The One-Commodity Traveling Salesman Problem with Selective Pickup and Delivery

Abstract

This paper discusses a novel combinatorial optimization problem which arises in the domain of wireless sensor networks. A mobile robot with limited cargo capacity replaces damaged sensors, previously deployed over an area of interest, with passive ones so as to preserve the network coverage. The one-commodity traveling salesman problem with selective pickup an delivery is strongly related to the pickup and delivery traveling salesman problem and the prize-collecting travelling salesman problem. The problem is characterized by the fact that the demand of any delivery customer can be met by a relatively large number of pickup customers. While all delivery spots are to be visited, only profitable pickup locations will be included in the tour. A hybrid meta-heuristic approach between genetic algorithms and ant colony optimization is put forward.