significant


improvement on comparative


tracking apparatus, which often require reverse logistics. Where connectivity is available, co-ordinators are able to monitor a device’s position in real-time via the COMACOD transmitter, allowing far more accurate transport


planning and resources. “Many


devices


function independently, without


maintenance or a battery recharge, for up to five years.” A start-up company, Track4C, was established in


technology in real world deployments. COMACOD,


organisation of containers


become lost whilst not in use – creating huge costs for freight companies. Often, they’re also only partially full,” says Moerman. “This wastage could be mitigated by precise tracking.” The system could also enhance security measures, potentially aiding


law


enforcement agencies by identifying where shipments are compromised. “Today, significant


time is lost at border control


posts, as documents need to be verified and containers individually checked,” says Moerman. “This process


which paperwork, abundant but could be speeded up


through automation. We’ve therefore developed an electronic lock or seal that, if breached, could be


with contraband


triggers an alarm. Such alerts shared


authorities – helping to prevent smuggling and the addition of


to


is an onerous, manual involves


the group’s current project,


seeks to refine the next crucial step in the process: the design of a middleware solution and ‘back-end’


service platform that


communicates with the users. This venture is


an academic/industrial partnership,


involving commercial enterprises such as Trimble Transport & Logistics and software developers Invenso. “We want to introduce a dynamic solution which can be easily reconfigured if a client wants more information about a shipment, or if container’s


a contents change,” explains


Hoebeke. “This will be provided in the form of a user-friendly ‘dashboard’, which allows updates to be processed remotely, so that they don’t interrupt the logistical chain. COAP (Constrained Application Protocol), a medium that


allows the relevant small, low-power


electronic devices to communicate via the internet, can achieve this. It’s a global, standardised solution, has the same benefits as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and is very easy to adapt.”


2012 to pilot the


AT A GLANCE Project Information


Project Title: COMACOD: Control and management of constrained devices


Project Objective: Tracking and monitoring systems are important in various industries in order to optimise process flows and deliver better service to customers. COMACOD’s goal is to develop enhancements that make tracking and monitoring systems more efficient, flexible, manageable, automated and reusable for different markets and applications with minimal effort.


Project Duration and Timing: 2 years, January 2013 to December 2014


Project Funding: iMinds ICON project. Total budget 1.700kEuro (730kEuro iMinds funding)


Project Partners: Research departments: iMinds - IBCN - UGent, Minds - WiCa - UGent, iMinds - Distrinet - KU Leuven Industrial partners: Multicap, oneAccess, Track4C, Trimble Transport & Logistics, Invenso


“Monitoring the status of shipping containers helps to ensure that extended supply chains are effectively managed, minimising wastage and curtailing loss” Showcasing its versatility,


shipments, looting and the unexplained ‘disappearance’ of goods.” During a previous


project, the group is MoCo,


Moerman’s group pioneered a system to track and trace containers exploiting low- power wireless networks. Using different power modes to economise on energy usage, the developers optimised the transmitter devices, rendering them low-maintenance and hardy enough to withstand lengthy voyages. “As part of the MoCo project, we designed a communications solution which exploits multi-hop communication from one container to another,” explains Moerman.


“Transmissions are relayed


between adjacent units, until signals finally ‘hop’ to a container (potentially located on the outside of a stack) which possesses internet connectivity. The communications


www.projectsmagazine.eu.com


also considering other applications for the technology – from monitoring garbage bins to parking spaces. As


such, the project


could potentially contribute to the creation of the ‘Internet of Things’; a world in which all objects can be remotely monitored. “Transferring data between the different organisations


involved in the process is complex, as they will


will enable those managing the process to discern if service level agreements have been met. Simultaneously,


it must also


authenticate and authorise stakeholders in a federated way. Not all information should be made uniformly available – as


some


users will necessarily require different privileges to others, and sensitive data must remain confidential.” Although the technology indicates much


shipping require


different levels of access, and may need to monitor varied types of information,” says Hoebeke. “For example, some parties may want to look at temperature in Fahrenheit, whereas others may use centigrade. A means of


translation is critical, so that


information can be accurately monitored and interpreted wherever it is received. This


promise, a complex value chain in which various stakeholders may dispute who covers the cost of tracking services must be carefully negotiated if the fledgling product is to enter the commercial mainstream. “The modules are currently expensive, but if


the goods being transported are high


value then this is a realistic economy for operators,” asserts Moerman. “To be utilised for other products, costs must be reduced. Encouragingly, significantly


our


universal interchange or thus


start-up offers cheaper service than


competitors. We hope that our initial forays into the marketplace will clearly show that the technology is viable, and has the potential to become a future standard for the industry.”


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