Ant Colony Optimization in Street Route Planning

ABSTRACT
Route planning is a task commonly attributed to programs that make use of
optimization methods such as Dijkstras algorithm. However, simply planning the shortest
path from one point to another on a map is not enough to provide accurate and efficient
pathways. Various external variables must be also be accounted for (like traffic flow, volume
and road congestion). Hence, there is a need for more advanced algorithms which involve the
use of artificial intelligence. One such algorithm is the ant colony optimization. Taking
inspiration from ants that leave pheromone trails in order to find the most efficient path to
their food source, a similar logic is utilized.
This project was coded in Java and used XML for road data. It was designed to find
the optimal path from a set origin to destination. The program was limited to finding paths
from intersection to intersection only.
The program has failed to yield conclusive results due to its incompletion. A bug
concerning the route storage mechanism has prevented the group from obtaining results. The
bug is the only problem left as the rest of the algorithm is sound and well-functioning.
If successful, the program will find its applications in creating new and more
advanced forms of path planning. It will improve the efficiency of our current equipment by
allowing them to create more realistic and ideal outputs. The improved route planning will
also save people time and money, as fewer resources will have to be allocated for travelling.

PS-09