Search Results

This work deals with the problem of minimizing the waste of space of a placement of a set of two-dimensional objects inside a two-dimensional container. We address this problem with a heuristic approach based on simulated annealing, which is a probabilistic heuristic inspired on the physico-chemical processes that take place during the recrystalisation of a metal. We avoid the traditional “external penalisation” approach by applying the Minkowski sum algorithm from computational geometry to determinate collision-free regions inside the container to place an item. This gives a more universal character to the proposed algorithm, as external penalisation relies on arbitrary parameters that affect greatly the performance of the optimisation algorithm. Our algorithm is suited to non-convex items and non-convex containers, and it can be easily adapted to related problems, such as minimizing the dimensions of the container.

The objective of this paper is to show how viable is the use of solar energy, which is accomplished by the optimal utilisation of energy in a solar racing vehicle, which is in turn achieved by optimising its energy management via racing strategy. Simulated Annealing is an optimisation process that is suited for large, multivariable, combinatorial optimisation problems such as this one: finding an optimal racing strategy, using the best way possible the energy converted by the photovoltaic panel. Based on instantaneous inputs, Simulated Annealing calculates the instantaneous velocity that allows the vehicle to proceed as fast as possible.