A novel conflict free routing with multi pickup delivery tasks for autonomous vehicles

Purpose: This study aims to propose a novel method for the conflict detection and eradication of autonomous vehicles which has predetermined routes to establish multi pickup and delivery tasks according to task priorities and vehicle capacity status on each pickup and delivery nodes in assembly cells in the automotive production. Design/methodology/approach: In the designed system, the routing of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and scheduling of pickup and delivery tasks are established in production logistics. Gantt chart is created according to vehicle routes, and conflicts are detected using the proposed conflict-sweep algorithm. The proposed conflict-solving algorithm eliminates conflicts on intersections and roads by considering vehicle routes and task priorities. Findings: In many production systems, there is a need to obtain flexible routes in each pickup delivery task group that changes during day, week, etc. Proposed system provides remarkable advantages in obtaining conflict-free routes for pre-scheduled multi transport tasks of vehicles by considering efficiency in production systems. Originality/value: A novel method is proposed for the conflict detection and eradication of AVs. Proposed system eliminates conflicts on intersections and roads by considering pre-planned vehicle routes for a fleet of heterogeneous AVs. Unlike most of the other conflict-free algorithms, in which conflicts are solved between two points, proposed system also considers multi pickup and delivery points for AVs. This is pioneering paper that addresses conflict-free route planning with backhauls and scheduling of multi pickup and delivery tasks for AVs. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.