Advances in Control and Sensors Technology Enabling Unmanned Operation of Containers Cranes

This paper summarizes the most important advances of the used crane control technology in perspective of unmanned operation of container cranes. Unmanned operation with remote control support today is available for almost all types of new/existing rail mounted container cranes. Storage capacity is the limitation for most terminals today; unmanned operation offers optimum stacking density and peak capacity equivalent for continuous manning of every crane. Besides that, most of the benefits could be emphasizing in reduction of labor cost, high and uniform productivity, integration with terminal planning system, etc. Unmanned operation requires sensor systems for target position (TPS), sensors for load position (LPS), video equipment on spreader/crane, control and communication equipment on the crane and remote consoles for video and control signals. To remain fully operational with terminal at all times requires extraordinary work flows, narrow time schedules and lots of work which do considerably drive up the overall investment.