port_AI

In 2017, the German seaports handled 300 million tons of goods at around 140 km of quay walls. In total, there are around 3,000 km of quay walls in ports and on waterways in Germany, as well as around 2,500 facilities located on federal waterways, with gross fixed assets of around €50 billion. About 80% of the locks and weirs are older than 50 years and 30% older than 100 years with a theoretical lifetime of about 80-100 years. In addition, investigations by the Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute show that many facilities (approx. 70%) are only in an adequate or even inadequate conditions. From this point of view, the requirements for safety and reliability of port infrastructure asset management are increasing. The lifetime of the infrastructure has a great importance. Therefore, the aim of this research project is to create innovative methods and procedures both in terms of IoT based measurement technology and through AI technologies for the smart port structure to be able to use structure data in the fully digital process for the operation of a smart infrastructure. In this way, building inspections and remaining life predictions can be made digital, transparent and objective.

Port_AI should not only be able to accommodate the data generated from innovative measurement methods, but also the currently available inventory documentation and results. As an innovation, data should be made available on-demand.

The IGP is working together with the Institute of Flight Guidance IFF on various methods for the efficient acquisition of image datasets (terrestrial and UAV based images). The focus here is on automation: starting with an automatic flight planning, image orientation and evaluation (deformation, visible damage on the surface).