Route planning software

Directions ( route planner, route planner, from French: route = road ) are computer programs that can help a path between a start and a destination can be found. In most cases, one or more places in between ("via " ) can be specified. It can usually needs to specify whether the quickest, shortest, most economical ( most economical ) or sometimes the best route is to be sought.

Directions there is either offline for PC or for built-in GPS navigation systems in vehicles or on the Internet such as Falk.de or Google Maps. For cyclists there are special directions, the selection in the leg determination bike suitable compounds. Similarly, there are, for example, take into account the weight restrictions specific directions for trucks.

Data

The geo data ( routable road network data, geocoded house numbers, points of interest ) of the different directions coming from just a few companies. Current European road data are, inter alia, created by the company Navteq, Tele Atlas and PTV.

In construction is currently OpenStreetMap, a free community project with the aim to collect worldwide spatial data available to everyone free of charge. In urban area, the data are often almost completely, in the area there are regional differences in quality and completeness.

Solution strategies

Solutions can be found with the help of graph theory; for an optimal solution, for example, with the Dijkstra algorithm. To be eligible for directions with street networks of entire continents sufficiently fast to the optimal solution, the use of acceleration techniques is required. Many commercial systems still use heuristics, but also find very good solutions. A special case of route planning is the problem of the traveling salesman.

Radroutenplaner

As Radroutenplaner special directions are referred to looking at the leg determination specifically for cyclists or cycling routes suitable ways. In contrast to the very many route planners for drivers exist only a small number Radroutenplaner covering mostly only a certain ( relatively small ) area. The reason for the lower distribution and area coverage is that the existing data base ( Navteq or Tele Atlas ) usually used must be used for the car traffic, and paths and roads with attendant cycle paths must first be grudge for the desired area. This specific data maintenance usually take over administrative bodies in order to promote bicycle tourism in their region. Bicycle route planning is therefore understood as a free tool to promote tourism and used. In particular, for urban areas is now often routed to OpenStreetMap Foundation.

The first Radroutenplaner was offered in 1997 by the State of North Rhine -Westphalia since followed, inter alia, the states of Hesse, Rhineland -Palatinate, Bremen, Bavaria, and since April 2011 Schleswig -Holstein. In the Netherlands, there is a similar system that is operated by the National Bicycle Club. In Baden- Württemberg is currently a national bicycle route planner in planning, as well as in some other states. An example of a local bicycle route planner below the state level is that of the Transport and Tariff Association Stuttgart, covering an area of ​​five counties and will serve alongside the development of tourism and the promotion of transport by the possible combination with public transport.