Collaborative Hybrid Aerial and Ground Vehicle Routing for Post-Disaster Assessment

Abstract

Hybrid aerial and ground vehicles are seen as a promising option for deployment in a post-disaster assessment due to the risk of infrastructure damage that may hinder the assessment operation. The efficient operation of the hybrid aerial and ground vehicle, particularly routings, remains a challenge. The present study proposed a collaborative hybrid aerial and ground vehicle to support the operation of post-disaster assessment. The study developed two models, i.e., the Two-Echelon Vehicle Routing Problem combined with Assignment (2EVRPA) and the Two-Echelon Collaborative Vehicle Routing Problem (2ECoVRP) to evaluate optimal routings for both aerial and ground vehicles. The difference lies in the second echelon in which the 2EVRPA uses a single point-to-point assignment, whereas the 2ECoVRP considers the collaborative routings between the ground vehicle and the aerial vehicle. To demonstrate its applicability, the developed models were applied to solve the post-disaster assessment for the Mount Merapi eruption in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Sets of numerical experiments based on the empirical case were conducted. The findings indicate that the 2ECoVRP performs better than 2EVRPA in terms of the total operation time. The tabu search algorithm was found to be a promising method to solve the models due to its good quality solution and computational efficiency. The deployment of eight drones appears to be optimum for the given network configuration of the studied case. Flight altitude and battery capacity were found to be influential to the operation time, hence requiring further exploration. Other potential avenues for future research are also discussed.

Risks of Drone Use in Light of Literature Studies

“…Construction, ease of implementation, efficiency, safety, effectiveness, and the ability to transport items or collect data cause drones to be considered a promising technology for search and rescue missions [ 143 , 144 , 145 , 146 , 147 , 148 , 149 , 150 ], support for ground transport in dire situations [ 151 , 152 , 153 ], or disaster respond and recovery [ 143 , 144 , 146 , 154 , 155 , 156 ]. Drones can be used for the following purposes: Detection of chemical substances [ 155 ]; Disaster victim identification [ 150 ]; Firefighting operations [ 157 , 158 ]; Transport of medical products [ 151 , 159 , 160 ]; Restoring radio communication [ 149 ]; Support for police patrols [ 161 ]; Responding to the gestures of a person participating in a response mission [ 162 ]; Surveillance in areas with diverse radiation levels [ 163 ]; Detecting anomalies in pollution [ 113 ].…”

“…While [ 152 ] describes the technological or regulatory challenges for UAVs, in [ 204 , 222 ], attention is drawn to the legal-political, socio-legal approach and the implementation of regulations, highlighting the measures that should be taken before making a given technology available to the public. Some of the important areas are planning paths, avoiding obstacles, and navigation [ 143 , 154 , 156 , 188 , 189 , 190 , 191 , 192 , 193 , 194 , 195 , 196 , 197 , 198 , 199 , 200 , 201 , 202 ]. The aspects mentioned above have a significant impact on the operational safety of the drone.…”

“…Construction, ease of implementation, efficiency, safety, effectiveness, and the ability to transport items or collect data cause drones to be considered a promising technology for search and rescue missions [143][144][145][146][147][148][149][150], support for ground transport in dire situations [151][152][153], or disaster respond and recovery [143,144,146,[154][155][156]. Drones can be used for the following purposes:…”

Enhancing Post-Disaster Mapping Assessment: Agent-Based Simulation Modeling Integrating Ground Vehicles and Drones (Case Study: Mount Merapi's Volcanic Eruption)

“…This data collection activity falls within the response phase of disaster management and holds significant importance, as it provides essential information on the extent of impacts, victim locations, casualty numbers, and logistical requirements for efficient post-disaster operations. The timeliness and responsiveness of data collection concerning the post-disaster situation must be prioritized, as these factors serve as benchmarks for assessing the logistical capabilities required to save lives and expedite infrastructure repairs [10]. A viable approach to gathering data on the physical impacts of the disaster is through the mapping of affected areas.…”

“…While land vehicles face range limitations based on road accessibility, they have longer operational durations compared to drones. Therefore, employing a combination of land vehicles and drones compensates for each other's shortcomings, effectively addressing road access issues with drones and resolving operational time and range challenges with land vehicles [10].…”