An extensive pilot was carried out at the Vlissingen site of logistics service provider Lineage to find out if driverless vehicles can be used for transporting containers from the quai to the yard. The results are positive.
The project is set up as an open innovation system in which logistics companies, autonomous technology suppliers, authorities and research institutions jointly research innovations in logistics.
The experiment focuses on the use of autonomous vehicles in combination with non-autonomous traffic. This involves testing situations that occur daily in logistics practice, such as roadworks and transport on public roads.
Not only is it being tested whether autonomous, self-driving vehicles can be used in logistics, but it is also being investigated whether autonomous transport is possible in places where the vehicles have to mix with ‘ordinary’ traffic. The pilot at logistics company Lineage is now entering a new phase with the completion of the so-called PoC2.
The main objective in the past period was to test whether it was possible to drive with a loaded container on the ATT chassis to predefined RTG transfer points. Although not all objectives were achieved in this phase, valuable information was gathered about, among other things, the transport of loaded containers, the availability and accessibility of all predefined RTG transfer points and the number of manual actions that the safety driver has to perform. Ultimately, there was a clear improvement in the speed and system stability of the vehicle.
In the recently completed phase, autonomous transport from the yard to the quai was tested on the Lineage site in Vlissingen. This was done in such a way that it seamlessly integrates with Lineage’s operational processes. The research focused on how the Autonomous Terminal Truck (ATT) and its systems could be further refined, enabling an autonomous truck to safely drive in a mixed traffic container terminal. This means traffic with and without drivers mixed together. The pilot provided EasyMile and Terberg with valuable insights to further improve their hardware and systems for autonomous transport.
‘Greater Efficiency in the Supply Chain’
Mark Ketelaar, Regional Vice President of Operations Benelux at Lineage, said:We were keen to participate in this pilot.
We are constantly looking for ways to use innovation and automation to increase efficiency and modernize the supply chain. But also to better address bottlenecks in the chain and challenges from the labor market. The impact of automation goes beyond a single location and its employees. Greater efficiency in the supply chain will ultimately contribute to an improved food system with less waste and higher food quality and safety.
The Next Step
The development of new potential functions has already started and the next step will be to continue testing with reversing and further automating the transport. While previous phases involved a safety driver, future phases will further test remote operation. And even with completely leaving out a person in the cabin. Extensive driving and testing under unfavorable weather conditions, such as rain and fog, will also be included in the next phase.
ATZ is partly made possible by the European Regional Development Fund, the Dutch government and the Province of Zeeland. The project started in 2022 with a Proof of Concept 1 (PoC1). This phase was successfully completed with a demonstration for all stakeholders involved. Opportunities for improvement identified during PoC1 made it necessary to start a Proof of Concept 2 (PoC2). This phase was completed in December 2023.
This article was originally published by EasyMile.
