Busan Port Transforming into a Smart Port … Busan Port Authority Builds Intelligent and Safe Port with 5G MEC Technology

Crane Remote Control Boosts Container Yard Productivity by 40%

Logistics Warehouse Robots Handle Tasks Independently with 'ZERO' Safety Accidents

Busan Port Authority.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Busan Port is expected to be upgraded into a smart port.

The Busan Port Authority (BPA, President Nam Ki-chan) is participating in the 5G Convergence Service Public Sector Leading Project (hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT) together with LG Uplus and related small and medium enterprises and other related organizations.

In this project, 5G MEC convergence technology will be applied to remote control of cranes, upgrading the port to be safer and smarter.

MEC (Mobile Edge Computing)-based 5G convergence technology refers to building computing systems such as servers for data processing and storage near mobile communication base stations, allowing data to be processed on-site without transmitting network data to a central server.

This reduces network traffic for faster processing and provides high-function 5G services specialized for the site, enhancing security as well.

Based on 5G ultra-high speed and ultra-low latency technology, remote control of cranes within the port and automation of logistics warehouses will be implemented, transforming it into a safe and efficient smart port.

Until now, crane operators had to control containers by looking down from 25 meters high for long hours.

One operator could only control one crane, and containers could only be stacked up to three layers. There was also a high risk of safety accidents as equipment and people worked simultaneously at the same site.

With 5G crane remote control, one operator in an office away from the worksite can control 3 to 4 cranes simultaneously, and containers can be stacked more than four layers, expecting productivity to increase by more than 40%.

Safety accidents between equipment and people can also be fundamentally prevented.

In logistics warehouses, Korea’s first unmanned three-direction forklift and AGV (Auto Guided Vehicle) will be used to move goods, and technologies such as automatic hazard detection and alerts using liquid leak sensors in hazardous material warehouses, automatic temperature measurement of workers, and mask non-wearing alerts will be applied.

In the second half of this year, an MEC center and 5G network will be established targeting Busan Port, and efforts will be made to actively utilize them in port cargo handling equipment.

Also, small and medium enterprises will jointly participate in each technology development field, creating new jobs, technological innovation, and co-growth achievements.

President Nam Ki-chan said, “With the introduction of 5G technology, this is an opportunity to build a domestic technology-centered smart port digital infrastructure to secure competitiveness with advanced overseas ports and contribute to establishing a foundation for continuous growth of related industries.”

He added, “We will create exemplary collaborative model achievements of the Korean New Deal project through cooperation between public institutions and private companies.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.