Application of Multi Agent System and Transition Matrix Analysis to Logistics System for Equal Distribution under Disaster Situation

Abstract

The logistics under disaster situation has recently been dealt with in many publications and most of the studies focus on optimization techniques from the viewpoint of the Operational Research. On the other hand, it is effective to grasp roughly the transportation capability of the logistics system in the disaster response plan, which may constitute a part of disaster prevention plan, prior to optimization. Under disaster circumstance, equal distribution system for evacuation refugees is essential and such system should be established taking into account the constraints of the logistics system under the circumstance different from ordinary situation. Two analysis tools for the equal distribution system are introduced in this paper, in order to estimate the performance of the logistics system for disaster response. One is a simulator based on the Multi-Agent System, in which the vehicles, e.g. trucks, ships, aircrafts, as agent determine their delivery destination corresponding to sufficiency ratios of the relief supplies of respective areas. The other is a method based on the transition matrix analysis that estimates where the bottleneck takes place. Combining these two tools enables to design more efficient and robust logistics systems. Applying these tools to a logistics system in a disaster response plan of a city, where a large scale disaster is concerned, effective countermeasures are quantitatively clarified.