Multi-criteria, personalized route planning using quantifier-guided ordered weighted averaging operators

This paper presents a generic model for using different decision strategies in multi-criteria, personalized route planning. Some researchers have considered user preferences in navigation systems. However, these prior studies typically employed a high tradeoff decision strategy, which used a weighted linear aggregation rule, and neglected other decision strategies. The proposed model integrates a pairwise comparison method and quantifier-guided ordered weighted averaging (OWA) aggregation operators to form a personalized route planning method that incorporates different decision strategies. The model can be used to calculate the impedance of each link regarding user preferences in terms of the route criteria, criteria importance and the selected decision strategy. Regarding the decision strategy, the calculated impedance lies between aggregations that use a logical “and” (which requires all the criteria to be satisfied) and a logical “or” (which requires at least one criterion to be satisfied). The calculated impedance also includes taking the average of the criteria scores. The model results in multiple alternative routes, which apply different decision strategies and provide users with the flexibility to select one of them en-route based on the real world situation. The model also defines the robust personalized route under different decision strategies. The influence of different decision strategies on the results are investigated in an illustrative example. This model is implemented in a web-based geographical information system (GIS) for Isfahan in Iran and verified in a tourist routing scenario. The results demonstrated, in real world situations, the validity of the route planning carried out in the model.

Research highlights
► Different decision strategies are incorporated to the process of personalized route planning.
► The normalization function of each route planning criteria is defined.
► An integration of pairwise comparison (normal and structured) in to the quantifier-guided OWA to form a direct equation is presented.
► The robust personalized route planning algorithm regarding different decision strategies is developed.
► A GIS based multi-criteria decision model for personalized route planning using quantifier-guided OWA is proposed and developed as a web based system completely using open source solutions.