The first complete machine project for an intelligent empty container yard by HIRI FUTURE in Singapore has commenced!

Recently, HIRI FUTURE successfully won the bid for the “4 Quay Crane Automation Project of Singapore Container Connection Pte Ltd.” As HIRI FUTURE’s first turnkey smart empty container yard project in Singapore, the team attached great importance to the project. Even during the holiday period, they continued working overtime to discuss solutions and verify technical challenges. Immediately after the holiday, they started construction, striving to complete and deliver the project as soon as possible.

Against the backdrop of continuously rising global port container throughput, the area allocated for empty container yards within terminals has become severely insufficient, and traditional ground-based container yards can no longer meet the growing storage demands. If the capacity for storing empty containers cannot be expanded, terminal land costs and operational expenses will increase significantly.

Currently, global empty container yards are evolving toward “aerialization and智能化”—— aerialization refers to the adoption of three-dimensional empty container yards, which meet the demand for ultra-high stacking and enable the storage of more containers within a limited land area;智能化, on the other hand, leverages various intelligent subsystems to achieve sensing and collaboration throughout the entire operational process. This not only reduces labor costs in terminal operations but also significantly enhances safety and reliability.

Schematic diagram of a three-dimensional empty container yard

The feasibility of the three-dimensional empty container yard design has been verified at numerous large-scale port terminals both domestically and internationally:

01 Singapore Gao Sheng Holdings Airfield Yard
Located on the rooftop of the logistics center, it stacks up to 15 levels and has a capacity of 16,700 TEUs. It integrates warehousing and stacking functions, reducing container retrieval time by 40%.

02 Tokyo Oi Wharf, Japan – Three-Dimensional Storage Yard
The world’s first automated container stereoscopic warehouse features a vertically arranged racking system along the quay line, utilizing turntables and pallet trucks for efficient storage and retrieval, boosting storage efficiency by 25%.

03 Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Digitalized Three-Dimensional Container Yard
The nation's first "9+9 double-layer stacking" technology achieves a stack height of 18 layers and a capacity of 25,000 standard containers. It is equipped with an unmanned operation system, increasing land utilization by 300%.

04 Shanghai Port Automated Empty Container Yard
By applying the high-low gantry crane relay technology, we’ve achieved a stacking height of “stack 8 over 9,” boosting overall operational efficiency by 8% and increasing annual handling capacity to over 2 million TEUs.

In response to the owner's demand for intelligent upgrading of the overhead crane system at the three-dimensional empty container yard, the HIRI FUTURE team tailored a comprehensive solution and achieved two major technological breakthroughs in this project:

01 Pure Vision Dynamic Stacking Box System

The system is developed based on a large-scale AI model and abandons the reliance on traditional laser sensors. It leverages deep learning algorithms to achieve millimeter-level precision in container positioning, and employs an AI vision solution to overcome the challenge of dynamically aligning containers in ultra-high-altitude environments—where the overhead crane is as high as 48.3 meters above the ground.

02 Multi-Institutional Collaborative Spreader Anti-Sway System

Through two-stage intelligent control—open-loop and closed-loop—the company has pioneered a precise control technology that keeps the Spreader’s swing within ±3 cm, significantly reducing the time required for picking up and placing containers. After the upgrade, operational efficiency is expected to reach 18 moves/h, exceeding the owner’s technical specifications by 50%.

Building on this foundation, HIRI FUTURE has also customized over 20 intelligent subsystems tailored specifically for its clients. These subsystems complement each other; once the transformation is complete, they will deliver enhanced benefits in terms of cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and capacity expansion, injecting new momentum into the development of Singapore's smart port infrastructure.

HIRI FUTURE Complete Machine Automation Dragon Solution

Since June 2023, when HIRI FUTURE took the lead in completing the full-machine intelligent upgrade domestically, the team has subsequently carried out full-machine intelligent upgrade projects at ports including Jiangsu Port, Guangxi Port, and Xiamen Port, accumulating rich and mature project experience.

In addition, HIRI FUTURE’s AI port solution has been successfully implemented and applied at over 70 large-scale port terminals both domestically and internationally, featuring more than 3,000 sets of intelligent products, and has earned widespread customer recognition.

HIRI FUTURE Performance Map

Going forward, HIRI FUTURE will continue to explore innovative applications of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence in port terminals, providing the industry with the highest-quality smart port solutions and offering customers efficient and attentive services.