ABSTRACT

Large ports like the Port of Rotterdam have seen a rapid increase of transport volume in the port area since 1970s. More than 30 million TEUs (Twentyfoot Equivalent Unit) per year are expected to be handled towards 2035 (Port of Rotterdam, 2014). It thus can be foreseen that container handling efficiencies will be critical both inside and inter terminals. AGVs have been adopted in automated container terminals to ease problems like long operation times and high personnel expenses, etc. Outside terminals, increasing transportation demands on punctual (neither early nor late) collection and delivery of containers also happen among various terminals through various modalities (rail, road, sea etc.), known as ITT. The most important performance criterion of ITT is “Nonperformance” which happens when the completion time of ITT tasks is later than the permitted latest arrival time (Duinkerken, et al., 2007). Therefore, we propose waterborne AGVs with both path following and guaranteed arrival time capabilities in the scenario of ITT.