In a recent release, IBM and the Port of Rotterdam, which is Europe’s largest port, have announced that they are working on a long-term digitization strategy that will transform how the port operates and lay the foundation for autonomous ships using cloud-based IoT, AI and smart weather data.
Check out the video for a sneak peek.VIDEO
By implementing IoT sensors throughout the port, IBM’s cloud-based IoT technologies will deliver real-time data and insights to the Port to inform better ways for traffic and shipments to move in and out. Good conditions have a significantly positive economic impact on shipping costs as they allow for lower fuel consumption rates and facilitate a more cost-effective payload per ship.
The partners say that shipping companies and the port might be set to save up to one hour in berthing time, which can amount to about $80,000 US dollars in savings, which his significant when multiplied across the 140,000 ships entering the port per year.
The main points of the announcement are:
Digital dolphins, smart quay walls and sensor-equipped buoys, will provide insights on the condition and utilization of a berthing terminal and the surrounding water and weather conditions, enabling port operators to identify the optimal time for ships to dock, and where and when they can do so. In the future, this will help the port accommodate autonomous ships.
IoT-enabled sensors and AI capabilities delivered through the IBM Cloud will measure and analyze weather data from the Weather Company, an IBM company, in addition to water and communications data. Data insights will be used to reduce wait times, allow more ships to enter the port and predict the best time, based on water level, for a ship arrive and depart Rotterdam with the maximum amount of cargo loaded on board.
A single dashboard powered by IBM cloud-based IoT technologies: will display real-time data from multiple parties - the terminal operator, the captain of the ship, the port - enabling a new wave of safer and more efficient traffic management at the port, to benefit the port and those who use it.
3D metal-printing in the shipyards of RDM Rotterdam: as part of a multi-partner initiative, IBM cognitive IoT technology is being infused into a production process, which uses a robotic welding arm to apply high-quality metal layer-by-layer to create ship components such as propellers, on-demand and faster than ever before – from six to eight weeks to just 200 hours.
Ken Briodagh is a writer and editor with more than a decade of experience under his belt. He is in love with technology and if he had his druthers would beta test everything from shoe phones to flying cars. Edited by
Ken Briodagh
