Introduction
A shipping port operates as an intersection point between sea and land transport. It is critical for the global economy as a bulk of international cargo transfers relies on maritime transportation. The typical operation of a port include offloading of containers from cargo ships in handling area and then transferring it to container yards, until container railways or trucks carry them to their end destinations. Different types of cranes, primarily including quay cranes, rail mounted gantry (RMGs) cranes and rubber tyre gantry (RTGs) cranes are used for handling containers around ports. These cranes typically operate round the clock for moving containers to and from freight ships and container yards promptly. However, any significant delay in transfer of cargos leads to substantial economic loss for ports and cargo companies. Thus, persistent challenge for the industry is to improve efficiency and productivity as well as optimize operation cost. Several industries are seeking to ride the wave of digitalization, ports too are also aiming to complete several tasks more automatically and transform themselves to intelligent smart ports by leveraging technologies like internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing etc.
5G in Smart ports:
Port operators have been investing in development of connected infrastructure with IoT facilitating the capture of information from various post assets. Smart ports, through sensor technologies, is enabling operators with real time monitoring of assets, position detection and handling of container, and navigation and control of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) or intelligent guided vehicles (IGVs), among others. In a bid to achieve higher automation level and drive intelligent remote control, smart ports are also leveraging the likes of drones, intelligent video surveillance systems, and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) etc. Handling of cargos by cranes is one of the key tasks performed in ports. Traditional operators rely on large human resources for operating these cranes. Given the harsh working environments, smart port can remotely control cranes and minimize the risk of human loss. A true enabler of several smart port solutions is the next generation 5G network. A private 5G network, powered by network slicing and MEC technologies is also capable of improving security, and further facilitating flexible and reliable deployment of innovative solutions for smart ports.
5G advantage over other technologies:
Smart ports require communications systems to support low latency, high bandwidth, and high reliability communication services in order to handle control data and multi-channel video data of port equipment. With legacy communication based on optical fiber and Wi-Fi, network deployment, operation and maintenance are costly and network performance for such data handling is often suboptimal with poor stability and low reliability. 5G is expected to address such challenges thanks to its low latency, large bandwidth and capacity, and high reliability as well as its support for private network solutions and end-to-end (E2E) application performance guarantee.
- High construction and maintenance costs for waveguides
- The transmission quality of waveguides is easily affected by weather
- The construction of optical fibers and waveguides requires high costs. Construction of optical fibers and waveguides requires port suspension and civil work. In addition, optical fibers and waveguides can only be deployed in the yard. In addition, Wi-Fi coverage is required for tire cranes. Optical/electrical hybrid cables used to produce bridge cranes and rail cranes are expensive and have a certain service life due to frequent twists and turns. This not only affects service stability, but also requires high maintenance costs. Therefore, optical/electrical hybrid cables have strong replacement requirements.
5G use cases:
Remote crane operation: Crane controllers operate around areas where heavy loads are transferred continuously. To ensure uninterrupted operation, these cranes need several rotational shifts of human controllers. They work from a small cabin, at a height generally ranging from 30 meters to 70 meters above the ground. Along with small cabin space and height, controllers are easily prone to fatigue due to the long working periods. To address this challenge, port operators have been trying to automate and create a remote control system for crane operation. By leveraging programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and video surveillance cameras feeds, operators can precisely perform all crane operations from a central control room situated elsewhere in the port. High definition (HD) surveillance cameras, typically ranging from 6 to 27 are installed in each crane (depending on the size) which calls for an upstream bandwidth requirement of around 30Mbps to 200Mbps. Whereas PLCs require low latency communication network to ensure precision crane control. High bandwidth of 5G network, sufficiently supports the transfer of multiple channel video feeds, while, its ultra low latency provides reliable communication channel for PLCs.
Deployment of controlled vehicles: AGVs or IGVs are extensively used in ports for moving containers around the port mainly from quayside or cargo handling areas to storage yards. AGVs or IGVs are generally capable of moving at speeds of up to 40 km per hour. For remote operations and control, these vehicles can be integrated with at least four cameras, calling for a bandwidth requirement of around 10–20 Mbps per vehicle. Given that these vehicles move around areas where heavy equipment and machinery are operational, remote control system with high response rate is vital. Any delay in sending a command or receiving a response from control center can lead to injuries or significant damage to port assets. 5G’s ultralow latency communication ensures precision control, allowing the controller to stop a vehicle immediately in case of an emergency.
Implementing intelligent CCTVs: Intelligent CCTV cameras powered by AI, facilitate automated face and vehicle license place recognition. It provides automated access to authorized individuals or vehicles inside a port premise or generates alarm in case of intrusion. Analyzing facial expressions of workers, it is even capable of providing warning for fatigue and sleepiness to operators. It also facilitates predictive maintenance of port assets or equipments. AI powered cameras combined with video analytics system can analyze performance and behavior patterns of machines inside ports by comparing them with ideal machine parameters. Also, it can identify assets that need maintenance or not being utilized optimally in real time. Through predictive analytics, port operators can be notified with alerts when to expect machine failure, and help reduce machine downtime. Intelligent CCTV cameras also facilitate smart tally in ports through computer vision systems. Smart tally achieves automatic identification of container numbers or IDs based on CCTV video streams and minimizes the risks pertaining to on-site tally operation. The continuous availability of video feed is crucial for surveillance system. 5G guarantees uninterrupted delivery and seamless streaming of live video footage to port operators.
AR/VR in ports: Port equipments are often difficult to operate and require extensive training in a controlled environment prior deploying workforce. AR/VR is empowering collaborative human-machine interaction through development of digital twins. It is a digital replica of the entire port terminal, which can be utilized for training of human resources in a simulated environment. Further, 3D visualization though AR/VR is capable of design, optimization and validation of critical processes, which can be used for scenario testing of port operations. Immersive experience provided by AR/VR systems facilitates better understanding of construction plans, information on buildings and other assets or machine installations within the port area. AR/VR equipments are connected to a central application server and 5G mobile networks using a dedicated network slice can provide a high data throughput, enabling fast delivery of pictures or video material.
Drones in ports: Drones can be mounted with several payloads. It is also capable of performing routine tasks through intelligent scheduling. When mounted with surveillance cameras, it is capable of capturing photographs and recording videos flawlessly. It facilitates operators with aerial visibility of important shipments or containers and also enables routine security patrolling of coastlines at a lower operational cost. In addition, drones leveraging computer vision can – manage container inventory, frequently inspect critical assets for anomaly detection and carry out preventive maintenance, etc. Robust functioning of drones needs high-speed internet connectivity and 5G can support drones connectivity requirements using a dedicated network slice without any disruption.
Push to talk (PTT) services in ports: Aiming to meet the need for real-time and secure voice communication between workforces, port operators have been using PTT services for many years now. Operators are also investing in associated services for improving the efficacy of mission critical communication. In addition to basic PPT service, operators are also looking to enable group calls or chat, file and location sharing, and also transfer of multimedia contents like push-to-video. Moreover, the emergence of cloud-based PTT services is allowing workforces to use their own devices for instant communication. One of the important requirements of PTT along with associated services is the need for consistent network availability during emergency and 5G can meet the uptime requisite. 5G leveraging network slicing will enable prioritization of mission critical PPT services with high bandwidth and low delay or jitter.
Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) in smart ports
The advent of cloud based machine vision and video surveillance systems is supporting remote viewing, monitoring, and controlling of the port infrastructures. Such controlling requires not only large uplink bandwidth for videos but also low latency and high reliability downlink for control signals. Instead of sending all data to external network, MEC ensures processing of data locally within a port’s network. It significantly reduces the network latency and further improves the bandwidth utilization. Further, MEC improves data or image processing efficiency and reduces the deployment cost of intelligent surveillance and machine vision systems. With each port operating independently, a private local network created through MEC also improves data security.
5G enhancing network security:
5G provides higher network security as compared to 4G network or other wireless technologies like Wi-Fi used in ports. 5G’s 256-bit enhanced cryptographic algorithm delivers additional security improvements as compared to 4G’s 128-bit algorithm. 5G create multiple virtual campus networks (VCN) using network slicing techniques. 5G VCN has a totally isolated spectrum frequency, ensuring maximum device interconnection, and function synchronization between the public network and dedicated private network. Creation of multiple 5G sub-networks can separate different group of users and enhance network security. For instance, a public sub-network can be setup for consumer mobile communications, while, a private sub-network for remote control of cameras, cranes, and guided vehicles. By utilizing multiple SIMs (or eSIMs), public land mobile network numbers, and access point name, traffic from different devices can be routed to the appropriate locations.
Conclusion & future outlook:
With capabilities like ultra low latency, large bandwidth, massive machine type communication, 5G has become the true enabler of IoT, AI, and more, providing new impetus for development of smart ports. In the future, port operations will continue to explore ways to drive higher level of device automation, remote operations of critical high risk tasks, and data visualization for workforce training and efficient port construction. MEC technology will facilitate port operators with the opportunity to significantly improve operational efficiency and deliver cost savings. 5G VCN will ensure high-quality and secured wireless network for ports through spectrum coordination and consolidation of public and private networks. We expect, 5G will continue to promote transformation of traditional terminals to smart terminals and facilitate new application deployment to further improve automation and operational efficiency. Also, increased collaboration between the port operators and mobile network providers will be witnessed, for solving more complex challenges in the port industry.
