Lidar-powered automation can improve efficiency and safety, while also reducing costs and risk in seaport, marine and intermodal terminal operations. Lidar sensors are becoming a valuable component to port equipment and vehicles, helping to enhance reliability and predictability. The port equipment market is expected to grow to USD 36.6 billion by 2025, up from USD 29.2 billion in 2018, according to ResearchAndMarkets.com.

Velodyne’s lidar sensors provide the range, 360-degree field of view and resolution that autonomous systems use to synchronize and optimize logistics movements within a port. They deliver precise and accurate real-time position data on people, objects and port infrastructure. Velodyne’s sensors are used in a variety of port terminal automation applications, including:

• Automated guided vehicles (AGV) and internal terminal vehicles (ITV), which transfer freight within a port including container transport between the quayside and the container yard. Equipped with lidar, these vehicles conduct safe, efficient navigation to keep freight moving throughout a port in a variety of weather conditions without required specialized infrastructure.

• Container handling equipment, which manages container loading and unloading including from vessels to trucks and in stacking yards. Using lidar on yard cranes, truck positioning cranes and more help ports address time pressure to minimize port stays by ships, while also delivering greater equipment reliability, lower operating costs and improved safety. Lidar helps enable automated crane steering to support ship to shore bulk handling. Another example is with a gantry crane, where lidar scans the surrounding area while it is moving to help reduce collision risk and enable interruption-free transit.

• Terminal security and yard monitoring systems, which provide real-time information on containers and port equipment. Using lidar, port operations generate real-time 3D maps and easily define and monitor customized digital boundaries.

Lidar Boosts Operational Efficiency at Jebel Ali Port

An excellent case example of how lidar is being deployed is the Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  Jebel Ali Port, operated by DP World, UAE Region, connects eastern and western markets with North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. It is the largest seaport in the Middle East and ranks among the top 10 container ports of the world. DGWorld is using Velodyne Puck™ sensors to equip Jebel Ali Port with a fleet of Autonomous Internal Terminal Vehicles (AITVs). These vehicles use advanced artificial intelligence, automation and self-driving systems to help bring greater precision to port and terminal operations.

Their goal is to further increase the operational efficiency of the terminal and reduce the port’s overall size of the currently used AITV fleet. Velodyne Puck sensors will provide rich computer perception data to help determine the safest way to navigate and direct AITVs in the complex, busy seaport.

DGWorld solutions demonstrate how Velodyne intelligent lidar sensors are helping port and terminal operators deliver consistent service quality and achieve increased safety. DGWorld’s technology taps the full power of Velodyne’s rich computer perception data to help determine the safest way to navigate and direct port vehicles in complex, busy work environments.