Development of Optimum Transport Route Design Simulator for Agricultural Products Using GA

2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 15580227
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Agricultural information engineering
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: SATAKE Takaaki University of Tsukuba, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Professor, 大学院・生命環境科学研究科, 教授 (00170712)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): FURUYA Tatsumi Toho University, Faculty of Science, Professor, 理学部, 教授 (40266987)
• Project Period (FY): 2003 – 2004
• Keywords: genetic algorithm / reduction of transport cost / reduction of CO2 / design of optimum transport route / simulator / search of transport route

Research Abstract

The genetic algorithm(GA), which is often used in computer simulation, is a stochastic searching, learning and optimizing method. Utilizing GA, we have developed a basic simulator to find an optimum transport route reducing transport cost of agricultural products. The simulator is coded by ANSI C language. It can find an optimum transport route, given several parameters which are weight of agricultural procedure, passing points, performance of delivery vehicle, etc.
Using the software, we have carried out two simulations. The first simulation has been carried out under the condition that the delivery vehicle has no agricultural produce. The second has been done under the condition that the delivery vehicle is not empty. For the sake of comparison, two simulations have also been carried out, utilizing random search algorithm (RS).
As a result of simulations, the optimum transport route at an empty run is different from a delivery ; besides the average of fuel costs in the simulation using GA is lower than it using RS. Reduction of the cost has been attained.