Title
DigitalSOW joint project - Digital test field for automated and autonomous inland shipping on the Spree-Oder Waterway (SOW)
DigitalSOW joint project - Digital test field for automated and autonomous inland shipping on the Spree-Oder Waterway (SOW)
In recent years, numerous logistics centres have been built along the Berlin motorway ring (A10) to supply the Berlin metropolitan region. Goods are mainly transported from these centres by road, leading to an increase in traffic volumes. In view of the forecast growth in online retail, a further increase in delivery traffic is to be expected in the coming years.
The increasing traffic congestion has far-reaching negative consequences: economic damage due to delays in traffic jams, rising environmental pollution due to emissions and increased strain on the infrastructure. In order to meet these challenges and at the same time ensure reliable supply and disposal in the metropolis of Berlin, politicians are working intensively on new concepts for the transport of goods in metropolitan regions.
Waterway transport offers alternative potential. The metropolis of Berlin and its surrounding area already have an extensive network of main and secondary waterways that could be used as a basic infrastructure. However, the integration of waterway transport into multimodal logistics chains requires considerable investment in the digitalisation of this mode of transport.
In addition to the development of a digital infrastructure along the waterways, the means of transport and logistical processes must also be adapted to the requirements of city logistics. This includes digital transport documents, precise vessel position and environment detection, automated and autonomous control and a powerful communication infrastructure for networking the vehicles with a central control centre. These measures are crucial in order to efficiently integrate waterway transport into the existing logistics system and enable a sustainable reduction in road traffic.
The overall objective of the project is the establishment and operation of a digital test field for the investigation, development and testing of concepts, algorithms and technologies for automated and connected driving on the Spree-Oder waterway.
The DigitalSOW project is developing new transport and logistics concepts for supply and disposal in the Berlin metropolitan region, taking into account the existing waterway infrastructure. Highly automated and networked ship units with electric drives are intended to make the transport process on the waterways more attractive in order to relieve the volume of traffic on the roads. The redesign of transport processes and the necessary charging and handling infrastructure will be emphasised with the inclusion of potential user requirements.
A test vehicle for city logistics will be developed, manufactured and equipped with electric drives for the practical testing of automated and networked driving and docking. Modern sensor technology will be integrated on board for precise ship positioning and environment recognition. In order to be able to carry out these tests under real conditions, a digital test field with communication and sensor infrastructure is being set up and operated on the Spree-Oder waterway. Traffic monitoring and remote control of the test carrier will be carried out via a control centre to be developed. The innovative AIS/VDES data transmission method is to be tested for the exchange of information between the control centre and the test vehicle as well as for GNSS-independent positioning of the test vehicle.
You can download the project flyer here.
Motivated by the vision of relieving metropolitan traffic and shifting the flow of goods to waterways with zero emissions, the DigitalSOW project defined new transport process models for city logistics and looked at solutions for automated transhipment. Decentralised transhipment points and a charging infrastructure were part of the investigations. The control centre developed in the project is used to record the traffic situation and remotely control the test vehicle. The new AIS/VDES technology was used for communication with the test vehicle and for backup positioning.
On board, systems for determining the ship's position and surroundings, for backup positioning (R-mode) and for automated control were implemented. Due to delays in the completion of the test carrier, the system was tested on the waterway with the ships of the project partners "Aurora" (DLR) and "Bernhard Lampe" (University of Rostock). The University of Rostock's ship was also equipped with new drives (RIM drives) in order to harmonise the control system with the test carrier's drives.
The central component of the project was the development and production of a test carrier customised for city logistics in the Berlin metropolitan region. With the "Boris Kluge", a demonstration platform is now available for practical tests of a new, innovative type of transport via inland waterways specifically for the supply and disposal of metropolitan regions. The modular test vehicle consists of a bow and stern section that can operate both individually and in combination. They can be coupled and decoupled to form larger units and are equipped with state-of-the-art sensor technology.
Length overall: 14,00 m
Width overall: 6,06 m
Draught (max.): 0,61 m
Side height: 1,20 m
Power stern section: Emission-free electric drive 2 x 25 kW
Battery capacity stern section: 4 x 96V with 840Ah each
Power bow section: Emission-free electric drive 2 x 5 kW
Battery capacity bow section: 4 x 48V with 200Ah each
The future focus will be on using the "Boris Kluge" to research and test emission-free, intelligently networked and autonomous vehicles. Initial practical trials are planned in the SensorSOW (BMDV, DTW2), DigitalSOW2 (BMDV, DTW3) and A-SWARM II (BMWK) projects. Further tests with users from the logistics sector are planned.
You can download the project profile with the project results here.
Further information on the project results can be found in the download area.
The video about the project (Youtube) can be watched here:
06/2021 - 06/2024
4.2 million € funding from the BMDV (formerly BMVI)
The DigitalSOW project is funded by the Federal ministry for digital and transport (BMDV) within the framework of the funding guideline for investments for the development of digital test fields on federal waterways.
Alberding GmbH Ludwig-Witthöft-Str. 14 15745 Wildau
Contact:
Dipl.-Ing. Jürgen Alberding
Managing Director
Tel.: +49 (0) 3375 25198 00
ja@alberding.eu
https://www.alberding.eu/
German Aerospace Center
Institute of Communications and Navigation | Nautical Systems
Kalkhorstweg 53
17235 Neustrelitz
Contact:
Dr.rer.nat. Ralf Ziebold
Group Leader Multi Sensor Systems
Tel.: +49 (0) 3981 480 195
ralf.ziebold@dlr.de
https://www.dlr.de/kn/en
Schiffbau-Versuchsanstalt Potsdam GmbH
Marquardter Chaussee 100
14469 Potsdam
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Christian Masilge
Managing Director
Tel.: + 49 (0) 331 56712-0
info@sva-potsdam.de
https://www.sva-potsdam.de/en/
Technische Universität Berlin
Institute of land and sea transport systems | Department of Design and Operation of Maritime Systems
Straße des 17. Juni 135
10623 Berlin
Contact:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gerd Holbach
Head of Department
Tel.: +49 (0) 30 314-21417
gerd.holbach@tu-berlin.de
https://www.marsys.tu-berlin.de/
University of Rostock
Institute of Automation Technology
Richard-Wagner-Straße 31 / Haus 8
18119 Rostock-Warnemünde
Contact:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Torsten Jeinsch
Professor
Tel.: + 49 (0) 381 498-7701
torsten.jeinsch@uni-rostock.de
https://www.rt.uni-rostock.de/
Association for European Inland Navigation and Waterways
Dammstraße 15-17
47119 Duisburg
Contact:
Michael Seifert
Research associate
Tel.: +49 (0) 30 4036 6618
seifert@vbw-ev.de
http://www.vbw-ev.de/
Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV)
Federal Association of Public Inland Ports e. V.
BEHALA – Berliner Hafen- und Lagerhausgesellschaft mbH
Lutra GmbH - Port of Königs Wusterhausen
FGL Handelsgesellschaft mbH (AGRAVIS Raiffeisen-Gruppe)
Reederei Ed Line GmbH
Ministerium für Infrastruktur des Landes Brandenburg (MIL)
Economic Development Agency Brandenburg (WFBB)
Administrative district of Dahme Spreewald (LDS)