MULTITRANS

Technique and approach

By means of non-invasive techniques one tries to set up a system, that is perceived by the many players as user-friendly (aiming at the particular own needs) and which is experienced as trustworthy, although the system handles a number of functions autonomously. The aim of the project is to integrate a number of components with the most relevant players of a multimodal transport, which all play a role in the planning and treatment of multimodal operations. The agent technology itself has been demonstrated in an earlier IWT-TETRA-project of one of the partners. The aim is to build further on it, and to integrate the technology with the functions of the most relevant players in this domain.

Besides this innovative and open platform for communications the automated real-time monitoring of logistic processes is a necessary aid for organizing efficiently the multimodal transport. In the logistic sector one frequently uses already existing active RFID, but tracking of goods during multimodal transport requires an even more powerfull approach. Sensor-network technology is very well-suited for aiding here. The problems concerning this technology are to be solved in this project and will be demonstrated in a final Proof of Concept.

It is of prime importance to emphasize the crucial coherence between these two fundamental issues of this project. Indeed, the communication-platform directly uses the information coming from the RFID-sensors. During the project special attention will be paid to defining and working out this essential coupling.

Future

Multimodal transport becomes gradually more important, mainly for Flanders, because of the upcoming saturation on the classical transport means. Also a better coordination between the several steps in a transport chain can lead to substantial cost reduction in this area, and hence increase the competitiveness and attractivity of the region as a logistics hub.

This project will realise a Proof of Concept of an open communications platform for multimodal transport by means of agent and sensortechnology, spreading over the entire logistics chain, on the basis of intelligent infrastructure, providing a low trust treshold to the user.

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