Optimizing Package Delivery with Quantum Annealers: Addressing Time-Windows and Simultaneous Pickup and Delivery
This is an incremental application of an existing method to new domain-specific constraints in logistics.
The paper tackled the problem of package delivery with complex real-world constraints like time-windows and simultaneous pickups, using a quantum-classical method called Q4RPD, and demonstrated it on seven instances without reporting specific performance numbers.
Recent research at the intersection of quantum computing and routing problems has been highly prolific. Much of this work focuses on classical problems such as the Traveling Salesman Problem and the Vehicle Routing Problem. The practical applicability of these problems depends on the specific objectives and constraints considered. However, it is undeniable that translating complex real-world requirements into these classical formulations often proves challenging. In this paper, we resort to our previously published quantum-classical technique for addressing real-world-oriented routing problems, known as Quantum for Real Package Delivery (Q4RPD), and elaborate on solving additional realistic problem instances. Accordingly, this paper emphasizes the following characteristics: i) simultaneous pickup and deliveries, ii) time-windows, and iii) mobility restrictions by vehicle type. To illustrate the application of Q4RPD, we have conducted an experimentation comprising seven instances, serving as a demonstration of the newly developed features.