As the hub of modern transportation, ports and freighters play an important role in promoting international trade. According to relevant statistics, about 90% of global trade relies on maritime transportation. Efficiency and well maintenance is the lynchpin of the maritime transportation industry.

With the help of Hightopo visualization product — HT for Web, creating an interactive 3D digital twins environment of port, ships to explore, analyse and experience outcomes before taking action will greatly increase efficiency and help communicate vital information to stakeholders across the business.

Smart Port Benefits to Increase ROI, Safety, and Smarter Choices

Port efficiency relies on balancing demand and supply in a flexible way and integration within the entire transport system. A port is dependent on a continuous inbound and outbound flow of cargo and passengers arriving and departing from the port by different means of transport.

The whole port is modelled and monitored through real-time information and incoming data that an IoT system captured. Digital twins improve mooring and casting off, remote-controlled cranes, connected vessels, asset tracking, speed up ship docking and reduce load time to help customers minimise operational costs, improve customers satisfaction, optimise revenues, and even generate new revenue streams.

Through visualised digital twin platforms, a terminal operator, for example, can monitor end-to-end cargo tracking and fleet management services, as well as supervise the workforce in the field. The result is more accurate and pinpointed loading and unloading times, for example, creating faster truck and ship turnaround times.

Improved accuracy with real-time information could also lead to a potential reduction in failures in container movements by cranes and operatives — reducing energy usage and a port’s overall carbon footprint.

Using data to digitally map a crane’s box moves per hour, gaining information to reduce wasted movement and energy emitted by handling equipment. By first measuring the total time a straddle carrier is in use, for example, a port can implement smart systems, automation and remote control of equipment to achieve optimised equipment levels and vehicle management, reduced idle time, fewer fleet hours, and pooled equipment management.

For Path Planning, HT offers an inbuilt algorithm to calculate the faster path. Base on port CAD file to proportional model the assets. Click on the start point and endpoint, the algorithm will automatically draw a line and offer operators greatly convenience.

Fed by multiple data streams of real-time data and historical databases, is also an operational planning tool for the coordination and synchronization of port operations. It could be an essential foundation for virtual arrival processes and green steaming and for the hinterland window to support efficient use of trucks, trains, and infrastructure for diverse needs.

Smart Ship Management Visualization

Smart Ship offers a multi-layer optimization in the fields of fuel consumption, energy efficiency and emissions control management, with full respect to the implementation of the requirements of maritime sector regulations and taking into account applications of circular economy concepts in the maritime as well.

Interactive 3d model sync with data from IoT devices and with the help of 5G technology, GPS, the data can be shown on the board in a near-real-time manner. Visualize containers information such as goods, storage capability, temperature, goods status etc, offer a transparent freight management experience.

Constantly monitoring vessel’s engine and propeller is crucial. With HT visualization system, whenever the data exceed the threshold or any atypical situations happen, the visualization terminal will give an alarm notification to operators and managers, security a safe journey.

Peeping rapidly through atypical situations such as weather reports, harnesses the applicability of digital twin in ship control systems. An overall virtual vessel can be made to accomplish virtual software integration, acting as a stimulator with all on-board systems replicating a physical vessel in cyberspace. Thus, Digital twin allows testing of virtual vessels in real-life situations and study modifications that may be required for the physical duo.

Weather Reports: Analyze atmospheric data such as atmospheric pressure, temperature, wind direction, wind speed, sea visibility, wave etc. Scientific management, to take protective measures before the arrival of meteorological disasters.

Surveillance Video Integration: The video surveillance system and the various subsystems in the security system are seamlessly connected, unified visualized and management in the HT visualization system. Give cargo more intelligent management, improve the efficiency of identifying safety incidents. Allow managers to control the situation in the shortest time and occupy the dominant position.

Vessel turnaround time takes a huge concern regarding the increased efficiency of developing technology to forecast routes and optimum speed recommendation. Ports receiving data stats regarding a vessel can highly implement those to guide other ships which grossly reduces the time for which a vessel stays at the port. Ship routing themselves according to the fuel-efficient route reduces the transit time, enhancing the chances of delay and granting ship owners higher vessel reliability.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that the digital twin is the future. Being able to predict potential dangers and create the optimum design, will enhance safety and operation greatly. With the element of the unknown significantly limited, the digital twin concept can help the shipping industry make better use of digitalization and move to a new era.

Hightopo — HT for web, brings cutting-edge 3d data visualization and web 3d rendering technology to provide a comprehensive visualization solution, fasten the digital transformation process, offer interactive 3d digital twins to empower the maritime industry leading to a better future.