Port of Rotterdam uses floating lab to learn about automation in harbour

The port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands is the busiest in Europe, and one of the busiest in the world. Keen to employ the latest technology, it is now testing out the benefits of automation and looking at ways to implement it.

One of the ways it is trying to achieve this is by using a boat as a floating laboratory, which companies from around Rotterdam and elsewhere in the Netherlands can use.

The port authority hopes some of the ideas worked on in the lab might advance the use of autonomy in the port’s operations.

“We noticed that many startups and researchers were having trouble finding an appropriate platform to test out their new technologies,” said project manager Harmen Van Dorsser. “We had a boat available, including crew, which we made available for this purpose.”

The port is creating an “ecosystem of innovation”, said Van Dorsser, adding: “We want to work with everyone who innovates in the nautical industry.”

The floating lab is an old, decommissioned patrol ship that the port authority renovated and repurposed for research. It was kitted out with cameras to observe and measure objects ranging from other boats to bridges and quays. It is also being fitted with sensors, radar technology and various communication equipment that might help to automate the port, but the exact purpose of the floating lab has deliberately been kept in broad terms.

“There are many things we need to find out before we can apply more forms of automation in the port,” said Van Dorsser. “For instance, ships that use cameras generate and send massive amounts of video images – we are talking about terabytes per second. We have to find out how to deal with that, to see if we can even transfer and process such large amounts of data.”

Van Dorsser also wants to use the lab ship to work with the port’s existing sensors, which measure things such as water levels and the weather. “We want to see if we can make these measurements more mobile so we can measure from different locations in the harbour,” he said.

But automation of port traffic is not a goal in itself, said Van Dorsser. "It’s a means, not an end. There are many areas where automation can add value to our work, but fully automating everything in the harbour is practically impossible.”

Safety in the port could be an area for automation, he added. “If there is a fire, it could be good to deploy an autonomous vessel to keep a crew out of harm’s way. Scenarios like that are interesting for us to study.”

Innovations developed at Rotterdam’s floating lab could be useful for the Netherlands in general, he said. “If we can convince high-tech companies to settle in this area because of the knowledge base we can provide, we will stimulate both the Rotterdam and the Dutch economies.”