This is the second part of a two-part series. In the first article, we discussed the major challenges that the port industry is facing and then addressed some of the technological solutions on the horizon. In part two, we’re going to delve deeper into the technological push for efficiency that drives progress in an industry faced with limited space, changing conditions, and ever-increasing demands and expectations. We’ll see how digital automation is making the difference, delivering the port of the future today.
5G Networks
5G, or the fifth generation of cellular network technology, is set to revolutionize more than just our mobile phone data connectivity. This updated version of the venerable cellular technology will feature prominently in efforts to create the massively-connected, data-driven ports of the future.
5G has several key features that distinguish it from the 4G LTE networks that preceded it. 5G is considerably faster than the old standard, supporting greater bandwidth for data throughput. It also supports “network slicing,” which allows the network to be divided into multiple virtual networks, each optimized to a specific purpose, creating a more flexible system than previously possible.
The “Internet of Things,” or IoT is where 5G will really make its mark on the port industry. Compared to 4G, which was capable of monitoring roughly 100,000 devices per square kilometer, 5G can track and interact with roughly a million devices. For port terminals looking to enact broad automation efforts across their entire operations, this extreme device density means significantly more granular control over port operations and data collection.
5G is also more reliable and more secure than current WiFi networks. Ports around the globe are beginning to explore applications as diverse as remotely-controlled machinery, ultra-dense data collection, and edge computing applications.
5G’s extremely low-latency and stable connection makes it ideal to realize one of the industry’s long-time dreams — remotely-controlled vehicles and machinery. Previous attempts failed because the latency, the time between when a command is issued and when it’s carried out, was too long. This didn’t allow for the precision needed for critical port systems.
to analyze how Tideworks’ Spinnaker Planning Management System® allowed for a significant increase in vessel productivity.
Ericsson and China Unicom demonstrated proof of concept at the Port of Qingdao in China. Using 5G, data from 30 video cameras and a digital control system, they successfully executed a ship-to-shore crane lift from a remote control center with millisecond precision.
As part of the E.U. project 5G-MoNArch, the Hamburg Port Authority installed 5G sensors on three ships, allowing them to collect granular motion and environmental data from a wide section of the port, monitoring and analyzing the data in real-time.
5G has the potential to create “self-aware” ports that can monitor, analyze, and act on huge volumes of connected information simultaneously.
Automated Stacking Cranes
In order for ports to achieve maximum stacking density and loading/unloading capacity, automated stacking cranes are the order of the day. Their design also makes them extremely space and resource-efficient. Using digital cameras and other automated sensors these cranes load, stack, and unload more efficiently than any other solution.
They represent the vanguard of port automation, a real-world example of where the industry is going. With limited to no human intervention, ASC systems are capable of loading and unloading containers at the fastest speeds possible, as well as achieving optimal container density. Paired with automated shuttle carriers the system can run fully-autonomously, saving money and labor while dramatically increasing safety.
The UK’s DP World London Gateway is one of the most forward-thinking ports regarding the efficient use of automation. They currently run 60 ASCs which straddle containers and stack them dockside. The ASCs also load and unload 1,800 trucks a day at their peak.
Blockchain
Blockchain, the technology that created and enabled Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, is leaving the world of finance and finding applications across a wide spectrum of industries. The port industry is exploring blockchain’s potential to enhance port connectivity and data security and transparency.
Blockchain is unique in that it tracks every “transaction” that has ever occurred with perfect stability and transparency. The blockchain cannot be altered, hacked, or changed, and anyone can track the full history of the encoded data.
The immutable quality of the information means that connected systems never need to question the accuracy of the information they’re receiving. This saves time for operators and haulers, dramatically increases trust between all parties, and guarantees that needed information will always be immediately available.
The Antwerp Port Authority is making novel use of this technology in a pilot program working to increase the safety and efficiency of critical document flows.
For example, the system uses blockchain technology to transfer phytosanitary certificates. These are documents that guarantee the safety of shipped produce. Blockchain technology renders these critical documents unalterable, preventing document tampering.
If blockchain were used from the moment these phytosanitary certificates were created, port operators would enjoy full transparency of the document’s history, demonstrating with absolute certainty their accuracy and authenticity.
Smart Cameras and Computer Vision
Automation can’t function without sensors to relay critical feedback to the algorithms controlling port systems. Smart cameras paired with computer vision processing are some of the most important of these, providing automated visual data and analysis.
An anti-sway system developed by MicroView and LingZhi Image Tech Corporation from China is a good example of this sort of smart camera use. The system mounts an infrared smart camera on the trolley of a ship-to-shore crane. Using light sources on the crane’s spreaders as markers, a computer vision system analyzes images taken by the camera, using the markers to compute a real-time center point. The data is transmitted to an electronic control unit which automatically regulates the trolley’s movement to reduce container sway.
The system acts as a reliable safeguard against operator error and other unexpected situations that might otherwise create a dangerous container swing scenario.
Smart cameras can also be used for security purposes. The feeds can be monitored by human operators as well as analyzed automatically by computer vision systems looking for intruders, improper behavior, and other signs of danger. The Port of Antwerp currently uses 600 cameras to monitor every part of their operation. Other ports, like the Port of Ostend, use similar systems.
Digital Twin Technology
5G creates the network for the smart port of the future and allows for data collection on a grand scale. Digital twin technology allows port operators to exploit all of that data to run highly-detailed, 3D simulations of port activity in order to improve decision-making, solve complex problems, and allow data-driven predictive planning.
In essence, the technology maps the output from a massively-interconnected network of IoT sensors to a virtual version of the port. These sensors feed data from a myriad of real-time port activities into the simulated port, allowing the virtual copy to behave in a manner similar to the real thing.
With the simulated port, operators can run virtualized scenarios that wouldn’t be feasible in the real world, gaining valuable insight into possible and future port operations.
The Port of Rotterdam is currently planning a digital twin that will track ship movements, weather data, infrastructure movement and more to help the port realize its vision of a fully automated port by 2030. The Port of Hamburg is working on its own digital twin, with the goal of exploring novel efficiency and environmental gains.
Digital twin technology allows for unlimited experimentation using real-world data without the need for actual equipment moves and without the need for labor. It’s a virtual port laboratory, and as data quality and quantity improve so will the results of these experiments.
The Future is Now
The technology that promises rich rewards for the port industry in the future is being developed today. It’s clear where this technology is taking us, but its potential will likely surprise us all. The dream of the fully-automated port is within reach and will almost certainly be a reality in the coming decades. We need only keep applying the technology in the present.
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