Ruttplaner

Ruttplaner, or route planners, are systems and methods used to design routes for travel, transport, and logistics. They aim to determine sequences of locations and timings that minimize travel time, distance, fuel use, or cost while respecting constraints such as delivery windows, vehicle capacities, road restrictions, and safety.

Ruttplaner can be manual or algorithmic. Manual planning relies on network knowledge, while algorithmic planning uses mathematical models to produce optimal or near-optimal routes. A common framework represents the network as a graph, with nodes as locations and edges weighted by distance or time. Shortest-path algorithms (Dijkstra, A) compute single routes; the vehicle routing problem (VRP) handles fleets.

Advanced planners support multi-criteria optimization, multi-stop itineraries, and time windows. They use exact methods for small problems and metaheuristics (genetic algorithms, tabu search) or decomposition for larger instances.

Tools include GIS, routing engines, and APIs that access road data, traffic, and weather. Data sources include OpenStreetMap or proprietary datasets; outputs are routes and schedules.

Applications include logistics and delivery, public transit, emergency services, tourism, and hiking. Challenges include data quality, dynamic traffic, privacy concerns, and balancing multiple objectives.