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Maritime transport services are essential in helping the European economy and European companies compete globally. Moreover, shipping and all related maritime industries, sectors uncharacteristically dominated by SMEs, are an important source of revenue and jobs in Europe. The current financial crisis has also affected maritime transport; however a doubling of transport volumes is expected over the next 15-20 years. As such, in the coming years, EU ports will be placed under significant pressure to increase their capacity and efficiency. DockingAssist project started in November of 2011, and its duration will be 2 years. The full name of the project is “Improved Port Efficiency and Safety Using a Novel Wireless Network and Differential Global Navigation Satellite System Providing Enhanced Vessel Navigation” and it is co-financed by the European Commission under the “For the benefit of SMEs” Program. The consortium consists of organizations from 6 different European countries. The aim of DockingAssist is to develop a cost-effective location system, providing the necessary centimeter positioning/speed accuracy, but covering the complete port/harbor zone, to provide efficient and safe maneuvering within the entire port area enhancing vessel trajectory, and providing constant monitoring for moored/docked vessels. Given their experience in wireless networks, NET Technologies assists VTT in the development of the WiMAX Network technology in WP3. They act in an advisory role in the scientific investigations in the implementation of the wireless technology. Furthermore, they are also very involved in the system integration (WP5), leading this work package, offering their experience in deploying wireless networks. This solution will result in improved port traffic management (reduction in transit), and a reduction in operating expenses, CO2 emissions and fuel usage, lessening the environmental impact of shipping. The time reduction in transit will increase throughput in European ports with a minimum investment. Specifically, the project is focused on a novel Wireless Network based on IEEE 802.16-2009, WiMAX, in order to create a centralised, cost-effective, real-time, accurate vessel location and monitoring system for harbours using a Precise Differential Global Navigation Satellite System (PDGNSS) with increasing accuracy down to less than 10 cm, based on Real Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning. The harbor will be equipped with a differential GNSS Base Station, and a Wireless Network Access Point offering a range of several kilometres, in order to send the differential corrections data to the vessels, and receive real-time position, speed and heading data from them. The vessel devices can be integrated into current navigation software, since the devices will provide the data in standard NMEA format, as used by all GPS receivers. The DockingAssist system will continuously monitor the position, speed and direction of vessels with high accuracy in all phases of the approach, allowing ships to be precisely located when in the harbor zone, taking into account the measurements of the ship. The system will allow for enhancement to the trajectory through early adjustment of the rate of turn when entering in the port if required, as well as also assisting in the approach towards the berth. Furthermore, with DockingAssist, safe ship movements can be undertaken in situations which would otherwise be unfeasible, making for significantly more efficient use of port facilities. Net Technologies Greece actively participates and contributes to the following tasks:
Funded by: FP7/ SME-2011-1 |
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