Applying A* Algorithm in routing for Inter-Terminal Transport System at Busan Port

Abstract

This paper proposes a heuristic approach named A* algorithm to find shortest route for Inter-Terminal Transport Monorail System (ITT system) that are being applied in Busan Port (Korea). In every transport system, vehicle routing and task assignment are significant problems that affects strongly the overall system’s efficiency, especially the travel cost and the time taking. The proposed ITT system will use shuttles to carry containers along a monorail that links the internal terminals. A* algorithm is used to guide the shuttles in a shortest way automatically from a known loading position to a designated unloading one. In the first part of the paper, we will describe briefly about the ITT system that being considered in Korea. Next, we will explain why and how we implement A* algorithm in dispatching. Finally, we will give some comparisons between performances of new ITT system and traditional transport system through simulation in MATLAB.