Novel harbour management system An EU team developed a harbour management system for simultaneous control of many ships. Using satellite positioning technologies and advanced communications equipment, full-scale testing proved the system's effectiveness. Industrial Technologies © Thinkstock Harbours are the most difficult and dangerous parts of shipping routes, having shallow water and obstacles, hence being sites of the majority of accidents. Yet, European ports expect a doubling of traffic within 15 to 20 years, requiring that ships be positioned with far greater precision and efficiency. The EU-funded DOCKINGASSIST project aimed to improve the competitiveness of small and medium-sized marine producers and of harbour authorities. The consortium planned to develop a cost-effective system for rapidly and simultaneously locating at least 100 ships to centimetre-level accuracy. The system consists of a base station (BS) installed at the harbour, and a portable unit (PPU) for the harbour pilot to use aboard ships. The base station utilises differential satellite positioning techniques in order to calculate and eliminate position error for the other receiver. The system enables complete management and monitoring of the entire harbour. The 10-member project operated between November 2011 and October 2013. Group members began by determining user requirements via a survey. Subsequently, they implemented the Real Time Kinematic technique for satellite navigation in a harbour setting, and selected suitable hardware. Testing showed high measurement accuracies, which were compared with commercial positioning equipment. The project designed and implemented a novel wireless network. The team considered options for the most effective configuration of base and relay stations, and then purchased and tested 5.4 GHz and 2.3 GHz WiMAX units. A licence was obtained for the latter. Testing proved that the network accommodates over 100 users. Partners designed and tested the controlling software system. Implemented at the Port of Cork, Ireland, the software met all expectations, including analysis modules and alarms. Further work involved successful system integration of the BS and PPUs, followed by complete system validation and demonstration at Cork and two additional harbour locations. The project was introduced at a trade fair and various other gatherings. DOCKINGASSIST produced a harbour management system able to precisely track and efficiently organise over 100 vessels. The system improves efficiency, hence offering economic and environmental advantages to the entire marine sector. Keywords Harbour, harbour management, satellite positioning, Real Time Kinematic
