New Berthing Tool Uses Laser Technology

A laser-based tool has been developed to boost berthing safety. The E.U.’s DockingMonitor project, which concluded in August, aims to improve automated port safety systems by combining berthing aid with a drift monitoring system. 

The project, led by Denmark’s Marimatech AS and Norway’s Teknologisk Institutt, was launched in September 2013 and conducted for two years. 

The berthing aid uses high-end laser distance measurement and image processing and sends an alarm signal in the event of collision danger. Data from the system can be transmitted to displays, PCs and handheld devices while the integrated alarm system alerts jetty and ship crew if there is potential danger.

The ability to efficiently and accurately measure drift along the jetty during cargo transfer is a new feature that is currently not directly available.

DockingMonitor can particularly be useful in reducing the risk of oil spills during the berthing, loading and unloading of oil and LNG tankers, says the project team. 

While there is a low incidence of oil spills occurring while tankers are at berth, such accidents often lead to large oil spills. About 20 percent of such accidents reported worldwide resulted in spill quantities of more than 700 tons.

In order to develop the drift new system, the team analyzed various motion measuring algorithms and selected the most suitable. After acquiring the necessary lighting and optical equipment, researchers conducted performance tests with a robot system and dummy hull. More realistic trials were also conducted at the Port of Oslo using a 3D scanner.

More information about the project is available here.