Robots in ports concept gains momentum

The concept of robots in ports

is advancing fast.

Taking a step forward

towards introducing

driverless container-carrying

vehicles at ports, for example,

are two French companies.

They are working on a project

named Vasco (an acronym

for the French version of

‘automatic and supervised

vehicle for containers’), aimed

at making containerisation

more competitive using

robotics.

Part of this is to design and

construct the appropriate

automated intelligent vehicles

(AIVs) and their cybercontrol

systems.

And the benefit for ports

lies in the fact that the

solution offered by the project

is designed to radically

improve the productivity

of container terminals and

reduce the operating costs.

The research is

driven by

project

leader Gaussin

Manugistique, which

specialises in the auditing

of handling processes and

the development of wheeled

handling systems used to

install and transport heavy,

bulky or fragile loads. It is

working in collaboration

with BA Systèmes, noted for

its intralogistics systems,

robotic guidance and fleet

management.

Two years ago, the

two companies created a

joint-venture called Port

Automation Systems (PAS),

which is aimed at the

growing global demand for

port terminal automation.

This latest project is

designed to develop the first

100% automated system with

what is termed ‘guidance

without any

infrastructure’ for the

transfer of containers in port

terminals.

The objective is to

design and implement a

demonstrator, made up of

a fleet of three automated

vehicles, a supervision system

and an automated powerpacks

exchange system.

This will function in real

conditions next year - first

on the Héricourt test site

and then at the Flanders

Terminal in the Port of

Dunkirk.

The actual research in

both the automation and

guidance of the mobile robots

and the system’s supervision

will be conducted by

specialised laboratories at

Lille University and the École

Centrale de Nantes.

It will be funded by an

internal investment of

almost R58

million and

over R96.5m

in subsidies

and repayable

advances from

the French

government’s

‘Investments

for the Future’

programme.