Modeling and scheduling an autonomous sorting system using a switching max-plus linear model

Sorting systems form an example of event driven systems. These types of systems are referred to as discrete event systems (DES), and they consist of jobs that need to be performed at available resources. In an autonomous sorting system, jobs consist of robots receiving and delivering parcels at the correct locations. With scheduling, optimal...

Identification of near-Earth asteroids using multi-spacecraft systems

For several decades, humanity has worked on cataloguing the population of near-Earth asteroids (NEA's). Knowledge of these small members of the Solar system not only helps in defending Earth from asteroid impacts; study of the population might also provide valuable scientific insights, and open economic possibilities through developments such as...

Advisory-Based Time Slot Management System to Mitigate Waiting Time at Container Terminal Gates

This paper introduces an advisory-based time slot management system (TSMS) to control truck arrivals at seaport terminals with the aim to reduce congestion at terminal gates. A modeling framework is proposed, developed, and applied to assess the impact of a truck arrival shift for a case study in the Port of Rotterdam. This system is designed...

Finding the relevance of staff-based vehicle relocations in one-way carsharing systems through the use of a simulation-based optimization tool

This paper proposes a real-time decision support tool based on the rolling-horizon principle that manages staff activities (relocations and maintenance) of a one-way carsharing system and considers carpooling the staff in the relocated carsharing vehicles for extra cost reduction. The decision support tool is composed of three elements: a...

Optimization of Island Electricity System: Transition to a sustainable electricity supply system on islands through the implementation of a hybrid system including ocean energy technologies

Climate change without adequate countermeasures has become one of humanity's greatest threat. Energy production by means of renewable energy sources is therefore one of the crucial measures that will play a paramount role in reducing the pollutant emissions of fossil fuel dependency. Small islands in particular are an exemplary case of the...

Event-based progression detection strategies using scanning laser polarimetry images of the human retina

Monitoring glaucoma patients and ensuring optimal treatment requires accurate and precise detection of progression. Many glaucomatous progression detection strategies may be formulated for Scanning Laser Polarimetry (SLP) data of the local nerve fiber thickness. In this paper, several strategies, all based on repeated GDx VCC SLP measurements,...

The Simulation-based Multi-objective Evolutionary OptimizatioN (SIMEON) Framework

A powerful combination of simulation and optimization has been successfully applied to solve real-world decision making problems (Fu et al., 2000; Fu, Glover, & April, 2005). Unfortunately, there are scientific and application problems with this method. Firstly, there is no transparent and formal structure to define the integration between...

Automated Implant-Processor Design

As we move towards an aging population, it is likely that an increasing number of people will require an increasing diversity of implants, but at a lower cost to the society. Also, as computer technology progresses, smaller, more powerful, and less battery intensive implants can be designed. However, present implant design methodology is highly...

Regularization of Water Flooding Optimization

The use of smart well technology to optimize water flooding introduces a large number of control parameters both in space (well segments) and time. The problem of finding the optimal control parameters to maximize net present value as an objective function can be solved with the aid of a gradient-based optimization method. Using too many...