Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Delegate MAS for Large Scale and Dynamic PDP: A Case Study

  • Conference paper
Intelligent Distributed Computing V

Part of the book series: Studies in Computational Intelligence ((SCI,volume 382))

  • 816 Accesses

Abstract

Pickup and Delivery Problems (PDPs) have received significant research interest in the past decades. Their industrial relevance has stimulated the study of various types of solutions. Both centralized solutions, using discrete optimization techniques, as well as distributed, multi-agent system (MAS) solutions, have proven their merits. However, real PDP problems today are more and more characterized by (1) dynamism - in terms of tasks, service time, vehicle availability, infrastructure availability, and (2) their large scale - in terms of the geographical field of operation, the number of pickup and delivery tasks and vehicles. A combination of both characteristics brings unsolved challenges.

Delegate MAS is a coordination mechanism that could prove to be valuable for constructing a decentralized solution for dynamic and large scale PDP problems. In this paper, we illustrate a solution based on delegate MAS for solving PDP. Our solution enables different agents to dynamically collect and disseminate local information and make decisions in a fully decentralized way. We applied our approach to a concrete case study. Experimental results indicate the suitability of the approach for dynamic and large scale PDP problems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Caridi, M., Cavalieri, S.: Multi-agent Systems in Production Planning and Control: an Overview. Production Planning and Control 15(2), 106–118 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Glaschenko, A., Ivaschenko, A., Rzevski, G., Skobelev, P.: Multi-Agent Real Time Scheduling System for Taxi Companies. In: Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, AAMAS (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Dorer, K., Calisti, M.: An Adaptive Solution to Dynamic Transport Optimization. In: Proc. of 4th Int. Conf. on Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, AAMAS (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Parragh, S.N., Doerner, K.F., Harti, R.F.: A survey on PDP Part II: Transportation between Pickup and Delivery Locations. Journal fr Betriebswirtschaft 58(2), 81–117 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Eksioglu, B., Vural, A.V., Reisman, A.: The Vehicle Routing Problem: A Taxonomic Review. Computers and Industrial Engineering 57(4), 1472–1483 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Berbeglia, G., Cordeau, J.F., Laporte, G.: Dynamic Pickup and Delivery Problems. European Journal of Operational Research 202, 8–15 (2010)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  7. Hentenryck, P.V., Bent, R.W.: Online Stochastic Combinatorial Optimization. Operations Research 52, 977–987 (2004)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  8. Rizoli, A.E., Montemanni, R., Lucibello, E., Gambardella, L.M.: Ant Colony Optimization for Real World Vehicle Routing Problems. Swarm Intelligence 1(2), 135–151 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Kouki, Z., Chaar, B.F., Ksouri, M.: Extended CNP Framework for the dynamic Pickup and Delivery Problem Solving. In: Artificial Intelligence and Innovations III 296 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Fischer, K., Muller, J., Pischel, M.: Cooperative Transportation Scheduling: An Application domain for DAI. Journal of Applied Artificial Intelligence (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Kozlak, J., Creput, J.C., Hilaire, V., Koukam, A.: Multi-agent Approach to Dynamic PDP with Uncertain Knowledge about Future Transport Demands. Fundamenta Informaticae 71 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Holvoet, T., Valckenaers, P.: Exploiting the Environment for Coordinating Agent Intentions. In: Weyns, D., Van Dyke Parunak, H., Michel, F. (eds.) E4MAS 2006. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 4389, pp. 51–66. Springer, Heidelberg (2007)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  13. Claes, R., Holvoet, T.: Maintaining a Distributed Symbiotic Relationship using Delegate Multi agent Systems. In: Proc. of Winter Simulation Conference (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Weyns, D., Holvoet, T., Helleboogh, A.: Anticipatory Vehicle Routing Using Delegate Multi-Agent Systems. In: Proc. of IEEE intelligent Transportation Systems Conference (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Gendreau, M., Guertin, F., Potvin, J.Y., Seguin, R.: Neighborhood Search Heuristics for a Dynamic Vehicle Dispatching Problem with Pick-ups and Deliveries. Transportation Research Part C 14, 157–174 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Psaraftis, H.N.: Dynamic Vehicle Routing: Status and Prospects. Annals of Operations Research 61, 143–164 (1995)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  17. Gutenschwager, K., Niklaus, C., Vob, S.: Dispatching of an Electric Monorail System: Applying Metaheuristics to an Online PDP. Transportation Science 38, 434–446 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Powell, W.B., Towns, M.T., Marar, A.: On the Value of Optimal Myopic Solutions for Dynamic Routing and Scheduling Problems in the Presence of user Noncompliance. Transportation Science 34(1), 67–85 (2000)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  19. Jennings, N.R.: On Agent-based Software Engineering. Artificial Intelligence 117, 277–296 (2000)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  20. Burke, E.K., Kendall, G. (eds.): Search Methodologies: Introductory Tutorials in Optimization and Decision Support Techniques. Springer, Heidelberg (2005)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  21. Marrow, P.: Scalability in Multi-Agent Systems: The DIET Project. In: Workshop on Infrastructure for Agents. MAS and Scalable Multi-Agent Systems at Autonomous Agents (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Wooldridge, M. (ed.): An Introduction to MultiAgent Systems. Wiley, Chichester (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Van Dyke Parunak, H., Brueckner, S.A., Weyns, D., Holvoet, T., Verstraete, P., Valckenaers, P.: E Pluribus Unum: Polyagent and Delegate MAS Architectures. In: Antunes, L., Paolucci, M., Norling, E. (eds.) MABS 2007. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 5003, pp. 36–51. Springer, Heidelberg (2008)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  24. Holvoet, T., Weyns, D., Valckenaers, P.: Patterns of Delegate MAS. In: Third IEEE International Conference on Self-Adaptive and Self-Organizing Systems (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Weyns, D., Holvoet, T.: From Reactive Robotics to Situated Multiagent Systems: A Historical Perspective on the Role of the Environment in Multiagent Systems. In: Workshop on Engineering Societies in the Agents World, pp. 31–56 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Computer Science, Katholiek Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200A, B-3001, Heverlee, Belgium

    Shaza Hanif, Rinde R. S. van Lon, Ning Gui & Tom Holvoet

Authors
  1. Shaza Hanif
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rinde R. S. van Lon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ning Gui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tom Holvoet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Technology,Policy andManagement, Intelligent Interactive Dynamic Systems, Section Systems Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628BX, Delft, The Netherlands

    F. M. T. Brazier

  2. D-CIS lab, P.O. Box 90, 2600 AB, Delft, The Netherlands

    Kees Nieuwenhuis  & Gregor Pavlin  & 

  3. Faculty of Technology,Policy andManagement, Section Systems Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628BX, Delft, The Netherlands

    Martijn Warnier

  4. Faculty of Automatics, Computers and Electronics, Software Engineering Department, University of Craiova, Bvd. Decebal Nr. 107, 200440, Craiova, Romania

    Costin Badica

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Hanif, S., van Lon, R.R.S., Gui, N., Holvoet, T. (2011). Delegate MAS for Large Scale and Dynamic PDP: A Case Study. In: Brazier, F.M.T., Nieuwenhuis, K., Pavlin, G., Warnier, M., Badica, C. (eds) Intelligent Distributed Computing V. Studies in Computational Intelligence, vol 382. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-24013-3_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-24013-3_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-24012-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-24013-3

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics