A New Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm Approach for the Vehicle Routing Problem

The Artificial Bee Colony algorithm is a modern optimization technique based on the simulation of intelligent behavior of a swarm of bees searching for food. This algorithm is one of the Swarm Intelligence (SI) algorithms that are an integral part in the field of artificial intelligence. The use of algorithms based on swarm intelligence is an emerging area in the field of optimization, widely used in solving the Vehicle Routing Problem. This paper presents the results obtained after implementing the original modified ABC algorithm of an artificial bee colony. The task of the created system is to support the planning of the optimal route leading between the selected starting point and one of the many destination points. In this experiment, the algorithm was modified by adding a new function for one of the components of the equation. For this purpose, the division of artificial bees into scout bees, active bees and watching bees was adopted. Then a second function was added for the watching bees. These bees, apart from waiting for new solutions, strive to shorten the routes that have already been remembered. As part of the observations, five different tasks were generated for two different sets of input parameters. The computational simulations provided very encouraging results. The introduced modification results in an increase in the efficiency of the algorithm and a reduction in the time needed to find the optimal route.