Autor: Bernd-Ludwig Wenning

The traditional approach of transport logistic challenges is based on a central and static viewpoint. A given scenario is tried to be solved in an optimal way. Examples of established and well investigated scenarios in this area are the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) and the Pickup and Delivery Problem (PDP). The algorithms for these traditional points of view are pushed to their limits when applied on dynamically changing and close to reality scenarios. By contrast, the introduced autonomous control concept Distributed Logistics Routing Protocol (DLRP) was developed to act within a dynamic environment and to enable logistic objects to make own decisions. A comparison of the DLRP and a traditional algorithm will be presented as an evaluation study of the autonomous control concept.

In current logistics systems, there is a trend towards more and more smaller and smaller transport positions (atomisation of load). This increases the complexity of planning and control. Therefore, there is a need for new concepts to be able to still have efficient logistics in the future. Such a new concept is the autonomous control where intelligence and decision autonomy are moved as far as possible from a central control instance towards the individual vehicles and goods. For this concept of autonomously controlled logistics components, a model is needed to represent the logistics processes and to enable the investigation and evaluation of solution approaches. Such a model has been developed in the CRC 637 “Autonomous Controlled Logistics Processes - A Paradigm Shift and its Limitations" [1] as a discrete-event simulation platform and is presented here with exemplary results of a control algorithm.

A significant part of traffic in urban areas nowadays is transport traffic within the „last mile“, i.e. vehicles on delivery or pickup tours transporting goods from or to customers. This article describes new IT services, which on the one hand help optimizing this logistics traffic and on the other hand make the deliveries more customer-friendly.