Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), the port operator in Hamburg, has successfully tested a prototype of an autonomous mobile robot designed to reposition folding mounting brackets on flat wagons used for container transport. Currently, these folding brackets have to be moved manually, which is labor-intensive and time-consuming. The tests involved the Center for Maritime Logistics (CML), a member of the Fraunhofer Society, which developed the robot concept.
The robot, controlled via a special console, moves along the train and uses a manipulator to place the brackets in the correct position required for accommodating a container of the appropriate size. The successful completion of the tests paves the way for optimizing the technology and subsequently bringing it to market.
The tests were conducted under real operating conditions at the Tollerort Container Terminal in the Port of Hamburg, using platforms provided by HHLA’s freight operator, Metrans.
HHLA’s research project on the robot was supported by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) as part of the IHATEC program promoting autonomous systems and port automation.
