Vehicle Scheduling Research Articles

Automatic Scheduling Method for Customs Inspection Vehicle Relocation Based on Automotive Electronic Identification and Biometric Recognition

This study presents an innovative automatic scheduling method for the relocation of customs inspection vehicles, leveraging Vehicle Electronic Identification (EVI) and biometric recognition technologies. With the expansion of global trade, customs authorities face increasing pressure to enhance logistics efficiency. Traditional vehicle scheduling often relies on manual processes and simplistic algorithms, resulting in prolonged waiting times and inefficient resource allocation. This research addresses these challenges by integrating EVI and biometric systems into a comprehensive framework aimed at improving vehicle scheduling. The proposed method utilizes genetic algorithms and intelligent optimization techniques to dynamically allocate resources and prioritize vehicle movements based on real-time data. EVI technology facilitates rapid identification of vehicles entering customs facilities, while biometric recognition ensures that only authorized personnel can operate specific vehicles. This dual-layered approach enhances security and streamlines the inspection process, significantly reducing delays. A thorough analysis of the existing literature on customs vehicle scheduling identifies key limitations in current methodologies. The automatic scheduling algorithm is detailed, encompassing vehicle prioritization criteria, dynamic path planning, and real-time driver assignment. The genetic algorithm framework allows for adaptive responses to varying operational conditions. Extensive simulations using real-world data from customs operations validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Results indicate a significant reduction in vehicle waiting times—up to 30%—and an increase in resource utilization rates by approximately 25%. These findings demonstrate the potential of integrating EVI and biometric technologies to transform customs logistics management. Additionally, a comparison against state-of-the-art scheduling algorithms, such as NSGA-II and MOEA/D, reveals superior efficiency and adaptability. This research not only addresses pressing challenges faced by customs authorities but also contributes to optimizing logistics operations more broadly. In conclusion, the automatic scheduling method presented represents a significant advancement in customs logistics, providing a robust solution for managing complex vehicle scheduling scenarios. Future research directions will focus on refining the algorithm to handle peak traffic periods and exploring predictive analytics for enhanced scheduling optimization. Advancements in the intersection of technology and logistics aim to support more efficient and secure customs operations globally.

Optimal management in island microgrids using D-FACTS devices with large-scale two-population algorithm

Amidst the increasing complexity of microgrid optimization, characterized by numerous decision variables and intricate non-linear relationships, there is a pressing need for highly efficient algorithms. This study introduces a tailored Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP) model that optimizes the charging and discharging schedules of electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESS) while incorporating Distributed Flexible AC Transmission System (D-FACTS) devices. To address these challenges, a novel approach based on the Large-Scale Two-Population Algorithm (LSTPA) is proposed. The model's effectiveness was evaluated using a 33-node microgrid, where the proposed method achieved a total purchased energy of 1.2 MWh, a voltage deviation of 0.0357 p.u, and a CPU time of 551 s, outperforming traditional methods like NSGA-II, PSO, and JAYA. Additionally, in a 69-node microgrid, the approach resulted in a total purchased energy of 0.3 MWh and a voltage deviation of 0.0078 p.u. These results demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed method in terms of energy efficiency, voltage stability, and computational time, advancing the efficiency of microgrid management.

The effect of intersection vehicle scheduling based on the service system of sensors and intelligent traffic road information

With the high-speed development of the automobile industry, the number of domestic vehicles has increased significantly, which has posed a great challenge to the efficiency of road access. To fully utilize the intersection scheduling function of the intelligent transportation system, an optimization of the stranded traffic system based on LoRa is studied. Then, the greedy strategy and adaptive coefficient are used for optimization to obtain an improved genetic algorithm (GA), which is used to verify the intersection scheduling function. In addition, comparative experiments are conducted with standard GA, adaptive genetic algorithm (AGA), and hybrid genetic algorithm (HGA). The AGA optimizes the GA by adapting genetic parameters, while the HGA combines GA with a simulated annealing algorithm. The results showed that comparing the improved GA with GA, AGA, and HGA, the improved GA reduced the average value of individual extremum by 50.36%, 47.51%, and 37.16%, respectively. Compared with other mainstream algorithms, the improved GA reduced the number of stranded vehicles at intersections to 0 during traffic light timing. This indicates that the improved GA has higher and better performance and scheduling advantages in the intersection scheduling of intelligent transportation road service systems. The research aims to provide new ideas for improving traffic efficiency in intelligent transportation systems and promoting the informatization development of modern traffic management.

Two-stage scheduling of apron support vehicles considering multi-vehicle coordination

Large airport apron support vehicles have always been facing great operating pressure, and the coordination constraints of various apron support services and dynamic flight information pose higher challenges to vehicle scheduling. Considering the differences in vehicle operation constraints in three different modes: continuous work, continuous work with capacity constraints, and round-trip work, a multi-vehicle coordinated apron support vehicle scheduling model is established with the goal of minimizing the number of vehicles and the total driving distance. According to the actual operation of the airport, the model is solved in two stages. In the static stage, an NSGA II algorithm integrating local search is designed, and in the dynamic stage, a neighborhood search algorithm is designed to solve the multi-vehicle coordinated scheduling problem. Data simulation results show that compared with first-come-first-served, the number of vehicles and the total driving distance in the static scheduling stage are reduced by 18.9%and respectively 8.9%; the dynamic scheduling stage results can maintain the number of vehicles in the original scheduling plan, and the adjustment of driving distance is reduced compared with the large-scale neighborhood search algorithm 25.8% . The research results can provide certain guiding significance for the scheduling management and decision-making of apron support vehicles in large airports.

Resilient shuttle vehicle plan under route disruption scenarios and ticketing policies: a case study of the Qiandaohu archipelago scenic area, China

ABSTRACT Scenic areas in an archipelago context are often accessed with shuttle vehicles to transport tourists between different scenic spots. Vehicle routing and schedule planning could be challenging when route disruptions are considered frequent and fragile areas are protected and conserved. Transport provisions also affect the number, sequence and patterns of visited spots for each tourist, which in turn may not only impact the revenue of the scenic area but also on visitor satisfaction. This paper develops a mixed-integer programming model for this optimisation problem at scenic areas by considering two common ticketing policies: ‘all-inclusive policy’ and the ‘two-part tariff policy’. Experimental results based on the case study of Qiandaohu scenic area in China demonstrate that our method can obtain high-quality solutions for real-sized problems where some routes are disrupted. It is found that ticketing policies may have different impacts on shuttle vehicle planning. Under the all-inclusive policy, the shuttle vehicle planning maximises the total profit. Under the two-part tariff policy, however, the plan needs to maximise the profit to strike a balance between the operational cost and the number of spots visited by tourists. Our study may shed light on the effectiveness of shuttle vehicle planning and ticketing policy selection.

Marginal Effect-aware Multiple-Vehicle Scheduling for Road Data Collection: A Near-optimal Result

Vehicles equipped with abundant sensors offer a promising way for large-scale, low-cost road data collection. To realize this potential, a well-designed vehicle scheduling scheme is essential for deploying the recruited drivers efficiently. Nevertheless, existing works fail to consider the marginal effect among drivers’ collections. Different from them, this article introduces a, to the best of our knowledge, new multiple-vehicle scheduling problem that jointly optimizes task allocation and vehicle trajectory planning to maximize the overall collection utility by accounting for the marginal effect in drivers’ data collections. However, solving this problem is non-trivial due to its involvement with multiple coupled NP-hard problems. To this end, we propose MeSched, a marginal effect-aware multiple-vehicle scheduling scheme designed for road data collection. Specifically, we first present a greedy-based auxiliary graph construction method to disentangle the initial problem into multiple independent single-vehicle scheduling subproblems. Furthermore, we build an approximate surrogate function that transforms each subproblem into a tractable form involving only a single variable. The theoretical analysis proves that MeSched can achieve a 1-(1/ e ) ¼ -approximation ratio in polynomial time. Comprehensive evaluations based on a real-world trajectory dataset of 12,493 vehicles demonstrate that MeSched can significantly improve the collection utility by 104.5% on average compared with four baselines.

A review on digital transformation in healthcare waste management: Applications, research trends and implications.

At present, both emerging and developed economies have faced the challenge of higher healthcare waste generation. Developed countries are using these technologies to manage healthcare waste and cope with the challenge. Emerging economies are still struggling to understand and implement digital technologies in healthcare waste management, posing a danger to partners handling toxic and hazardous waste. The proper handling of healthcare waste is essential for social and environmental sustainability. Digital technologies that drive digital transformation in the healthcare sector impact the traditional way of managing healthcare waste. Digital technologies include artificial intelligence, blockchain, the Internet of Things, sensors, data analytics and radio frequency identification. These technologies can potentially address vehicle route planning and scheduling problems, resource optimisation, real-time tracking and the visibility of healthcare waste management. Apart from economic and environmental concerns, the operational workforce also takes care of societal well-being and implements waste management strategies and policies. Past research has focused on integrating blockchain technology to enhance traceability and transparency in waste collection and disposal activities. However, the application and impact of these technologies for managing different operations of healthcare management with sustainability is a gap bridged by the present study. This study adopts a systematic literature review to identify research trends, applications and implications of digital transformation. It proposes a digital technology-driven framework for healthcare waste management for further research.

Dynamic job allocation method of multiple agricultural machinery cooperation based on improved ant colony algorithm

Contemporary large-scale and systematic agricultural operations demand the collaborative efforts of multiple agricultural machines with distinct functionalities. However, the failure of a single agricultural machine during collaborative operations jeopardizes the entire undertaking. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a multi-machine collaborative dynamic job allocation method based on the improved ant colony algorithm. Initially, the improved ant colony algorithm is employed to determine the optimal solution for harvester scheduling. This solution is then fed into the data conversion algorithm to acquire the necessary unloading point information for transport vehicle scheduling. Subsequently, the improved ant colony algorithm is once again utilized to optimize the transport vehicle scheduling. In cases of agricultural machinery failure or changes in the operating environment, two distinct methods are employed based on the situation. The first involves double-layer rescheduling of both harvester and transport vehicles, while the second employs single-layer rescheduling exclusively for the transport vehicles, yielding the respective rescheduling results. The outcomes demonstrate that the proposed solution method effectively identifies the current optimal scheduling plan for both the harvester and transport vehicle in the event of malfunctions. Moreover, under the premise that the unproductive waiting time of the harvester is reduced to zero, and the number of transport vehicles is minimized, it achieves the minimization of operating time cost and transportation cost. This method exhibits significant potential for seamless integration into the practical application of unmanned farms, providing a foundation for addressing scheduling and management challenges in multi-agricultural machinery collaborative operations within complex farmland operating environments.

Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Scheduling Problems: Some Models and Algorithms

In this paper, we consider some problems that arise in connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) systems. Their simplified variants can be formulated as scheduling problems. Therefore, scheduling solution algorithms can be used as a part of solution algorithms for real-world problems. For four variants of such problems, mathematical models and solution algorithms are presented. In particular, three polynomial algorithms and a branch and bound algorithm are developed. These CAV scheduling problems are considered in the literature for the first time. More complicated NP-hard scheduling problems related to CAVs can be considered in the future.

Sustainable Business Models for Innovative Urban Mobility Services

Any sharing mobility service aims to make urban mobility sustainable to help reduce environmental impacts and improve the quality of life for all in cities. Many transport services are not currently self-sustainable. The Life for Silver Coast (LifeSC) opened its mobility services on 22 May 2021 and offered electric mobility services during the summer for a few cities in Tuscany. E-bikes and e-scooters can be financially neutral, and even profitable, thanks to the low costs of the vehicles, but they only see a high utilization rate in winter. Shared electric cars, meanwhile, are not profitable. A new shared service that is viable must be profitable to become widely adopted and significantly contribute to sustainability. A few key characteristics have been identified, and one has been tested with a new business model that combines ride-sharing and car-sharing. The innovative Ride Sharing Algorithm (RSA) has been tested based on data from a potential city, Monterondo, where many commuters travel daily to Rome by train. The Italian census and local survey data allowed for the simulation of the scheduling of vehicle rides and an evaluation of the economic results, which could be positive if enough interest for such a system exists among the people, as at least 400 commuters from Monterotondo go to the train station daily in the morning and return in the afternoon. Such a transport demand would justify a new commercial sharing service by using the model tested with the RSA algorithm.

Scheduling of Collaborative Vegetable Harvesters and Harvest-Aid Vehicles on Farms

Transporting harvested vegetables in the field or greenhouse is labor-intensive. The utilization of small harvest-aid vehicles can reduce non-productive time for farmers and improve harvest efficiency. This paper models the process of harvesting vegetables in response to non-productive waiting delays caused by the scheduling of harvest-aid vehicles. Taking into consideration harvesting speed, harvest-aid vehicle capacity, and scheduling conflicts, a harvest-aid vehicle scheduling model is constructed to minimize non-production waiting time and coordination costs. Subsequently, to meet the collaborative needs of harvesters, this paper develops a discrete multi-objective Jaya optimization algorithm (DMO-Jaya), which combines an opposition-based learning mechanism and a long-term memory library to obtain scheduling schemes suitable for agricultural environments. Experiments show that the studied model can schedule harvest-aid vehicles without conflicts. Compared to the NSGA-II algorithm and the MMOPSO, the DMO-Jaya algorithm demonstrates a better diversity of solutions, resulting in a shorter non-productive waiting time for harvesters. This research provides a reference model for improving the efficiency of vegetable harvesting and transportation.

RL-based mobile edge computing scheme for high reliability low latency services in UAV-aided IIoT networks

The prevailing adoption of Internet of Things paradigm is giving rise to a wide range of use cases in various vertical industries including remote health, industrial automation, and smart agriculture. However, the realization of such use cases is mainly challenged due to their stringent service requirements of high reliability and low latency. This challenge grows further when the service entails processing collected data for informed decision making. In this work, we consider a field of industrial Internet of Things devices that generate computational tasks and are covered by a nearby base station equipped with an edge server. The edge server offers fast processing to the devices’ tasks to help in meeting their latency requirement. Due to statistical wireless variability, the task data may not be correctly delivered in time for processing. To this end, we utilize an unmanned aerial vehicle as a supplemental edge server that tailors its trajectory and flies closer to the IIoT devices to ensure a highly reliable task delivery based on the given task reliability constraints. We formulate the problem as a Markov Decision Process, and propose a deep reinforcement learning-based approach using proximal policy optimization to optimize the unmanned aerial vehicle trajectory and scheduling devices to offload their data for processing. We present simulation results for various system scenarios to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution as compared to several baseline approaches.

Hybrid loading situation vehicle routing problem in the context of agricultural harvesting: A reconstructed MOEA/D with parallel populations

With the increasing level of agricultural automation, the combination of agriculture and intelligent vehicle technology is propelling the development of smart agriculture. Although this technology has already been applied widely for various agricultural production tasks, inefficient vehicle scheduling still hasn't been resolved satisfactorily. Oriented towards agricultural harvesting scenarios, a hybrid loading situation vehicle routing problem (HLSVRP) model is proposed to minimize total energy consumption and maximum completion time. A reconstructed multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition (R-MOEA/D) is developed to solve the problem. Eight solution representations tailored specifically to the problem are introduced by R-MOEA/D, allowing an extensive exploration of the solution space. A modified Clarke & Wright (MCW) heuristic is designed to generate a high-quality initial population. A novel problem-specific parallel population updating mechanism based on the four crossover and two mutation combinations is also provided to improve the exploration ability. A collaborative search strategy is employed to facilitate cooperation among parallel populations. Finally, a series of comparative experiments conducted on various task scales and vehicle scales verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithmic components and the exceptional performance for solving HLSVRP.

Vehicular edge cloud computing content caching optimization solution based on content prediction and deep reinforcement learning

In conventional studies on vehicular edge computing, researchers frequently overlook the high-speed mobility of vehicles and the dynamic nature of the vehicular edge environment. Moreover, when employing deep reinforcement learning to address vehicular edge challenges, insufficient attention is given to the potential issue of the algorithm converging to a local optimal solution. This paper presents a content caching solution tailored for vehicular edge cloud computing, integrating content prediction and deep reinforcement learning techniques. Given the swift mobility of vehicles and the ever-changing nature of the vehicular edge environment, the study proposes a content prediction model based on Informer. Leveraging the Informer prediction model, the system anticipates the vehicular edge environment dynamics, thereby informing the caching of vehicle task content. Acknowledging the diverse time scales involved in policy decisions such as content updating, vehicle scheduling, and bandwidth allocation, the paper advocates a dual time-scale Markov modeling approach. Moreover, to address the local optimality issue inherent in the A3C algorithm, an enhanced A3C algorithm is introduced, incorporating an ɛ-greedy strategy to promote exploration. Recognizing the potential limitations posed by a fixed exploration rate ɛ, a dynamic baseline mechanism is proposed for updating ɛ dynamically. Experimental findings demonstrate that compared to alternative content caching approaches, the proposed vehicle edge computing content caching solution substantially mitigates content access costs. To support research in this area, we have publicly released the source code and pre-trained models at https://github.com/JYAyyyyyy/Informer.git.

A Bi-Objective Optimal Scheduling Method for the Charging and Discharging of EVs Considering the Uncertainty of Wind and Photovoltaic Output in the Context of Time-of-Use Electricity Price

With the increasing share of renewable energy generation and the integration of large-scale electric vehicles (EVs) into the grid, the reasonable charging and discharging scheduling of electric vehicles is essential for the stable operation of power grid. Therefore, this paper proposes a bi-objective optimal scheduling strategy for microgrids based on the participation of electric vehicles in vehicle-to-grid technology (V2G) mode. Firstly, the system structure for electric vehicles participating in the charging and discharging schedule was established. Secondly, a bi-objective optimization model was formulated, considering load mean square error and user charging cost. A heuristic method was employed to handle constraints related to system energy balance and equipment output. Then, the Monte Carlo method was employed to simulate electric vehicle loads and to facilitate the generation of and reduction in scenario scenes. Finally, the model was solved using an improved multi-objective barebones particle swarm optimization algorithm. The simulation results show that the proposed scheduling strategy has a lower charging cost (CNY 11,032.4) and lower load mean square error (12.84 × 105 kW2) than the strategy employed in the comparison experiment, which ensures the economic and stable operation of the microgrid.

Residential Parking Lot Pricing Strategy Considering Scheduling of Electric Vehicles

Residential Parking Lot Pricing Strategy Considering Scheduling of Electric Vehicles

An approach for minimizing annual energy loss by electric vehicle scheduling to optimal fast charging stations

ABSTRACT In order to mitigate the effects of electric vehicles’ (EVs) high power consumption on the distribution network, this study proposes a two-stage approach. First, it uses node traffic density forecasts to select optimal locations for fast charging stations (FCS). Then, to reduce the power demand on the distribution system, it schedules EVs to these FCSs. Considering constraints such as charger number, station capacity, and desired battery state of charge (SOC), the objectives are to minimize annual energy loss, optimize load demand, decrease station development costs (SDC), and maximize charging station (CS) income. The best locations for FCS are determined using a gray wolf optimization (GWO) technique. Rather than allocating EVs to uniform base loads, the study recommends analyzing different initial SOC cases to minimize power demand at FCSs. For EV scheduling, a queuing-averse charging station algorithm is suggested to reduce annual energy loss and increase station income. For various SOC cases relative to the base load scenario, this suggested method achieves an average daily FCS charging time of 648 min, a power loss of 16.8 kW, and an annual energy loss of 9.38 kW.

A Stochastic Drone-Scheduling Problem with Uncertain Energy Consumption

In this paper, we present a stochastic drone-scheduling problem where the energy consumption of drones between any two nodes is uncertain. Considering uncertain energy consumption as opposed to deterministic energy consumption can effectively enhance the safety of drone flights. To address this issue, we developed a two-stage stochastic programming model with recourse cost, and we employed a fixed-sample sampling strategy based on Monte Carlo simulation to characterize uncertain variables, followed by the design of an efficient variable neighborhood search algorithm to solve the model. Case study results indicate the superiority of our algorithm over genetic algorithms. Additionally, a comparison between deterministic and stochastic models suggests that considering the uncertainty in energy consumption can significantly enhance the average returns of unmanned aerial vehicle scheduling systems.

A Smart Approach to Electric Vehicle Optimization via IoT-Enabled Recommender Systems

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming of significant interest owing to their environmental benefits; however, energy efficiency concerns remain unsolved and require more investigation. A major issue is a lack of EV charging infrastructure, which can lead to operational difficulties. Effective infrastructure development, including well-placed charging stations (CS), is critical to enhancing connectivity. To overcome this, consumers want real-time data on charging station availability, neighboring station locations, and access times. This work leverages the Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol (DVMRP) to enhance the information collection process for charging stations through the Internet of Things (IoT). The evolving IoT paradigm enables the use of sensors and data transfer to give real-time information. Strategic sensor placement helps forecast server access to neighboring stations, optimize vehicle scheduling, and estimate wait times. A recommender system is designed to identify stations with more rapidly charging rates, along with uniform pricing. In addition, the routing protocol has a privacy protection strategy to prevent unauthorized access and safeguard EV data during exchanges between charging stations and user locations. The system is simulated with MATLAB 2020a, and the data are controlled and secured in the cloud. The predicted algorithm’s performance is evaluated using several kinds of standards, including power costs, vehicle counts, charging costs, energy consumption, and optimization values.

Research on Fresh Produce Delivery Scheduling Problems under the Perspective of Community E-commerce

This paper addresses the challenges associated with the high costs and logistical difficulties in the distribution of fresh agricultural products from the perspective of community e-commerce. The paper takes the perspective of merchant scheduling and integrates a classical vehicle scheduling model. The study meticulously examines the various costs associated with the distribution process, encompassing fixed costs, transportation costs, refrigeration costs, storage costs and time subsidies. A vehicle routing optimisation model was developed with the dual objectives of cost control and product quality assurance. The use of a genetic algorithm for analysis and solution indicates that this approach can achieve superior cost efficiency and more optimal delivery routes. The results not only confirm the validity of the model and the effectiveness of the solution algorithm, but also provide theoretical underpinnings and viable optimisation strategies for analogous route optimisation challenges. This research has significant reference value and practical relevance for improving delivery efficiency and cost management in community e-commerce.