A Modular Control Room for Smart Port as Event-Driven DSS

Abstract

Inside a port there are complex processes and structures, everywhere. They need monitoring over time to accomplish a wide range of tasks, activities and operations, like maintenance, degradation management, obsolescence, event warnings and so on. Internet-of-Things (IoT) is quickly becoming one of the most impactful trends of the application of new technologies in the present era. There are already plenty of experimentations and applications that involve infrastructure monitoring of buildings, structures and any kind of possible assets in the port area. Inspection and monitoring can be done through fixed (measurement points, installed sensors, cameras, etc.) or through mobile assets, potentially autonomous, (e.g. flying/surface/submerged drones). They can add a new variety of capabilities and solutions to the requirements for precise, detailed and real-time data about port activities. Ports are approaching the above requirements with case-by-case projects, adopting solutions to very specific assets (a single dock, a specific gate, a bridge, etc.). On the other hand, a wide, comprehensive approach can lead to a more effective, scalable and efficient adoption of technologies that can respond to control requirements out of different contexts and environments. From this scenario emerges the need of a modular ecosystem to manage complexity inside a digital environment that can offer decision support tool to the stakeholders inside the port. A modular control room, empowered with access to heterogeneous sources of data, collected from multiple assets, requires a digital set of support tools that extract valuable information, that provide capabilities for analysis of data, and that grant access to innovative modules for decision support.