German airline Deutsche Telekom implemented its technology as part of the state-funded “AutoLog” project at the Port of Emden to introduce automation into automotive terminal facility workflows for greater efficiency. To this end, Deutsche Telekom has deployed a 5G network with a special connection and a state-of-the-art data center for on-site data processing.
The carrier worked in collaboration with Volkswagen Group Logistics, the Bremer Institut für Produktion und Logistik (BIBA) and the Unikie software.
The Emden plant is a central hub of the Volkswagen Group’s transmission network. Vehicle handling at the automotive terminal requires a large number of specialists to show the movements of the vehicles and transfer drivers to the next vehicle to be able to drive them. More than one million cars are processed in Emden every year, adding imports from abroad and exports for global supply, the German company reported.
As part of the “AutoLog” project, Deutsche Telekom is equipping the logistics sector of the Port of Emden with 5G coverage. Volkswagen’s plant in Emden is directly connected to the port, which makes it possible to check various traffic situations, such as the combined operation of manual and automatic driving vehicles. The diversity of controls includes parking spaces for cars, several streets and a busy roundabout, the carrier added.
A virtual double of this checkbox will also be created by the LiDAR sensors installed in the port of Emden. These sensors can locate very small main points with maximum precision and in real time. They capture everything that moves or is still, such as people, vehicles and objects. The sensors are very reliable in other weather and mild conditions.
The software company Unikie supplies the automatic vehicle control system, called the “triage system. ” The virtual replication of parking spaces is an essential component of the system. The Unikie Marshalling Solution (UMS) ensures that autocells can be controlled properly and safely, even in densely populated or confined areas. Communication with cellular vehicles is carried out through the public 5G network. In the future, LiDAR sensors will also use cellular communications to connect to the UMS, the operator said.
“At the Port of Emden proving ground, partners must explore the needs that will need to be met in terms of processes and infrastructure at automotive terminals. They should also explain how the technical infrastructure for safe vehicle control should be designed. In addition, they need to localize tactics for garage and logistics processes,” Deutsche Telekom said in a statement, adding that the biggest safety challenge lies in the coordination between automated and manual cars, as well as pedestrians moving simultaneously.