PSA Singapore and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have signed a research collaboration agreement to jointly develop a “large-scale fleet management solution” for automated guided vehicles (AGVs) at Tuas mega port. The system will allow AGVs to “move containers efficiently and securely in the next-generation port at Tuas.
Tuas Port will be the largest fully automated container terminal in a single location with an annual handling capacity of 65 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). TEU is a unit of measurement used to determine cargo capacity for container ships and terminals.
AGVs play a significant role in automating yard and wharf operations for Tuas port due to their versatility and manoeuvrability in picking up and transporting containers. As these are electric vehicles, they are also greener and more sustainable than diesel prime movers, reducing carbon emissions by about 50%. The fleet of AGVs is expected to increase in tandem with large-scale port operations.
To meet the demands of a larger AGV fleet, PSA requires an intelligent, advanced fleet management system that is responsive and can handle the computational load. This new fleet management solution for AGV operations is also expected to achieve significant cost savings through the reduction of infrastructure and operational costs.
PSA and A*STAR’s Institute of High-Performance Computing (IHPC) will co-develop advanced automation and digitalisation solutions that can address these needs, they added. IHPC will contribute its expertise in advanced high-performance computing technologies and algorithms to develop accelerated solutions for large-scale fleet management of AGVs.
The collaboration also includes the development of innovative techniques that will allow a scalable design with multiple AGVs coordinating seamlessly and at the same time. Upon successful development, PSA will look to apply the smart solutions to future enhanced fleet management systems as operations in Tuas port gradually scale up, while the addition of new technologies such as 5G will further enhance computation performance.
The partnership with PSA demonstrates A*STAR’s contribution to the maritime industry by applying research capabilities in high-performance computing, and modelling and simulation to create intelligent and scalable technological solutions. The new port, expected to be the world’s single largest fully automated container terminal, is slated to be fully operational in the 2040s. It will replace existing facilities at Tanjong Pagar, Pasir Panjang, Keppel and Pulau Brani.
A*STAR’s IHPC provides leadership in high-performance computing as a strategic resource for scientific inquiry and industry development. It seeks to power discoveries through advanced methodologies, techniques and new tools in modelling, simulation and artificial intelligence. Its core research areas are in the realm of complex-coupled systems, mechanics and fluid dynamics, large-scale systems, digital modelling, adaptive and collaborative computing, data mining and analysis, computational electronics and electromagnetics, computational materials science and chemistry.
As reported by OpenGov Asia, the A*STAR Partners’ Centre (A*PC) officially launched the A*PC Innovative Science & Technology Partnership programme in Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) today. Established in November 2020, A*PC is a launchpad for Singapore technology companies and offers funding and infrastructure support for their expansion and R&D productisation journey in China via Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP).
The A*STAR-SIP Technology and Innovation Partnership Programme is a new model for international innovation between A*STAR and SIP. The programme will help A*PC member companies expand their business in China, by connecting them to relevant platforms, institutions, and industry resources such as capital providers and professional services providers. A mentorship initiative has been set up to provide in-depth guidance tailored to each company
Within A*PC’s first year of becoming fully operational, 22 Singapore technology companies have come on board as partners. Since its launch, A*PC has set up a series of tailored programmes to connect more Singapore companies with the technology sector in the greater Yangtze River Delta region, covering the key areas of biomedical technology, machine automation, and nanotechnology.