4. Practical Implementation of Scheduling Tools

In this chapter, we present a practical implementation of a software tool designed for scheduling vessels in natural inland waterways, following the requirements imposed by the port authorities of the Guadalquivir River, an inland port located in the south of Spain. The implemented system focuses on optimizing the planning of cargo vessel journeys in inland waterways. This, along with the integrated library of functions, equips navigation planners with a comprehensive solution for optimizing vessel routes while considering the constraints imposed by varying depths and encounter situations. By considering real-time data and environmental conditions, it enables the calculation of safe crossing windows (tubes) for vessels to pass through critical points along their journeys, thereby minimizing the risk of accidents and ensuring safe navigation. This implementation represents a significant step forward in the field of inland navigation planning, offering a valuable resource for improving logistics operations in these challenging environments. The codes with the different functionalities for the implementation of the safe tube finding algorithm as well as the optimization problem for calculating the optimal trip plans of all vessels have been distributed through an open-source repository.