Technology Boosts Safety | Artificial Intelligence Replaces Traditional Alignment Methods to Achieve Intelligent Container Truck Positioning

Container handling operations at traditional terminals

Usually, manual alignment is used.

There are issues such as poor accuracy and low efficiency.

As smart ports continue to develop,

The loading and unloading operations of containers have been automated.

Using artificial intelligence to replace traditional alignment methods.

Greatly improve the efficiency of loading and unloading operations.

Under the guidance of Fujian Port Group and Xiamen Port Holdings Group, HIRI FUTURE has fully implemented the requirements of the three-year special campaign document on "Promoting Safety through Science and Technology," independently developing the ICPS Intelligent Container Positioning System—by using model detection to pinpoint critical information such as container trucks and containers, and integrating it with high-definition industrial displays and voice broadcasting devices to guide container truck drivers to park precisely at their designated work positions.

ICPS Intelligent Container Positioning System

System Highlights

• Supports automated operations on the land side.

Unlike traditional solutions that rely on pre-defined positions to guide the trolley, HIRI FUTURE’s AI solution detects coordinates on both the sea and land sides, guiding the trolley to an exact position. Based on the precise data—such as vehicle positioning, offset angle, and inter-container spacing—detected by the system, the Spreader’s central locking distance, angle, and tilt are adjusted in advance, enabling precise container handling.

• Support guiding the external towing of yard cranes.

Traditional laser-based solutions struggle to guide external towbars on vehicle bridges, and no company in the industry has yet succeeded in achieving this. In contrast, visual solutions—using a two-dimensional approach—can locate an entire vehicle and identify the lock hole in approximately 40 milliseconds. On the other hand, laser-based solutions simply cannot be technically implemented: a gimbal-mounted laser would take between three and five seconds to scan and cover the vehicle frame, and it wouldn't be able to recognize and guide the external towbar's locking feet.

• Supports unmanned container truck/IGV/AGV guidance

Relying solely on the IGV's laser and SLAM is difficult to achieve accurate alignment; during actual measurements, there’s a discrepancy of about 20 centimeters. However, with system guidance, the IGV can achieve precise positioning. Take, for example, the project implemented two years ago at Tianjin Port: once the driverless tractor reaches beneath the Quay Crane, the system takes over. The system guides the tractor to move forward or backward and simultaneously outputs the precisely measured values it has identified. Based on these identified values, the Spreader picks up or places containers.

• Supports simultaneous guidance for multiple lanes.

A standard camera can simultaneously guide vehicles across multiple lanes, supporting Quad Lift, Tandem Lift, and side-loading/unloading processes, and enabling a Dual Cycling dual-cycle operation mode.

• Supports dual-container seam distance detection and high/low container identification.

Some larger terminals often handle both 20-foot double containers and high-and-low containers. When performing automation or remote control, if the system cannot determine whether a container is high or low, the Spreader could collide with a high container, leading to equipment damage. The HIRI FUTURE Intelligent Container Positioning System can not only detect the gap between the seams of double containers but also identify whether there are high-and-low containers present.

• Supports secondary guidance for Tractor

Due to uneven terrain and varying tire pressures of vehicles, the leveling situation can be affected. Traditionally, adjustments rely on the tacit understanding between the lead truck driver and the container truck driver. HIRI FUTURE’s Intelligent Container Positioning System实时 detects the actual deviation between the cargo container and the spreader, and feeds this data back to the lead truck driver for secondary guidance on tractor adjustments.

• Support for safety inspection of road operation.

The work area is equipped with centimeter-level precise, safety-oriented electronic fencing that provides functions such as personnel intrusion alerts, head-of-vehicle anti-smashing protection, and audiovisual alarms. It also incorporates interlocked device control to ensure operational safety.

• Reliability in Extreme Environments

The system features advanced algorithms for de-fogging and de-rain, enabling it to maintain highly reliable and precise positioning and guidance even in low-visibility conditions such as heavy fog, heavy rain, and heavy snow. While southern terminals have already suspended operations under these circumstances, some terminals in the north continue to operate normally. Despite the challenging visibility conditions, the system remains remarkably dependable and accurate.

• Low construction and maintenance costs

Compared to traditional laser-based solutions, the HIRI FUTURE visual solution reduces construction costs by more than 50% and hardware maintenance costs by over 90%. System functionality can be achieved using ordinary cameras from any brand.

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HIRI FUTURE Intelligent Container Positioning System

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Fujian Electronic Port

Fujian Electronic Port Co., Ltd. is a leading high-tech enterprise in China's port sector, specializing in the application of artificial intelligence. Its brand, “HIRI FUTURE,” is a pioneer in AI products and solutions for the port industry. The company focuses on technological innovation that integrates algorithm research in the field of artificial intelligence with software and hardware development, providing ports with comprehensive solutions covering safe operational production, process improvement, machine vision automation applications, and AI-based operations and scheduling.