Marine Terminal Solution Uses RFID To Help Track Cargo

  • Jul 02, 2007
WhereNet Corp., a Zebra Technologies company and the a producer of wireless solutions for tracking and managing enterprise assets, recently announced general availability of the WhereNet Marine Terminal Solution version 4.0. Using the company's ISO 24730 standards-based, active RFID real-time locating system (RTLS) with the option to add differential global positioning system (DGPS) technology, the new marine terminal application provides the most comprehensive location tracking in the industry, enabling terminal operators of any size or sophistication to "see" every container.

"For enterprises with complex operations, there is no such thing as a 'one size fits all' technology -- it takes a combination of technologies to tackle the typical yard management chaos," said Louis Bianchin, senior analyst for Venture Development Corp. "By integrating two complementary tracking technologies that leverage robust middleware and application software, WhereNet provides a more complete hybrid solution that offers higher overall system availability."

In MTS version 4.0, WhereNet has combined RTLS technology with the DGPS tracking technology. The single, integrated wireless system includes WhereNet's Visibility Software Server middleware; container tracking application-specific software (MTS); a hardware infrastructure consisting of WhereLAN locating access points; and the new WhereTrack(TM) controller which integrates a WhereTag active RFID transmitter, a GPS receiver, and a Wi-Fi modem into a single ruggedized device for Container Handling Equipment tracking.

The WhereNet system tracks grounded, stacked containers via an interface between the WhereTags and sensor data provided by PACECO Corp.’s Position Tracking Interface Unit device for rubber tire gantry cranes (used to stack containers up to five high and six "lanes" wide). In this "virtual tagging" scenario, each container becomes "intelligent" through its association with the WhereNet solution, which conveys "where" it is and "what" it is based on real-time updates of the WhereNet database.

The WhereNet MTS algorithms leverage the RTLS or GPS data, CHE telemetry and RFID reads to automatically follow the "handoff" as containers move from one piece of equipment to another and ultimately to the final position in the terminal.

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