Helicopter Mission Assignment in Disaster Relief Based on Particle Swarm Optimization

In the immediate aftermath of a large-scale disaster, optimal helicopter rescue mission assignment is critical to saving many lives. The current practice in the field in mostly human-centered, however. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has been developing a decision-support system for aircraft operation whose goal is prompt planning and execution of rescue missions. The current research focuses on evacuation missions in particular and investigates the potential of particle swarm optimization (PSO) in aircraft resource management. A robust particle model which can reflect various helicopter properties as well as evacuation mission characteristics is proposed. PSO parameters are modified and set based on numerical simulations and the values determined in this way are used in an optimization of disaster relief mission assignments based on real data obtained during the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2011. It is shown that PSO can be successfully adapted to disaster relief support systems and provide valuable analysis and decision-making information to the authorities in charge.