A trial of an autonomous, self-driving vehicle transporting empty containers in a live terminal operation has taken place to gauge whether safety was improved.
DP World took part in the demonstration at its Antwerp Gateway terminal with the autonomous vehicle moving the containers across the yard between operational buffer areas and storage blocks.
The fully-electric vehicle used a predefined route interacting with existing terminal traffic, including trucks and internal vehicles.
DP World Antwerp said the initiative allowed it to observe how autonomous transport technology worked in a live environment and gain practical insights.
Edi Cioran, chief executive DP World Antwerp, said: “Innovation at terminal level starts with understanding how new technologies behave in real operational situations.
“This demonstration gives us the opportunity to learn, together with our partners, from a live environment.”
Following the trial period, the project team will review the observations and operational findings gathered during the vehicle’s time on the terminal.
