# OpenRouteService MCP for AI Agents AI Agent Connect > OpenRouteService MCP for AI Agents. Plan complex routes, solve vehicle routing problems, and perform spatial analysis like isochrones and geocoding. It uses OpenStreetMap data to give your agent precise directions for cars, bikes, and pedestrians, plus distance matrices for large-scale logistics. ## Overview - **Category:** developer-tools - **Price:** Free - **Endpoint:** https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_PSUHMhycOvqpomQ4KyrnDt17AfCQwXu8mm8OMYhJ/ai-agent-connect - **Tags:** routing, geocoding, isochrones, distance-matrix, vehicle-routing-problem, spatial-analysis ## Description OpenRouteService turns your AI into a spatial analysis expert. Instead of jumping between maps and spreadsheets, you can just tell your agent to figure out the best way to hit ten different delivery stops while staying under a specific fuel limit. It pulls from OpenStreetMap data to give you real-world results for driving, biking, or walking. You can map out how far a delivery van can travel in 20 minutes or find the exact street address for a set of coordinates. It handles the heavy lifting of vehicle routing problems so you don't have to guess which stop comes next. This means you spend less time on manual calculations and more time making decisions. Because it's hosted on the Vinkius catalog, you can get these logistics tools running in your preferred AI client in minutes without wrestling with complex API documentation. You get a direct line to high-quality routing data that helps you plan better, move faster, and understand your geography with more precision. ## Tools ### calculate_directions Find the best path between points for cars, bikes, or pedestrians. It gives you the exact distance and travel time. ### get_elevation_line Get the altitude changes for a specific path. This is great for checking mountain grades or hilly terrain. ### search_country_boundary Limit your searches to a specific country. It ensures your agent doesn't pull data from outside your target area. ### reverse_geocode Turn a set of coordinates into a readable street address. It's perfect for identifying locations from GPS pings. ### geocode_search Turn an address into map coordinates. This helps your agent find exact locations for routing. ### calculate_isochrones Create a map showing everywhere you can reach in a specific time. It helps visualize travel zones. ### calculate_matrix Build a table of distances and times between many different locations. Use this for comparing multiple routes at once. ### check_optimization_status See how a complex routing job is progressing. It lets you track the status of large vehicle assignments. ### solve_vrp_optimization Find the best order for multiple stops given vehicle capacity and time windows. It solves the hardest routing problems. ### snap_gps_to_road Fix messy GPS coordinates by snapping them to the nearest road. This makes your spatial data much cleaner. ## Prompt Examples **Prompt:** ``` Plan a route for a delivery van to hit these 5 addresses in the best order. ``` **Response:** ``` I've calculated the optimal route for your 5 stops using the VROOM solver. **Route Summary:** - **Total Distance:** 24.2 km - **Total Duration:** 42 min - **Optimal Order:** 1. 123 Maple St 2. 456 Oak Ave 3. 789 Pine Ln 4. 101 Cedar Blvd 5. 202 Birch Way Would you like me to generate a distance matrix for these locations as well? ``` **Prompt:** ``` Show me how far a person can walk in 15 minutes from the city center. ``` **Response:** ``` I've generated a 15-minute walking isochrone for the city center. **Analysis Results:** - **Reachability Area:** ~3.2 km² - **Key Neighborhoods Included:** Downtown, East End, and Riverside. - **Max Distance:** 1.8 km I can also generate 5-minute or 30-minute versions if you need to see how the reachability changes. ``` **Prompt:** ``` I have some GPS coordinates from a truck. Can you clean them up for me? ``` **Response:** ``` I can snap those coordinates to the nearest road segments to remove the noise. **Process:** - I'll take your raw GPS pings. - I'll use the road snapping tool to align them with the actual street network. - I'll provide you with a clean set of coordinates ready for mapping. Paste the coordinates whenever you're ready. ``` ## Capabilities ### Plan multi-stop routes Calculate the best path for cars, bikes, or pedestrians between multiple waypoints. ### Map reachability zones Generate polygons showing how far you can travel within a specific time limit. ### Solve delivery logistics Determine the most efficient order for multiple stops based on vehicle capacity and time windows. ### Find street addresses Turn coordinates into readable addresses or find coordinates for specific locations. ### Clean GPS data Snap noisy GPS points to the nearest road to create cleaner spatial traces. ### Check terrain elevation Get altitude data for specific paths to analyze mountain grades or hilly terrain. ### Build distance tables Create a matrix of travel times and distances between many different locations at once. ## Use Cases ### Multi-vehicle delivery sequencing A fleet manager needs to assign 50 deliveries to 3 vans with different capacities. They ask their agent to run solve_vrp_optimization to get the best sequence. ### Urban reachability analysis An urban planner wants to see how far people can walk in 10 minutes from a new transit hub. They use calculate_isochrones to generate a reachability map. ### Field technician scheduling A service manager needs to visit 12 sites in one day. They use calculate_matrix to see the best order to minimize total driving time. ### Cleaning GPS telemetry A data scientist has a list of noisy GPS pings from a delivery truck. They use snap_gps_to_road to clean the data before mapping it. ## Benefits - Solve complex vehicle routing problems using solve_vrp_optimization to find the most efficient delivery paths for fleets. - Visualize reachability for urban planning projects by creating polygons with calculate_isochrones. - Save time on data cleanup by using snap_gps_to_road to fix jittery coordinates from field devices. - Get accurate travel times for large fleets by pulling a full distance matrix with calculate_matrix. - Turn messy location data into clean addresses instantly with reverse_geocode and geocode_search. - Plan multi-modal trips by choosing specific profiles for calculate_directions like cycling or walking. ## How It Works The bottom line is you get professional-grade spatial analysis without having to build your own routing engine. 1. Add your OpenRouteService API key to the Connector configuration. 2. Connect your preferred AI client to the Vinkius catalog. 3. Ask your agent to calculate routes, generate isochrones, or solve routing problems. ## Frequently Asked Questions **Can OpenRouteService help with multi-stop delivery routes?** Yes. It can solve complex vehicle routing problems by determining the most efficient order for multiple stops based on your specific vehicle capacities and time windows. **How does OpenRouteService handle different vehicle types?** It supports specific profiles for cars, bicycles, and pedestrians. This ensures that your travel times and routes are realistic for the specific way you're moving. **Can I use OpenRouteService for urban planning projects?** Absolutely. You can generate isochrones to visualize how far people can travel within a certain amount of time, which is perfect for analyzing transit and walkability. **What is a distance matrix in OpenRouteService?** It's a table that shows the travel time and distance between every pair of locations in a list. It's great for comparing many different routes at once. **Does OpenRouteService work with OpenStreetMap data?** Yes, it uses OpenStreetMap data to provide real-world routing and spatial information across the globe. **Can OpenRouteService fix messy GPS data?** Yes. It includes a snapping tool that takes noisy GPS coordinates and aligns them to the nearest road segment for cleaner mapping. **Is the OpenRouteService API free?** Yes. ORS offers a free Standard plan with generous daily limits for all services (directions, isochrones, matrix, geocoding, and optimization). No credit card required. Higher rate limits are available through the Collaborative plan for non-profits, academics, and government organizations. **What routing profiles are supported?** ORS supports driving-car, driving-hgv (heavy goods vehicles), cycling-regular, cycling-road, cycling-mountain, cycling-electric, foot-walking, foot-hiking, and wheelchair. Each profile optimizes routes based on road network restrictions specific to that transportation mode. **Can I solve vehicle routing problems with time windows and capacity constraints?** Yes. The VRP optimization tool uses the VROOM solver. Define jobs with locations, service times, and time windows, then define vehicles with start/end locations, capacities, and operating hours. The solver returns optimized assignments and routes for your entire fleet.