Vehicle routing problem with drones as an aid for epidemic relief
by Shih-Hao Lu; Marco Fabio Benaglia; Anh-Tu Nguyen; Edgar Rojas Rivera; Jen-Wei Cheng
International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics (IJSTL), Vol. 18, No. 3, 2024

Abstract: In response to epidemics, especially if vaccines and cures are not readily available, governments issue lockdowns and impose social distancing. Under such circumstances, to avoid potentially dangerous person-to-person contacts, drones can replace people in performing functions like delivering supplies, collecting swabs, measuring human body temperatures, etc. This paper introduces a new type of vehicle routing problem with multiple drones for epidemic relief (VRP-mD_ER), defined by a MILP mathematical model solved to near-optimality through the combined application of the 'single-linkage' (S-LINK) algorithm, and a heuristic based on greedy randomised adaptive search procedure (GRASP) and genetic algorithm (GA). The proposed model helps reduce the total service time by 15%-19%, to deliver critical supplies quickly, and make relief operations more efficient and cost-effective by saving up to 59% of variable costs. Additionally, we provide a list of optimal combinations of trucks and drones to minimise delivery time and costs, and a sensitivity analysis.

Online publication date: Tue, 11-Jun-2024

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