At its core, a Smart Bollard is akin to a traditional dock bollard permanently positioned on quays. Its distinguishing feature is its capability to measure the loads exerted on mooring lines. This is achieved by detecting and converting the structural movements caused by the tension in the mooring line. This data becomes invaluable for entities such as the port authority, terminal operators, or the ship itself. Smart Bollards cater to a broad spectrum of seafaring vessels, from container to bulk carriers.
Historically, accurately measuring load on mooring lines posed challenges. Ports, in the absence of precise data from moored ships, had to work with assumptions based on maximum mooring loads. This is where the bollard's significance in shipping comes to the fore, particularly during adverse weather conditions marked by high waves, potent currents, and gusty winds. Overburdened lines risk snapping, which can lead to the ship dislodging from the dock bollard, with potential accidents as a consequence.
Introducing Smart Bollards to this scenario transforms the landscape. They elevate safety standards by offering real-time insights into mooring forces and load dynamics. The MoorControl software suite further enhances this by providing all stakeholders, including terminal operators, port authorities, and vessel owners, with comprehensive data. This leads to port operations becoming more streamlined and efficient, especially when accommodating larger vessels or navigating stormy weather.
Keeping an eye on the data from Smart Bollards can make port operations more efficient and reduce risky situations when ships are berthed.
A user-friendly dashboard shows and stores key details like:
The system dashboard, user-friendly in its design, allows administrators to incorporate users and define alerts effortlessly. Through an integrated API, data from the bollard ship setup can be imported into diverse systems, ensuring the port authority, terminal, or vessel operators are always in the loop.
The Smart Bollard provides an array of advantages:
Both ethernet and wireless configurations are available for the Smart Bollard. An ethernet connection necessitates a distinct switchbox to relay data to the cloud, while the wireless version requires an on-site gateway.
All collected data is transmitted to a cloud platform (AWS) and is accessible via a dedicated portal. This portal is also equipped with additional information including weather updates and houses a vessel database. Integration with other systems is seamless, thanks to a standard API.
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The Port of Rotterdam's collaboration with Straatman led to the creation of the Smart Bollard. This partnership saw the installation of the Smart Bollard at the ECT Delta Terminal quay, a step towards digitalising port operations for heightened efficiency. The future likely holds a wider deployment of Smart Bollards across the Port of Rotterdam's quays. The subsequent phase entails a broader installation of Smart Bollards across the Port of Rotterdam's quays and other ports around the world.
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