China's state-owned Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries is building a fully automated container terminal with rail infrastructure in the Chinese coastal port of Qinzhou. As Flanders has a strong reputation as a pioneer in digital industries, Leuven-based Camco will equip the five giant container cranes with high-tech cameras with built-in artificial intelligence. In doing so, Camco hopes to gain an entry ticket to the expanding Chinese market.

More specifically, Camco will equip the firm’s production halls in Shanghai with its ‘box catcher’ technology: intelligent cameras that glide vertically back and forth along the two legs of mega cranes. They meticulously capture every container movement to and from the ship, as well as all information about the container by snapping 360-degree images. The cameras move at a speed of 6 meters per second and can easily capture 36 container movements per hour. They can scan one container’s data in 8 seconds. "Our advantage compared to other systems is that we integrate everything into one device," says Alain Buyle.

In addition, Camco will provide all the technology for the automatic registration of trucks entering and leaving the new terminal. This ranges from the installation of registration kiosks to access portals equipped with laser scanners and number recognition systems. From development to assembly and maintenance, everything is handled by Camco itself. The hardware is assembled in Camco’s production hall in Leuven, Flanders.