点缺货的情形,删除这些需求点的需求量后,如果剩余需求点的需求量不大于物资总量且车辆足够多,可转化为车辆最短路径问题求解;对于物资紧缺无法满足所有需求且车辆足够多的情形,设计时间复杂性为O(mn²)的精确算法A^*求解,其中m和n分别为车辆数和需求点数;对于物资紧缺且车辆数目不足无法把全部物资送达需求点的情形,设计时间复杂性为O(n²)的近似算法GA^*求解,并分析了算法GA^*的近似比。最后结合云南彝良县地震灾区局部路网进行实例分析,验证模型和算法的有效性。     

An integrated approach for collection network design,capacity planning and vehicle routing in reverse logistics

This study considers network design, capacity planning and vehicle routing for collection systems in reverse logistics. The network design and capacity planning problems are to determine the static locations and capacities of collection points as well as the dynamic allocations of demand points to the opened collection points over a planning horizon, and the vehicle routing problem is to determine the number and routes of vehicles in such a way that each collection point must be visited exactly once by one vehicle starting and terminating at the depot while satisfying the return demands at collection points and the vehicle capacity. The objective is to minimize the sum of fixed costs to open collection points and to acquire vehicles as well as variable costs to transport returns at demand points to the opened collection points and travel the opened collection points by vehicles. Unlike the location-routing problems, the integrated problem considered in this study has several features: multi-period dynamic model, capacity planning for collection points, maximum allowable collection distances, etc. To solve the integrated problem, two types of tabu search algorithms, hierarchical and integrated ones, are suggested, and their test results are reported. In particular, the efficiency of the integrated approach is shown by comparing the two algorithm types.     

Heuristic approaches for solving transit vehicle scheduling problem with route and fueling time constraints

Electric bus scheduling problem can be defined as vehicle scheduling problem with route and fueling time constraints (VSPRFTC). Every vehicle’s travel miles (route time) after charging is limited, thus the vehicle must be recharged after taking several trips and the minimal charging time (fueling time) must be satisfied. A multiple ant colony algorithm (ACA) was presented to solve VSPRFTC based on ACA used to solve traveling salesman problem (TSP), a new metaheuristic approach inspired by the foraging behavior of real colonies of ants. The VSPRFTC considered in this paper minimizes a multiple, hierarchical objective function: the first objective is to minimize the number of tours (or vehicles) and the second is to minimize the total deadhead time. New improvement of ACA as well as detailed operating steps was provided on the basis of former algorithm. Then in order to settle contradiction between accelerating convergence and avoiding prematurity or stagnation, improvement on route construction rule and Pheromone updating rule was adopted. A group feasible trip sets (blocks) had been produced after the process of applying ACA. In dealing with the fueling time constraint a bipartite graphic model and its optimization algorithm are developed for trip set connecting in a hub and spoke network system to minimize the number of vehicle required. The maximum matching of the bipartite graph is obtained by calculating the maximum inflow with the Ford–Fulkerson algorithm. At last, an example was analyzed to demonstrate the correctness of the application of this algorithm. It proved to be more efficient and robust in solving this problem.     

Steady state results for the M/M(a,b)/c batch-service system

The transportation system considered in this paper has a number of vehicles with capacity constraint, which take passengers from a source terminal to various destinations and return to the terminal. The trip times are considered to be independent and identically distributed random variables with a common exponential distribution. Passengers arrive at the terminal in accordance with a Poisson process. The system is operated under the following policy: when a vehicle is available and there are at least ‘a’ passengers waiting for service, then a vehicle is dispatched immediately. A recursive algorithm is derived to obtain the steady-state probability P(m, j) that there are m idle vehicles and j waiting passengers in the queue. Analytical expressions have been derived for passenger queue length distribution, average passenger queue length, the r-th moment of passenger waiting time in the queue, service batch size distribution and the average service batch size, all in terms of P(0,0).     

Emergency Logistics Planning in Natural Disasters

Logistics planning in emergency situations involves dispatching commodities (e.g., medical materials and personnel, specialised rescue equipment and rescue teams, food, etc.) to distribution centres in affected areas as soon as possible so that relief operations are accelerated. In this study, a planning model that is to be integrated into a natural disaster logistics Decision Support System is developed. The model addresses the dynamic time-dependent transportation problem that needs to be solved repetitively at given time intervals during ongoing aid delivery. The model regenerates plans incorporating new requests for aid materials, new supplies and transportation means that become available during the current planning time horizon. The plan indicates the optimal mixed pick up and delivery schedules for vehicles within the considered planning time horizon as well as the optimal quantities and types of loads picked up and delivered on these routes. In emergency logistics context, supply is available in limited quantities at the current time period and on specified future dates. Commodity demand is known with certainty at the current date, but can be forecasted for future dates. Unlike commercial environments, vehicles do not have to return to depots, because the next time the plan is re-generated, a node receiving commodities may become a depot or a former depot may have no supplies at all. As a result, there are no closed loop tours, and vehicles wait at their last stop until they receive the next order from the logistics coordination centre. Hence, dispatch orders for vehicles consist of sets of “broken” routes that are generated in response to time-dependent supply/demand. The mathematical model describes a setting that is considerably different than the conventional vehicle routing problem. In fact, the problem is a hybrid that integrates the multi-commodity network flow problem and the vehicle routing problem. In this setting, vehicles are also treated as commodities. The model is readily decomposed into two multi-commodity network flow problems, the first one being linear (for conventional commodities) and the second integer (for vehicle flows). In the solution approach, these sub-models are coupled with relaxed arc capacity constraints using Lagrangean relaxation. The convergence of the proposed algorithm is tested on small test instances as well as on an earthquake scenario of realistic size.     

A tabu search algorithm for the periodic vehicle routing problem with multiple vehicle trips and accessibility restrictions

In this paper, we consider a periodic vehicle routing problem that includes, in addition to the classical constraints, the possibility of a vehicle doing more than one route per day, as long as the maximum daily operation time for the vehicle is not exceeded. In addition, some constraints relating to accessibility of the vehicles to the customers, in the sense that not every vehicle can visit every customer, must be observed. We refer to the problem we consider here as the site-dependent multi-trip periodic vehicle routing problem. An algorithm based on tabu search is presented for the problem and computational results presented on randomly generated test problems that are made publicly available. Our algorithm is also tested on a number of routing problems from the literature that constitute particular cases of the proposed problem. Specifically we consider the periodic vehicle routing problem; the site-dependent vehicle routing problem; the multi-trip vehicle routing problem; and the classical vehicle routing problem. Computational results for our tabu search algorithm on test problems taken from the literature for all of these problems are presented.     

Operational Decisions in AGV-Served Flowshop Loops: Scheduling

This paper considers operational issues that arise in repetitive manufacturing systems served by automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in loops with unidirectional material flow. The objective considered is the minimization of the steady state cycle time required to produce a minimal job set (or equivalently, throughput rate maximization). Our models allow for delays caused by AGV conflicts. We define and analyze three nondominated and widely used AGV dispatching policies. For each policy, we describe algorithms and intractability results for combined job scheduling and material handling problems. We describe a genetic algorithm that estimates the cycle time within 5% on average for instances with up to 10 machines and four AGVs. Some related fleet sizing and loop decomposition issues are discussed in the companion paper [19].     

A two-stage model for a day-ahead paratransit planning problem

We consider a dynamic planning problem for paratransit transportation. The focus is on a decision to take one day ahead: which requests to serve with own vehicles, and which requests to subcontract to taxis? We call this problem the day-ahead paratransit planning problem. The developed model is a non-standard two-stage integer recourse model. Both stages consist of two consecutive optimization problems: the clustering of requests into routes, and the assignment of these routes to vehicles. To solve this model, a genetic algorithm approach is used. Computational results are presented for randomly generated data sets.     

Exact and heuristic methods for a full-load,multi-terminal,vehicle scheduling problem with backhauling and time windows

The problem considered is the full-load pickup and delivery problem with time windows (PDPTW), and heterogeneous products and vehicles, where the assignment of pickup points to requests is not predetermined. The problem is first formulated as a 0-1 LP, then a hybrid algorithm is developed, which chooses dynamically between a Greedy heuristic and one based on Regret costs. A multi-level constructive heuristic that consists of three post-optimizers is presented. Two lower bounds are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed heuristics when tested on random instances and selected data from a construction company.     

考虑外协服务的车辆路径优化问题

降低零售企业的末端配送成本是控制物流成本的关键,共享经济的发展为此提供了新思路。因此,针对零售企业末端上门配送服务成本较高的情况,提出了考虑外协的车辆服务策略,将有意愿进行单次交付的线下客户作为协作车辆配合普通车辆来完成线上客户订单的配送,建立了以最小化普通车辆路径成本,普通车辆使用成本,时间窗惩罚成本和协作车辆补偿成本为目标函数的数学模型,并设计匹配算法和混合遗传算子的模拟退火算法对该模型进行求解,最后结合算例对提出的算法进行检验与分析。     

基于两阶段求解策略的动态电动车辆路径优化研究

由于政府对新能源汽车的补贴政策和市区对燃油车限行政策的实时,越来越多的物流公司在城市配送中广泛采用电动汽车。然而,电动车续航里程受限,需要在途充电或者换电,同时客户需求的动态性以及充/换电设施的排队等现实因素也应该被考虑。为此,提出了分阶段策略求解动态电动车辆路径优化问题,并建立了两阶段的EVRP模型。其中第一阶段针对静态客户建立了静态EVRP模型,第二阶段在设计了换电站及动态客户插入策略的基础上,建立了动态EVRP模型以路径更新策略。最后,设计改进的CW-TS混合启发式算法来求解静态模型,设计贪婪算法求解动态模型。实验结果表明,模型与算法具有较好的适用性和有效性。     

应急物资联合配送决策研究

救援物资的高效投放是应急物流的关键活动之一。考虑到灾后救援车辆短缺,分配时受灾群众产生非理性心理,以及灾后道路状况对军、地救灾车辆速度产生影响等因素,本文从军民融合的角度出发,根据军地运输车辆特点,设计科学合理的车辆分配方案与运输路线。论文研究构建了基于车辆分配公平性和应急配送及时性的“分配-运输”集成决策模型,设计改进后的NSGA-Ⅱ算法进行求解,最后通过算例验证本算法的有效性和合理性,并通过调节军民运输车辆数,找到应急救援过程中的最佳军、地车辆比例,从而为灾后各灾备中心的车辆调度决策提供参考。     

Solving a vehicle routing problem by balancing the vehicles time utilization

Various vehicle routing problems (VRP) appear in the literature due to their important applications in the area of transportation and distribution.A VRP is characterized by the constraints that the involved factors must satisfy and by an optimality goal.In this paper, we develop a heuristic algorithm that

• (i)partitions suitably a distribution network into subnetworks. A single depot complies with every subnetwork, where a fleet of identical vehicles will start their itinerary. The nodes of the corresponding subnetwork are demand nodes that require a onetime visit by one only vehicle.
• (ii)Determine the routes of k vehicles, k=2,3,…, for every subnetwork so to minimize the visiting time of the corresponding demand nodes. Consequently the method computes the necessary vehicle number for each subnetwork so as to complete promptly the visiting requirement of all the demand nodes of the whole network. The main strategy of the algorithm for designing the vehicle routes consists of balancing the time utilization of the used vehicles. The paper is integrated by an application of the presented algorithm to the center of the city of Thessaloniki.

     

智能网联下无人车配送路径优化

结合智能网联无人车实时信息共享与路径选择的特点,研究其配送路径优化问题。通过引进关键点更新策略,制定路径预规划阶段和路径实时调整阶段无人车路径选择策略,提出智能网联环境下基于实时交通信息的车辆路径问题两阶段模型。其中,路径预规划阶段模型确定初始路径与每辆车服务的客户点,路径实时调整阶段模型对每辆车的路径实时调整。对于该优化模型设计遗传算法进行求解,并通过算例验证了模型与算法的可行性。研究结果表明,本文构建的无人车配送优化模型,有效的结合了无人车实时通信与路径选择的特点,节省了无人车配送时间。研究对于无人车在第三方物流配送领域的推广应用具有一定的探索意义。     

Real-time split-delivery pickup and delivery time window problems with transfers

In this research we present the design and implementation of heuristics for solving split-delivery pickup and delivery time window problems with transfer (SDPDTWP) of shipments between vehicles for both static and real-time data sets. In the SDPDTWP each shipment is constrained with the earliest possible pickup time from the origin and the latest acceptable delivery time to a destination. Split-deliveries occur when two or more vehicles service the same origin or destination. The proposed heuristics were applied to both static and real-time data sets. The heuristics computed a solution, in a few seconds, for a static problem from the literature, achieving an improvement of 60% in distance in comparison to the published solution. In the real-time SDPDTWP problems, requests for pickup and delivery of a package, breakdown of a truck or insertion of a truck can occur after the vehicle has left the origin and is enroute to service the customers. Thirty data sets, each consisting of one to seven real-time customer or truck events, were used to test the efficiency of the heuristics. The heuristics obtained solutions to real-time data sets in under five seconds of CPU time.      

An interactive GRAMPS algorithm for the heterogeneous fixed fleet vehicle routing problem with and without backhauls

In this article, a visual interactive approach based on a new greedy randomised adaptive memory programming search (GRAMPS) algorithm is proposed to solve the heterogeneous fixed fleet vehicle routing problem (HFFVRP) and a new extension of the HFFVRP, which is called heterogeneous fixed fleet vehicle routing problem with backhauls (HFFVRPB). This problem involves two different sets of customers. Backhaul customers are pickup points and linehaul customers are delivery points that are to be serviced from a single depot by a heterogeneous fixed fleet of vehicles, each of which is restricted in the capacity it can carry, with different variable travelling costs.