There is a digital gap between the gate and intralogistics at depots and transshipment terminals of road freight. This leads to long processes susceptible to errors which in turn results in incorrect trailer and/or swap body movements. It is our vision to close this digital gap. Our claim is that the position of each cargo unit in the yard is always known. To this end, we would like to extend existing yard management systems by a control component that creates complete transparency at the operating yard. This function will be implemented using an AI-based tool for detecting and tracking cargo units in the yard that seamlessly integrates between existing systems. That forms the basis for real time inventories and facilitates further AI-supported optimizations of the yard, e.g. in terms of utilization and intelligent alignment. This makes our system an essential component of an automated, intelligent yard of the future.
Specific results
In the project, a digital image of a reference depot is developed. Physical processes are demonstrated along a generalized use case. Software functions such as recognizing the type of loading unit and the position and alignment in the depot are implemented and visually displayed. The components necessary for this, e.g. to identify the objects and track the load units, will be released as open source components.
Contribution to the Silicon Economy
Within the context of the project, software components are to be developed which enable companies to digitalize sub-processes of the yard logistics chain (making the transfer and parking of load units more transparent) and ultimately provide the basis for automating them (live inventory, sub-aspects of the registry). The project shall help to make such innovations available to SME by easily integrating them. The object recognition of load units offers an ideal use case for this. The services developed are to highlight synergies with existing yard management systems but can also be used as a stand-alone application.
Contact
Ingo Völkel, ingo.voelkel@iml.fraunhofer.de
